Witch's Mate

by Alicia Montgomery

  Jade Cross. Dr. Jade Cross, as he’d learned. Dr. Cross worked in the R and D department at one of Fenrir’s food subsidiaries. That was about as far as his soft background check on her went. Her records had a big gap, but he realized that was probably because she had moved to England when she was twelve years old. She came back to America after she finished her two PhDs at the age of twenty, and then went to work for Fenrir right away.

  Fucking hell, what’s wrong with me? His hand gripped the glass so tight, he thought it would break. This wasn’t him. Never in his life had he actually stalked a woman. He felt like a fucking creeper. Yes, it definitely wasn’t him doing this. It was the—

  “Are you sure I can’t get you anything else?” Tall, blonde, and leggy asked as she stopped at his booth again. She leaned down so far he could see the edge of a nipple over her low-cut blouse.

  “I have all I need here.” He gestured to the bottle of bourbon. “But,” he said as he slipped two, one-hundred dollar bills into her palm. “That’s for you. Now, come back here when I call for the bill, and not earlier than that, OK? There’ll be more where that came from.”

  The waitress’ eyes grew wide at the generous tip. “Uhm, yes…sure sir, whatever you say!” She hopped away, a giddy look on her face.

  Sebastian took another drink. Where the heck was she? Just a second ago, she was sitting in the booth with her girlfriends. Now, the booth was empty, except for one of the women, whom he recognized from the night of the rescue. The redhead was not what he’d expect from a member of Fenrir’s security team, but he knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

  His fingers curled tight into his palms. Just before she disappeared, he saw that young, arrogant prick slide into the booth next to her, putting his arm over the back of the booth. Imagining that kid’s hands all over Jade was driving him insane, especially since Sebastian had yet to touch her since that night.

  Christ Almighty, he had gone crazy. Crazy for some chick. And they hadn’t even spoken to each other.

  He pushed the glass away from him, his keen eyes sweeping over the crowd, looking for her. A few minutes passed and he still couldn’t find her, and something in him was itching. Scratching.

  Calm down. She didn’t leave yet.

  “How do you know?” he muttered under his breath. Really? He was talking to it now? He shook his head.

  A loud whoop caught his attention and he saw the tall, blonde one - another one of Fenrir’s security team, though he could tell that this one actually had some combat training - on top of the bar. She reached down and pulled something up.

  Jade.

  Sebastian recognized the slinky peach dress, watching with envy at the way it touched her body. Jade usually dressed conservatively, always in long-sleeved shirts and pants or long skirts. Tonight, though, when she walked into Blood Moon, he almost didn’t recognize her. Gone were the glasses that were usually perched on her tiny, pert nose. She didn’t really need any makeup on her perfect, peaches-and-cream skin, but she wore just enough to enhance her already gorgeous features. Her long hair hung around her shoulders in waves, covering her back. He wondered what it would be like to thrust his fingers through the soft locks and wrap it around her hands while he—

  Oh fuck, now she was dancing on top of the bar. He saw Grant’s sister order a bottle of tequila, along with the wine she had already drunk. They were probably celebrating, a bachelorette party, based on the tiara and sash on the redhead. As Jade danced to the beat of the music, his eyes trailed up from her delicate ankles, up slim legs, over the delectable swell of her hips that nipped into a tiny waist, and to the curves of her breasts. Her soft tits weren’t overly large, just right, and he imagined his hands could cover them entirely. Fucking hell, his dick was so hard, his zipper was practically imprinting on it. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t turn away, and his gaze continued up the path to her neck and to her face.

  That goddamn pretty face that got him into this mess in the first place. She was even more beautiful than in that picture Liam Henney had shown him. And when he saw her lying on the dirty floor of that warehouse, rage burned through him and he wanted to kill something. Jade had looked so fragile and beautiful, despite the healing bruise on her jaw.

