Carter stood up and adjusted his cuffs as he said, “The only thing that can break a mate bond is death. You know that as well as I do. Besides, he doesn’t want the bond broken. He wants you.”
He took a step forward, and I backed up until I bumped into the wall. I started to gather my energy so I could hit him with everything I had left, and blue light sparked and crackled around my fingertips as I told him, “There’s no way in hell I’m going anywhere with you.”
He seemed genuinely amused. “As if you have a choice.”
When he snapped his fingers, unconsciousness slammed into me from every angle. The last thing I remembered was the creature in a man suit catching me before I hit the floor.
Chapter 2
I woke with a start and drew a sharp breath. It was more than a little alarming to discover I was on a private jet, and we were in the air.
A blanket slid off me and onto the floor as I sat up. Carter was seated a few feet away, reading a newspaper. I probably should have been afraid of him, given the fact that he was some type of dark entity who’d abducted me. But right now, his presence read not only as nonthreatening but soothing, which probably meant he’d cast some kind of spell. I was still wary of him, because I wasn’t a total idiot.
I asked, “Where are we going?”
He looked up from his paper. “To Elias, of course.”
“And he’s where, exactly?”
“You’ll see.”
When I tried to read his thoughts, I discovered he’d put up some sort of wall to totally keep me out. I sighed and pulled the blanket back onto my lap before asking, “What’s the point in keeping that information from me? You already succeeded in kidnapping me, and now we’re on a plane. If you tell me we’re on our way to France, or Guadalajara, or Detroit, what could I possibly do with that information?”
“Let’s not find out.”
A long pause stretched between us. When I realized no additional information would be forthcoming, I asked, “Why did Elias send you to get me, instead of coming for me himself?”
“He got in a bit of trouble back in December and had to leave L.A. in a hurry. On his way to the airport, he sensed your presence, but only for a moment. He didn’t want to leave without you, but staying would have cost him his life. The only way to get him to go was to promise I’d find you myself, which ended up taking three months.”
“I have no idea how you tracked me down,” I muttered.
“It wasn’t easy, until you set off those magical fireworks earlier tonight. You might as well have hired a skywriter to write your name and draw a huge arrow in the sky, pointing to your house. Not that I’m complaining, of course. Searching for you had grown tiresome on day two.”
“I didn’t set off the fireworks.”
“Well, they still led me to you. I’d been investigating any and every magical occurrence in L.A., on the off chance you were behind it.”
“But how did you determine where they came from? The fireworks covered a huge area,” I said.
“All magic leaves a trace. Theirs pointed at your house like a beacon.”
I studied him for a few moments before asking, “Why would someone as ridiculously powerful as you choose to work for a part werewolf, two-bit criminal like Elias Reyes?”
“I don’t work for him, or anyone else.”
“Then why are you helping him?”
“Because he’s my friend.”
“Bullshit,” I said. “Elias doesn’t have friends.”
“Not many, it’s true, but he has me.”
“You could do better.”
“And you could do so much worse for a mate.”
“You know, he and I spent some time together when our bond first activated,” I said. “But we just aren’t compatible, no matter what kind of totally involuntary attraction happens when we’re near each other.”
“You didn’t give him a chance.”
“Sure I did, and during our time together he was rude, domineering, and cold as ice. Plus, I want someone who loves me for who I am, not because they’re under the influence of some weird cocktail of magic, lust, and pheromones.”
Carter frowned and said, “You only spent three days with him, and then you ran. You didn’t even consummate your relationship. If you had, your bond would have been complete and you’d both be happy.”
“I couldn’t sleep with him.”
“Why not?”
I held his gaze and said, “Let me ask you something, just hypothetically. Let’s say you go to a bar and meet a beautiful girl.”
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer a boy.”
“Alright, a beautiful boy. He’s just your type, but he’s also drunk off his ass. Do you take him home and fuck him?”
Carter looked appalled. “Of course not!”
“Why not?”
“Because if he’s drunk he’s not able to give consent, so it would be deplorable to take advantage of him.”