Page 11

“You mean the witch nearby?” he asks.

A grunt follows his question, and I have no doubt Scarlett jabbed him with one of her elbows. She’s nearly lethal with those sharp bones.

I swallow my laugh because I don’t want to receive one of those myself when the door finally opens.

“She’s mine,” Conall grumbles.

Goddess save me from terse shifters. “She can’t be yours, Con. She’s a woman. No one can own her.”

“That’s exactly what I’ve been telling him!” Scarlett exclaims.

There’s an answering growl from the Lycan. “She’s my mate. I knew as soon as I scented her in the forest last night.”

Damnation.

My stomach twists at his statement. Though she never paid me any mind, I secretly hoped Scarlett would give me a chance to court her one day. But if they are mates, it is unlikely it will ever happen.

Many Lycans have more than one mate within a pack, often living in groups of three or four, but Conall is a solitary alpha. He barely tolerates my presence every week or two. I doubt he would welcome me into their bond. Or even let me live if I tried to insert myself.

“You can go.” His words are resolute, as if obedience is a reasonable expectation.

Scarlett takes a deep breath, likely in preparation to yell at him again, but I speak up first.

“I can’t. You’re keeping her against her will, Conall. Even back east, this would be frowned upon, and you know it.”

When the door flies open, it’s suddenly filled with a snarling Lycan male. His torso is bare, revealing the tense, bunched muscles of his shoulders and arms. His hands clench into tight fists as he stares me down. “Leave before I lose my temper,” he growls out.

I understand he’s just posturing, but my body still tightens in response to the threat. He’s trying to use his body language to run me off. However, it’s not going to work.

“I can’t, brother,” I reply, fighting to keep my voice calm and soothing. “You know it. If you want her as a mate, you have to court her the way all wolves court their mates. Especially if they aren’t Lycan. Humans don’t join together the way wolves do.”

He snarls again, but his shoulders droop. I see it then—the pain and disappointment beneath his posturing. I may not be a witch, but even I can feel the strength of his emotions.

I glance at the little redhead, seeing the wince of discomfort on her face. Scarlett pretends she isn’t, but I know she’s attuned to magic like her grandmother. Because of her power, I know she feels his emotions even more keenly than I do.

Her face softens as she studies the Lycan. She is waffling between stomping off in anger and staying because she can’t stand his pain. Finally, she lifts her hand and places it in the middle of his bare back. The hulking Lycan goes perfectly still at her touch.

“I’ll stay if you let Hunter in,” she says. “And if you leave the door open. But only for lunch, maybe a little time after. I need to get to my grandmother’s before it gets dark.”

At first, Conall scowls at me but quickly realizes she’s giving him more of her time, even if it’s conditional. “Very well. Come in, woodsman.”

When I step forward, his eyes fall onto the fish dangling from the line in my hand and light up. “You brought my favorite!”

I hand them over to him. “There’s enough to feed all three of us lunch.”

The Lycan’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t argue. Leaving the door open, he steps back, his body crowding Scarlett away from the opening. “Come in.”

My gaze shifts to Scarlett as I come inside. “Hi, Little Red.”

“Hi, Hunter.”

I tuck my thumbs into my belt. “You do realize I’m going to need the full story of whatever happened last night, don’t you?”

She sighs. “How about over a cup of wine?”

“Sounds good.”

Conall grunts and steps between us with his back to me. “You said you’d stay if he does, so don’t try to leave. If you run, I’ll track you, and my wolf may decide to mark you whether you’re willing or not.”