  Finally, the song ended, and Jade hopped off the bar with her friend. The strobe lights in the dim room blinded him for a moment, and he lost her again. Tamping down the urge to look for her, he poured himself some more bourbon, watching as the golden brown liquid spill out of the bottle and into his glass.

  Maybe he should call the waitress over. She was just his type, not that he had one, exactly. If he did, it certainly wasn’t brainy little geniuses with juicy, blowjob lips. It had been weeks since he had his dick stroked, and the waitress would be a much easier catch than the women at Luxe. She’d appreciate the attention from a man like him, and she probably wouldn’t be too clingy. But the thought of sleeping with any other women left a bad taste in his mouth.

  The mental clock in his head ticked the minutes away. His head shot up and he scanned the room again. Jade wasn’t anywhere in the room and it had been too long since he saw her last. Looking towards their table, he saw the redhead, the blonde, and that cocky kid, but not Jade. The redhead stood up, waving her hands and looking around them.

  A bad feeling in his gut hit him instantly. Jade was gone, he could feel it. He shot to his feet, slapped a couple of bills on the table, and quickly slid out of the booth. He remained calm, years of training teaching him that in emergency situations, he had to keep his head on straight or risk losing it. His heartbeat slowed, and his breathing evened. Think.

  Sebastian wasn’t sure where it was leading him, but he followed that feeling in his gut. He slipped towards the back exit, which led to the dimly-lit alleyway behind Blood Moon. Opening the door slowly, he sharpened his ears, listening for any strange sounds as he quietly slipped out.

  “You’re so beautiful, baby,” a voice said. “And so sexy.”

  There was a soft groan. “No, don’t…I’m not feeling well…can we go back to my friends, please?”

  He had never heard her voice, but something told him that was her.

  “C’mon, baby, don’t be like that,” the male voice replied. “Just one kiss…”

  White hot fury filled his veins and Sebastian stalked towards where the voices were coming from. His vision sharpened as he approached them.

  The man had one hand braced against the wall, his body leaning forward. He was blocking Sebastian’s view, but he didn’t need to see her to know she was there. The scent of her perfume was unmistakeable.

  “What’s going on here?” he asked, trying to keep his voice even.

  “Nothing, buddy,” the man said, turning his head to face him, the features on his face obscured by shadows. “The lady and me were just looking for some privacy. Move along, now.”

  “Are you sure she wants to be alone with you, buddy?” He shot back. “I don’t think she’s sober enough to be making decisions like that.”

  The other man turned around, leaving Jade behind him. He swayed slightly as he stretched up to full height, though he was still at least half a foot shorter than Sebastian’s 6’5’ frame. “Look,” the man said. “Why don’t you just be a bro, and leave us alone.” He fished his wallet clumsily from his pocket, opening it to take out some bills. “Now, how much will it take to-”

  “I suggest you choose your next words carefully,” Sebastian warned, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Aw, c’mon—”

  “Hey! What’s going on here!” a voice from behind shouted.

  “Jade!” a female voice cried out, followed by the clacking of heels across the concrete.

  While he was distracted by the newcomers, Sebastian took the man’s wallet out of his hand. Of course, the man was so drunk and probably high, he could hardly protest.

  “What’s going on here?” It was the cocky bastard that was cozying up to Jade earlier. The young man was almost as tal
l as him, but built on the slim side. Deep brown eyes narrowed at Sebastian. “Who are you?”

  “The name’s Sebastian Creed,” he said, then took out a plastic card from the other man’s wallet. “And this is…Mr. David Ronson. 235 West 75th Street, Apartment 4B.” He gave the other man a feral smile. “Mr. Ronson was taking your friend out for some fresh air and I think he got a little carried away.”

  David’s face paled and he slunk back. “Hey, it was all a bit of fun. And she wanted it—”

  “Remember what I told you about choosing your words carefully, David?”

