Heart Mates (17 page)

The amused gleam in those black eyes, though? Definitely human, and an annoying human at that.

Sophia’s fists landed on hips. “Are you Mason? No, don’t answer. It’s bad enough you’re out where anyone can see you. Follow me.”

She stomped off. Damn it, Noah was supposed to take Mason with him. Instead he’d ordered Mason to protect her? She could protect herself. Mason was so getting a butt chewing, followed by Noah when she saw him next.

Ooh. Chewing Noah’s butt, those hard rounded muscles… No. Righteous indignation here.

Arriving at the bookstore, she braced herself and took a quick peek with her Witch’s Eye for Rodolphe or a signs of tampering. She’d almost convinced herself she was wrong, that he wasn’t the Hungry Ghost. Rodolphe was a coward, a danger to freshmen witches and violent against helpless cars but running from a real threat. Seeing nothing alarming and migraine auras like jagged lightning warning her pain wasn’t far away, she closed her third eye, unlocked and opened the door, strode in and turned on the lights.

The wolf trotted in behind her. The moment she shut and locked the door, the wolf’s edges blurred; its form unfolded, morphing. Fur retracted, lean limbs lengthened and thickened with masculine muscle. All fours reared onto two, back unfurling and head rolling up while legs and arms and torso lengthened. Clothes blossomed to cover him just before he finished forming. In less time than it took to describe it, a man stood before her in jeans and a jacket.

It was the hot man from the pet store.

Without the apron he was very sexy indeed. He stood at his elegant ease, black hair curling carelessly around his fine ears, thumbs in his jeans pockets, hip cocked. His sharp eyes told her that, despite being a dog groomer, this man was not one to cross lightly.

“Did Noah send you?” she blurted.

“Hmm.” The corner of his mouth curled. “If I say yes, I could be lying. If I say no, you’ll run. I’ll say ‘yes’.”

“Right. Stupid question.” She normally wasn’t stupid, but she’d had a rough couple of days, culminating in the shock of incredible sex, her mate having to fight, and now these brilliant, penetrating black eyes. “Okay. Who are you?”

“Someone to keep you out of trouble.”

In the pet store it seemed perfectly appropriate not to know his name. Now it rankled. “Did Noah ask you to watch me? Are you in his pack?”

“I owe the Blackwood pack a favor,” he said, answering nothing. “I happened to overhear Noah trying to get his second to follow you, to ‘Keep her from getting herself killed’ which I interpreted as keeping you out of trouble. Watching you in action, though…now I understand what he meant.”

She flushed. “Noah’s overprotective. What I’m doing isn’t dangerous.” Or at least it wouldn’t be, after she combed Auntie’s stash for a helper item. She stowed the mushroom under the register—oh, there was her suitcase—and started searching, one eye on the nameless man.

“Not dangerous?” The man’s very fine lips quirked in her periphery. “Noah’s usually a pretty good judge, both of people and situations.”

“He’s emotionally involved. It’s clouded his judgment.”

The man raised one black brow, arching high. He sniffed delicately, his fine nostrils flaring. “Ah, yes. I understand.”

Like he hadn’t smelled the sex before. Which reminded her, she’d have to stay downwind of Bonnie and Clyde’s noses. “Don’t pretend not to have super-smell. I know you’re a shifter.”

The man shrugged. “I can shift.” The twinkle in his eye hinted at implications with a capital Imp.

She snatched up a calm amulet from a nearby sales barrel. Not for the five anti-alphas—for her, so as not to smack Mr. I-Can-Shift to the moon. He was not only annoying, he’d obviously had a lot of practice at it.

“Whatever.” She opened the cabinet nearest her, labeled
Last Chance Sale!! (unsorted)
, revealing shelves littered with magical paraphernalia: wands, scrolls, loose crystals, potions in jewel-toned glass vials, and amulets both simple and gemmed. No way to tell what any of them were, at least not in the mundane way.

So she opened her third eye to the possibilities. Immediately the competing chatter of the talismans crowded her. “Pick me, pick me!” they cried. “You need help. Pick me!”

Oh great. Leave it to Auntie to have obnoxiously helpful talismans. Sophia felt like Alice in
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
where the cakes all cried, “Eat me”. Or was that
Through the Looking Glass
? Then she remembered what a big bad alpha shifter and she had done
in
the looking glass…staying in Wonderland, then.

