I’m ready for and equally dreading this meeting with the witches. I don’t have a good feeling about it. Is that because I’m worried these matches were made against the rules? If that’s the case, I’ve got a fight ahead of me because I’m not giving her up, not for anything.
The guys are having coffee together in a corner booth in the diner. When I sit, the waitress immediately comes over with a cup in one hand, a coffee pot in another.
“Boys,” I greet and give her unspoken coffee offer a nod.
The way the guys look at me, I know they’re happy for me. It feels good.
“How are you, man?” Grey asks.
“I’m good. Great, actually, with one exception.” I turn my gaze to the waitress. “Thank you.”
“Menus?” she asks, face pink.
This happens often when we’re around human women, especially when there are two or more of us together. Alpha shifters are blessed with the kinds of looks human women like. They often get flustered and shy. Or they try to flirt. This one is the former. Which is preferable to me suddenly. And that’s new. I’ve never disliked being flirted with before.
“Naw; just coffee for me, thanks,” I say.
“I’m good,” Riley puts in.
“Just a warm-up for me, pretty lady,” Grey says, giving her a wide smile.
She blushes.
“Anybody want pie?” she tries, “We’ve got absolutely fa-fabulous pie…”
“Bet your pie is delicious, blossom, but we’re good,” Grey tells her.
The red of her cheeks deepens. And Grey’s eyes sparkle with mischief.
Greyson isn’t tired of flirting, clearly. But in the not-too-distant future, he will be. And I’m looking forward to being a spectator instead of the specimen under the microscope.
The waitress shakily fills his cup and then hurries back to the counter like her long hair is about to catch on fire.
“What’s the exception?” Riley asks once she’s out of earshot.
“I just wanna know this wasn’t unsanctioned.”
He sobers.
“Amelia keeps goin’ on about getting things undone. I won’t have that. In fact, I’m wishin’ Graydon hadn’t called the meeting at all. Because if we don’t know if it’s sanctioned we won’t know if it’s possible to get it undone.”
Riley grabs my shoulder and squeezes.
“And if it wasn’t and the Young coven decides they’ll undo it, am I gonna have to take my woman and run? Am I gonna have to fight with witches over keepin’ Amelia? I’m already fighting with Amelia over it and I’m not jokin’ when I say I won’t go down on this matter. It isn’t fucking happening.”
Grey winces and gives me a warning look. I’m getting too riled up.
“And…” I lower my voice. “Not sure running would even do anything because it’s obvious things can be set in motion without the people involved being there for it. So what does that mean? That emotions could be ripped away from me without my say-so? Fuck.” I lean back and empty my lungs slowly.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Grey promises.
“I already know I got played with the night Tyson claimed his woman and I am not down with having my shit fucked with again.”
“I feel for ya, brother,” Riley says, “So, we’ll go and find out what’s what and go from there. We don’t commit to anything. We find out what the deal is. And then if it isn’t the news you wanted… we call a meeting with you and Ty. Since this affects him as much as it affects you.”
“Except his woman isn’t gonna be asking for it to be undone,” Greyson says.
“They’re good?” I ask.
They looked like they were happy at the clinic, but I’m asking anyway.
“They’re moving into the Savage house as we speak,” Riley answers.
“Good news,” I reply.
I’m glad things are working out for them. I’m glad Tyson is back after a lifetime of being kept from his pack, his family. This says good things for the future for all of us. All seven of us. As it should be.
But feeling uneasy about this witchcraft factor, the sooner I know what the deal is with this spell the better. I’ll either feel relief in the knowledge I don’t have to fight to keep someone from trying to rip my mate away from me or I’ll know I need to get ready to protect what’s mine.
The idea of someone making any moves to take her from me? It won’t fucking happen; I won’t let it.
I look at my wrist. Twenty minutes till our meeting.
“They know why we’re coming?” I ask, drumming my fingers on the table with impatience.
Grey speaks up. “Dad was the coven connection last council, but he was vague when I asked questions. So, I had Bailey dig in to find out the coven hierarchy for the region. My dad says they’ve been told they needed to pull logs for Lyrica Young, who was the last remaining local Young coven member until she died. Told the woman to look for things pertaining to Nelle Jenkins, Kathleen Jenkins-Brennan, Ivy and Amelia Brennan all related to the Arcana Falls pack. Hoping the answers are there, and we’ll have an answer before we leave the place.” He sips his coffee.