COLE
I could smell her even through the underbrush of ferns as my paws sank into the soft soil.
I wondered, just as my brother had before we came up with this plan, if they had sent a witch worth their salt.
Even though I had brought the witches, that didnât mean I trusted them.
They undoubtedly were an asset though; they had already assisted two other packs that were on the verge of becoming nonexistent.
All that open territory would have just led to more bloodshed, the type that our kind couldnât afford at this point in time.
Our numbers were too few.
I had dealt with witches a handful of times in my life, starting with our motherâs pregnancyâthough of course I didnât work with them directly for that.
The pack paid a pretty penny each time we dared to ask for help, and only a fraction of the time could they do what we had asked.
~I can see why Seth loathes them.~
The thought was firm in my mind as my eyes roamed over the female, the smell of decaying leaves and rich soil interrupting my senses as I scooted forward slightly to get a better look.
The last two witches had been sent to help settle a war between a rival pack and a vampire attack.
The first had been little more than an ugly, crazy, spiritual witch with shit for power and even more shit for answers.
The second had trembled so much that the pack finally had to send her home after she burned her hands so severely that their beta had to drive her to the hospital.
The pack might as well have hired a human exorcist or a detective, or maybe even grabbed a random person off the street.
~Actually a human detective might have given us more answers. Cheaper too~, I thought to myself as my tail swished, making droplets of dew fall off the fern into the soft soil.
This matter was too important for one of their weaklings.
The person they had sent though looked soâ¦normal.
She wore a white lace top, boot-cut jeans, and boots that looked like the soles were soft enough to feel the earth.
Brown hair that seemed to frizz at the first sign of moistureâwhich there was plenty ofâhoney-brown eyes, and a small charm in her hair.
Everything about her looked soâ¦plain.
But her scent wasnât like any witch I had ever met. Sure she had the magical, electrical zing that made a wolfâs nose want to sneeze, but something about itâ¦
It was like a field of wildflowers mixed with sage and rosemary, with the electric static of a witch that made my nose itch but not in an uncomfortable way.
~Something about it is appealing to my wolf.~
I shoved the thought aside instantly. Witches were bad news to tango with.
Plus, after Jewelâone of the strongest unmated females in our packâwent into heat, Seth and I had practically mutilated one another.
It wasnât that either of us were necessarily attracted to Jewel. She was fine bed sport, but Seth and I didnât shareâat all.
Jewel had originally been my bedmate, not Sethâs. The fact that her pheromones were out of control had been the issue and the only way to fix that, wellâ¦
~Itâs high time we both found a luna.~
Even if it was only one of us. We ran the pack flawlessly as brothers, and this was one issue that needed to be fixed immediately.
The rut was a strong thing and two alphas fighting to lay with a female was a big issue.
Next time we might kill one another without meaning to, and neither of us could live with that.
~Thatâs why this is so critical~, I reminded myself once more as I waited patiently.
The plan was to make sure this witch was worth her salt.
We had carefully constructed the contract with her coven, and then deliberately broken the contract.
It was a test to see if she could stand up to us, or at least make her presence known.
~Iâm curious to see if Jewel gets jealous~
~If she tries to attack the witch, wellâ¦~
Only a strong witch could walk away without a scratch.
~This witch does smell good, though.~
~But no, this will be only a test~, I reminded myself, shaking off my thoughts once more.
Witches tended to use their powers in high-stress situations.
Jewel would surely attack her the first moment she was out of sight from both of us.
~If she ends up mauled it is her covenâs fault for sending a weakling when I had specifically asked for a stronger one.~
~We even paid extra for her~, I thought, inching forward once more to breathe in more of the airâto try to memorize her smell.
Now it was time to see if she was up to par. As Seth approached her I felt the back of my neck prickle.
She wasnât cowering, she wasnât backing down, and she avoided his eyes.
~Come on, Seth, assert your dominance, make her look in yourâyes!~
~She isnât looking away yet thoughâ¦any minute, any second. Could she be stronger than Jewel? ~
My wolf growled in approval and I shoved it back down in my mind.
~A spell? Most witches looked away by now.~
~Wait⦠~
~What the hell? Seth could try harder than that. Why is he looking away?~
~That wasnât the plan!~
I tried not to growl as I backed into the brush to turn and come out as we had agreed.
This was the part where Seth would âcallâ me if she passed at least that test.
Seth hadnât done the test right though.
~Why?~
~Guess Iâll have to make sure my test is more thorough.~