The voices were getting louder, shriller. Her head started to throb. To stave off a headache, she dropped the calm amulet, reached into the cabinet and picked one.

Behind her, gorgeous no-name guy cleared his throat. “Good choice…if you’re trying to kill her.”

She cracked a physical eye. She held a foot-long copper rod with an ivory ceramic handle on one end and a small ball at the tip of the other. It looked like a toy wand. She turned it over to read the label. “Lightning rod. Used for ritual electrocutions.”

Her eyes flew wide, all three of them. What the hell was Auntie doing with a thing like that? Yikes. She tossed it back.

“Although it
would
clear the field for Noah. I think you can turn the level down.”

“Like a magic stun gun?” She still left it in the cabinet. “How’d you know I was looking to clear the way for Noah?”

The corner of his mouth quirked. “The Jamies are a bit deaf. I could hear you through the front window.”

“You were
eavesdropping
?”

“Please. I prefer aural fact-finding. What you don’t know
can
hurt you.”

“Look, I just want to get Bonnie out of the house without raising suspicions. Clyde would know something was wrong if I zapped her.”

“How about this?” He reached into the cabinet near her head. Her hair crackled and she shivered as he brought the thing out past her, like it was covered in electricity. Unless his personal aura was just that potent. He handed it to her.

A small multi-colored disk, about four inches in diameter, was inside a clear plastic case. “It looks like a coaster.”

“Ulysses S. Grant’s coaster, to be precise. You want to get Bonnie to go out drinking, correct? This will make the urge an obsession. Slip it onto her person, and she’ll immediately want to visit a bar.”

“Won’t she just pop a beer from the fridge?”

“No,” he said with such exaggerated patience that she wanted to beat him with a humility bat. “It heightens whatever she loves most about bars. Take a closer look.”

“Fine.” Opening her third eye again she saw the coaster would indeed prompt the desire to visit a bar or tavern. And something more…she reached for it but couldn’t quite tell.

“C’mon, Sophia, you’re not marrying it. Take it and let’s go. Knowing Noah, he’ll start with Bonnie and Clyde, specifically so you won’t be exposed to Bonnie.”

“Crispy fried cobwebs. That’s just like him, isn’t it?” She shut her third eye and opened her temporal ones. Coaster in hand, she headed out the door, locking it after them. “I wish he wouldn’t. I don’t need protecting.” She started east, then stopped.

“Everybody needs protecting at some time or another. Including big bad alphas. What’s wrong? If you’re going to get there before Noah does, you’d better hurry.”

“I need to hide the coaster. I left my coat in the store.”

“Put it in your skirt pocket.”

“If it fits.” She slid the case into the skirt pocket, then stuck her hip out to look at it. “It bulges.”

“So she’ll think you’re happy to see her. Come on. Noah won’t take long to convince Mason to head there. You have maybe five minutes.”

“Right.” She started up again, setting a brisk pace for four-inch heels. “You’re coming along? This isn’t just a favor to the pack, is it? What’s in it for you?”

His lips quirked. “You’re a sharp little witch, aren’t you? I have a bike that’s a bit specialized. Mason’s the only one who can keep it in top condition.”

“That vintage motorcycle in pieces?” She cut a penetrating glance at him. Something about his lazy saunter and lowered lids made her think he wasn’t telling her the whole story.

“No, the Ducati is Mason’s. At least his name’s on the title. Of course, emotionally, it’s Noah’s.”

“Huh?”

“Please. It’s obvious that bike is Noah’s promise to both himself and Mason that he’ll fix what’s wrong here in Blackwood territory.”

“If you roll your eyes any farther, they’ll stick looking at the inside of your skull. Although then you’ll see your favorite person, won’t you? That bike doesn’t look fixed to me.”

“Noah’s a damned good alpha but he isn’t a mechanic. He needs help. He hasn’t admitted that yet, though. We’re here.”

“Right.” Sophia took a deep breath and started up the curving front walk.

Chapter Sixteen

After Killer’s, Bonnie and Clyde’s house was a surprise, a neat bungalow with a white picket fence and a freshly clipped lawn. A curving walk, lined by petunias of all things, led to a home that sat primly in a nest of neatly trimmed shrubs.

The nameless man stopped and morphed into the black wolf, this time flowing from form to form so fluidly Sophia knew he’d been deliberately showing her the process last time. Or maybe he was showing off now.