  “Y-y-yes,” he choked out. “I mean…shit…fuck this shit! She’s not worth the trouble anyway,” David shook his head, and looked over toward’s Jade’s direction.

  “Don’t look at her,” Sebastian said, his voice scarily even. “Don’t think about her, don’t even dream about her. Got that?” Sebastian flashed him an angry look.

  “Jesus!” David jumped back, his face twisting in fear. “What’s wrong with your…never mind! I knew that new stuff I got from my dealer was shit! It’s making me see things!” He rubbed at his eyes and blinked several times.

  “Go,” Sebastian commanded. “And never show your face here again.”

  David backed away slowly, and then turned around, picking up his pace as he disappeared down the alley.

  Sebastian watched him leave, calmed himself, and then turned around. The redhead and the young man were helping Jade up, as she had slunk down to the ground. Her eyes were half closed, and she was tripping over the ridiculously high heels.

  “I’m fine,” she muttered. “Just fine.” She blinked several times.

  “Jade, you’re not fine!” The redhead shook her head, pulling at her friend’s arms. “If it wasn’t for…” She swung her gaze over to Sebastian. Green eyes widened in recognition. “Mr. Creed! What are you doing here?”

  “I, uh,” he cleared his throat. “I was inside the club and I saw your friend go outside with that man,” he quickly explained.

  “You guys know this man, Lara?” the tall guy said.

  “Yeah, he’s…uh…” Lara stammered.

  “I’m a contractor with Fenrir,” Sebastian said. “I’ve worked alongside Miss…”

  “Chatraine,” the redhead said. “Lara Chatraine.”

  “Yes, sorry, we weren’t introduced formally.”

  “Yes it was an…interesting time,” Lara said.

  “I’m Enzo. Enzo Moretti,” the younger man held out his hand. “Thanks, man. If you hadn’t thought to come out here, who knows what would have happened.”

  “She and that guy were dancing and then they just disappeared,” Lara explained as she wrapped one of Jade’s arms over shoulders. “Sorry, she’s never been drunk.”

  “I’m not drunk!” Jade slurred, her head popping up. She blinked a few times at Sebastian. “Hey…” Luminous light green eyes peered at him.“Who are you?” she asked, disentangling herself from Lara. Jade slowly lumbered towards him. “Do I know you?”

  Her voice was sexy and low, with a slight English accent that he found irresistible. It sent blood straight to his cock, and Sebastian was glad the alley was dim. “We haven’t been formally introduced yet, darlin’” he drawled.

  “Too bad. Because you are…hot,” she said, poking her finger at his chest. “Like, ridiculously hot. And you make me feel all tingly. And you smell good, too. Say,” she said, tracing her fingers along his left forearm. “How far do those tattoos go?” Her touch sent tingles over his skin. He didn’t think his dick could possibly get harder, but he was proven wrong.

  “Uhm, Jade,” Lara warned.

  “And you are hot too!” She turned to Enzo, who was standing behind her.

  Enzo gave an amused smile. “Oh yeah?”

  Sebastian’s eyes narrowed at the younger man, his fists tightening.

  “And you’re always flirting with me,” Jade giggled. “You do it on purpose, to make me blush. But, I think your twin brother is hotter if that makes sense. But you,” she swung back to Sebastian. “You are one sexy son of a biscuit and I want to--”

  “Jade!” Lara grabbed her friend and slapped a palm over her mouth. “I think it’s time you went home. Before you say anything you’ll regret in the morning.”

  “I’ll take her home,” Sebastian offered.

  “Are you crazy? I’m not letting my friend go home with a stranger!”

  “I meant I would take her to home, of course,” Sebastian said. “And I’m hardly stranger.”

  “But you don’t know where she lives.”

  Sebastian bit his tongue before he could answer, Yes, I do.