As she clipped up the walk, no toenails clicked beside her, either. She glanced at the wolf. “If you won’t tell me your name, I’ll have to give you one. How about Major Annoyance? Snarky Sidekick?”

His head tilted to look at her. One corner of his wolfie mouth quirked up. Then he leaped into the bushes and hunkered down.

She mounted the stoop to peer through the screen door. The interior was quiet and dark. She rang the doorbell. Light, quick steps approached.

Bonnie opened the door. She was a surprise too, wavy blonde hair, white flip-flops, pink calf-length skinny jeans and a short pink top with “Baby Doll” in sparkly letters. A swath of smoothly muscled tummy peeked between the top and jeans.

A strong, sweet cloud of perfume enveloped her. Behind her wafted plumes of rough smoke, an El Sleazo cigar. Sophia stopped worrying about the smell of Noah on her.

“What do you want?” Bonnie said.

“It’s what
I
can do for
you
.” Sophia gave Bonnie her best trusty smile and wished really hard on her lucky broomstick that Bonnie would let her inside, at least long enough to plant the coaster. “I’m from the American Barkeeping Association and you’ve won a
free
pass to the inn or tap of your choice.”

Clyde appeared behind Bonnie. With his wiry muscularity, threadbare jeans and skintight, yellowed beater shirt, he was gangster werewolf to the hilt. “Who is it?” He puffed a cigar around the words like a locomotive.

“Dunno,” Bonnie said. “Someone selling something.”

“It’s free!” Sophia put on her bestest, honestest grin—and stuck her toe in the door. Hopeful didn’t equal stupid. “May I come in to tell you more?”

Bonnie shook her head. “We’re expecting someone.”

“No problem. I’ll be quick.” Not throwing her out was as good as an invitation, right? She surged forward, so Bonnie either had to step back or actively resist. She stepped back.
Yes.

As Sophia came inside, she slid the coaster case out of her pocket, eyeing Bonnie for likely hiding places. The shifter woman wore a spandex camisole so tight every ounce of fat was smooshed up into boobs, making spectacular cleavage. Sophia really wanted one, especially now that she’d met Noah…
argh
. Focus. If she could tuck the coaster in Bonnie’s cleavage—

“This way.” Bonnie spun and, with a sway of hips, took off.

Sophia squeaked and leaped after her. Clyde fell into step behind.

The door opened into a cozy living room, a conversation area to one side holding a tartan sofa facing two chairs, a pine plank coffee table between. An end table had a cordless phone.

Sophia thumbed the plastic tab as she followed. Now the only hiding place presenting itself was Bonnie’s painted-on jeans pockets. She’d almost certainly feel Sophia sliding the coaster in. Maybe cover by giving Bonnie’s rump a buddy slap? And hope she didn’t slug her.

Okay, go for it. Sophia flipped the coaster case open—or tried. The case was the bastard child of a clam and super glue. She wrenched on it.

Bonnie turned just as the case came open with a snap.

The coaster flew out like bread from a toaster on crack. Sophia snatched at it, bobbled it and barely caught it.

The room spun around her. She stumbled as an intense desire to go bar crawling hit her and grabbed her by the lizard brain, degenerating into
Me like beer
.

“You okay?” Bonnie reached a sympathetic hand over the table.

Sophia slapped the coaster back into its case by instinct alone. The dizziness receded. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Bonnie pointed at the case. “What’s that?”

“Nothing.” Sophia jammed the half-open case under her armpit.

Click
. Shut again. Stupid case.

Bonnie frowned. “But—”

“Let me tell you about your marvelous prize. Free drinks at the local tap of your choice! One night only.” Sophia’s grin felt pop-riveted on. Okay, no obvious hiding place but maybe she could just hand the coaster to Bonnie—assuming it would come out of the case. Although if Bonnie dropped it, the jig would be up. “Open bar as long as you stay. Free-free-free!”

“Free is good.” Bonnie sat down in a chair and smiled. “There’s a nice bar right on our corner.”

Yes, I know
. Sophia’s own smile broadened until she was grinning like a maniac. Bonnie had fallen neatly into her trap.

Bonnie’s smile disappeared. She slid back, as if not quite certain of Sophia’s sanity.

Sophia lost the rapacious grin fast. “Imagine that. A bar on your corner would be ideal. Let’s go!” She sprang to her feet. Maybe she wouldn’t need the magic coaster to get Bonnie out of here. Maybe the magic
word
“free” would be enough.

“You can’t.” Clyde put a hand on Bonnie’s shoulder. “Marlowe said you-know-who is coming.”

“Oh.” Bonnie’s face fell. “I’m sorry Miss…miss. I can’t go right now. Later?”

“Sorry, the rules don’t allow that. I’ll just have to give this Marvelous Free Opportunity to someone else.” Sophia shrugged, pretending not to care.

“Okay.”

Sophia gritted her teeth. “Too bad you’re missing this Wonderful Never-To-Be-Repeated Offer. Free-free-free.”

“Too bad. But thanks for thinking of me.”

Enamel cracked. “One Time Only. Last chance.”

“I’m sorry, Miss…Barkeeping Association person.” Bonnie rose and held a hand toward the door. “But you’d better go.”

Sophia turned with great reluctance. Double bubble her toil and trouble; she’d failed to get Bonnie out of the way and Noah’d have to battle two wolf shifters.

Sophia stopped. Unless she, as his mate, could fight Bonnie long enough for him to beat Clyde. She cut a glance at Bonnie. The wolf woman stood with the grace of a dancer or a martial artist. Considering the amount of slender muscle in her arms and torso, Sophia probably couldn’t actually
fight
her for any length of time.

But she could take a long time getting brutally torn apart. Yay.

A wolf’s yip, outside, directed Sophia’s attention to arguing voices getting louder, like men coming up the walk.

One of them was Noah.

“You-know-who is here.” Clyde grinned viciously around his cigar.

Sophia’s heart kicked into overdrive. She would
not
fail her mate. She was planting that coaster on Bonnie’s barely covered self if she had to insert it like a tampon.

Sophia tore the case open. As Bonnie passed her on the way to the door, Sophia shoved it deep between Bonnie’s boobs.

“What the fuck?” Bonnie looked down at herself. Her hand reached toward her bosom.

Sophia froze. All was lost. She managed a grab at Bonnie’s shoulder. “Don’t—”

“
Hic
.” Bonnie swayed slightly. Slowly, her hand dropped. She hiccupped again.

Then her frown spun up into a come-hither smile. “Oh, Clyde. Clyyy-dee honey.”

“Not now, Bonnie.” Clyde hovered near the door, craning for a look out the screen.

She sashayed to him with an ultra-sexy hip roll and caught him by the shoulders. She practically draped her body around his. “Clyde, babe. Forget you-know-who. Let’s go around the corner—and do it on the bar again.”

Again
?

“Are you drunk?” Clyde asked suspiciously.

“Didn’ have a drop.” She burped. She rubbed her foot sensuously—against his butt. Wow, she was flexible. “C’mon, babe. You know you want to.”

Apparently when Bonnie got drunk, she got horny and exhibitiony.

Another warning yip came from Annoying Nameless Guy. Sophia had mere moments to peel Bonnie away with her draped around Clyde like a second skin.

“An alpha should have pussy, not
be
a pussy.” The nasal male voice outside was not one Sophia recognized. “You’re screwed without a mate.”

“Attila’s fuckin’ right.” That was Killer.

Sophia’s chest iced over. Four wolves against Noah? Mason would have to help. And her, if she couldn’t spring Bonnie loose, although without her magic she’d have to rely on her pepper spray…which was in her coat pocket, hanging at the store, damn it. Maybe the nameless man would join in to even the score, but she wasn’t hopeful. “We need to go.”

“Clydee, please.” Bonnie grabbed Clyde’s head and thrust it into her bosom.

Okay, maybe he’d suffocate, and it’d be three against three.

“Whatever you say, I
am
alpha.” Noah’s voice rang with confidence. “It doesn’t matter what you will or won’t accept.”

Sophia tried to get Bonnie’s attention. “Is there a back way? We really need to go—damn.” Too late. The door opened.

A dark man with long mustaches stepped onto the doorsill. “Guess what, Clyde? Our ‘alpha’ challenges the Challenge.”

“Figures.” Clyde’s voice was a bit muffled.

Bonnie cooed. “Ooh, Attila. Welcome to our home.”

Attila was built similar to his namesake, short and broad-chested with small eyes and a scraggly beard.

Bonnie released Clyde to drag Attila inside. She petted his mustache and gave him a big smooshie kiss. “Wanna do a threesome?”