  “And you won’t know how to take care of her, either.” Lara let out a long sigh. “I’m going to call my fiancé and have him pick us up. We’ll stay with her tonight. Enzo, take care of her for a minute. And where is Meredith? If we lost her, Grant will have—” She stopped short as her eyes flickered towards Sebastian. “Uhm, I’m gonna make that call now,” she said, taking her phone out of her purse and turning around as she spoke softly into the receiver.

  “C’mon, Jade,” Enzo said, putting an arm around the petite woman, and guiding her towards the same.

  “Enzooooo…” she blinked at him and then giggled. “Filet mignon. Your DNA is the same as filet mignon,” she hiccuped.

  Enzo rolled his eyes. “No more tequila for you, young lady.”

  “But it’s sooooo good. That’s why I finished the bottle!”

  “She finished the whole bottle?” Sebastian roared at the other man. “How is she not dead?”

  “Uhm, good genetics?” Enzo offered. “C’mon, Jade, let’s go back inside and find Meredith. Maybe get you some water.”

  Sebastian frowned as he watched the other man take Jade away. Enzo was way too close to her, and it sent an unfamiliar, tight feeling into his chest, like a fist squeezing around his heart.

  “Mr. Creed,” Lara caught his attention. “Thank you again for your help.”

  “Nothing to it, I was just at the right place, at the right time.”

  “Yes, lucky us, then,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, I guess I’ll see you around.” She turned to walk away.

  “Will she be ok?”

  Lara gave a small laugh. “She’ll sleep it off. My fiancé’s on the way, and I’ll stay with her tonight so she’s not alone,”

  “She’s got good friends,” Sebastian remarked. “Especially considering what happened to her.”

  “Indeed,” Lara shrugged and walked away. He detected a hint of hesitation in her voice. Or was she hiding something else?

  “Wait,” he called and Lara stopped in her tracks. “I know something’s going on here.” There was the gut feeling again, and he was listening to it this time.

  A gust of wind blew through the alley, ruffling Lara’s hair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Since this began…all of this…it’s been fishy. And I’m going to get to the bottom of it. I always find the truth.”

  Lara huffed and turned around. “Really, now, Mr. Creed?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Tell me, do you like your life now? The way it is? The reality you live in?”

  He shrugged.

  “Because, if you do, I’m warning you now: Stay away from Jade. Stop trying to look what’s beneath the surface.” There was a chill in her voice and another gust of wind blew his way. “If you knew the truth, then your world will never be the same.”

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  The True Mates Series

  Fated Mates: Book 1

  Private investigator Alynna Chase is drawn in to the world of werewolf shifter clans when she encounters charming and sexy Lycan, Alex Westbrooke.

  For centuries, werewolf shifters have moved among human society undetected, hiding in plain sight. The New York clan, hiding behind the powerful Fenrir Corporation, has ruled the East Coast for over two centuries, holding great power and position in both human and Lycan hierarchy. Alynna suddenly finds herself in the center of this secretive society world when her true heritage is revealed – a full-blooded Lycan, born of the fabled True Mate pairing between her human mother and powerful Alpha father. Drawn deeper into their world, she feels a magnetic pull towards Alex.

  Blood Moon: Book 2

  In this exciting continuation to the True Mates Series, Human Liaison Cady Gray and Second-in-Command Nick Vrost are drawn together after a night of passion.

  Despite growing up in the world of the New York Lycan clan, Cady Gray still feels like an outsider looking in. She’s built walls around her, to protect herself and the clan, harboring a deep secret from her past that threatens her future. The clan’s sexy Beta shifter has always intrigued her, but he’s kept his distance, that is, until one innocent dance.

  Nick Vrost has wanted Cady for years, but kept his own desires at bay for the sake of the clan and his family. As second-in-command of the New York clan and heir to the Vrost fortune, it was his duty to marry a suitable high-ranking Lycan female and produce a child to carry on the line. After ignoring Cady for years, one touch ignites something he can no longer control and he may have to choose between family obligation and his long-simmering desire for the quiet beauty.