Clyde growled. Sophia nodded. Good, something to distract him from beating up on Noah.

Mason slid inside. Bonnie’s eyes widened. Well, he
was
a handsome specimen of a man, big and muscular with his shaggy gold-streaked walnut hair.

One hand still latched onto Attila, Bonnie wedged herself next to Mason and grabbed his wrist. “Oooh, a foursome.” She planted Mason’s hand—on her breast.

Clyde’s growl darkened. Bonnie grinned.

Behind Mason, Killer entered.

The last time Sophia had seen him, he’d knifed Noah. Foreboding rippled unpleasantly along her skin, making her dare to crack open her third eye.

Killer was surrounded by a blood aura.

Her hand went to her pearls. Comets and stars. Those murders in the trailer…

Her head began to ache. But something about the aura was strange so she kept looking. That was it—the blood surrounded him without touching him. He’d been an accessory, not the killer. She peered closer, headache starting to throb. A gold flame writhed in the blood aura. A wizard was involved. Daniel’s evil wizard, the Hungry Ghost?

If it was Rodolphe, could he have graduated from stealing life money to stealing
lives
? She shuddered.

Happily, Noah came in then, lowered lids masking the gold of his eyes. He came in last, no enemies at his back. She’d half-expected him to play the indestructible alpha with the S on his fur.

Not quite last. The door opened again and the whole group slid forward into the living room as if a forcefield had moved them. The nameless man filtered in, still a big black wolf, leaving it a mystery as to how he’d opened the door. But at least he hadn’t left them high and dry.

Although if it did come to a fight, she wouldn’t put it past him to sit back and break out the popcorn.

Bonnie brightened like the sun. “A sixsome, all for me.”

Clyde growled like a thunderstorm. Sophia mentally pumped air. At this rate Noah wouldn’t have to fight any of them, since they’d all be too busy with Bonnie.

Then Bonnie released Mason and Attila and clamped both hands on
Noah
.

Mine
. Sophia roared loud as a tornado and flew past astonished males. Bonnie’s mouth was millimeters from fastening onto Noah like a French-kissing lamprey.

Sophia grabbed Bonnie by the camisole straps and yanked. Bonnie was bigger, but Sophia was powered by sheer rage. Bonnie came away shrieking. Sophia threw Bonnie from Noah with all her strength. Bonnie stumbled and crashed into Mason and Attila. Attila grabbed for her, got a handful of bosom.

The coaster popped out.

“What the hell?” Clyde snatched up the coaster, glared at it, then switched his glare to—Noah. “Whadchew do t’ her?” He staggered, but his eyes were narrowed and vicious on Noah. He swiped his cigar from his mouth and, gaze locked on Noah, snuffed it by smashing the lit end into his chest. Beater shirt smoldering, he dropped the crumpled cigar to the floor with a growl. “I’sh kill you.”

The coaster had done its work, but apparently Clyde was a mean drunk—and he’d take it out on Noah.

Sophia blurted, “No,
I
put the coaster—”

“Fuck you, Clyde.” Noah shot her a frantic
No
—and planted a fist in Clyde’s face.
Crack
. Clyde reeled back.

It distracted boiling-mad Clyde from Sophia, as Noah had obviously intended, but it worked too well. Clyde dropped the coaster and leaped on Noah. They grappled, not even punching and kicking, but shoving and scuffling with mindless violence.

“Fight!” Attila dove for them. Mason lunged for Attila, grabbed him and yanked him away. They overbalanced and fell onto the couch, rolling and scrabbling.

Bonnie clapped her hands. “Fight, fight!”

Nameless Guy sat on his haunches and lolled.

Then Killer circled around behind Noah, where his kidneys were all too vulnerable.

“Noah, look out!” Sophia’s heart was pumping and her veins flushed with adrenaline. She dodged snarling shifters, cut in front of Killer, and shoved him away from Noah with all her strength.

Killer stumbled back. But before he fell he grabbed her arms, using the leverage not only to keep his feet but to whirl her hard into the wall. She bounced off and hit floor.

Good news was she rolled into his toothpick legs, tangled his feet and tripped him.

Bad news was he was wearing boots. Damn, that hurt.

He fell on top of her. She shoved him off and huffed, lying there, trying to get her breath back.

Killer scrambled up. Damned shifter speed.

Noah’s kidneys were still vulnerable and now Killer was in front of her. And he had whipped out the slender-bladed switchknife.