by Emma Dean
He was the one she didn’t understand. Oh she knew he was dangerous, but Kenzie couldn’t get a read on him at all. There just wasn’t anything there for her to find out. There was no ulterior motive to his questions.
Nothing but his obsession with figuring out why she wanted the potion.
He’d wanted to know the answer enough to seek her out, to keep it instead of handing it over to the buyer.
Why?
The limo pulled up to the house and Kenzie jumped out of the car. One more minute breathing the same air as her family was too much. She held the door open for Selene and then slammed it in Martha’s face.
She wasn’t anyone’s slave anymore.
“You shouldn’t provoke them,” Selene muttered.
“I don’t give a fuck about them.”
Her sister sighed but didn’t push it. “I’ll deal with them, change, and then meet you down in the workroom. Did you get enough to eat?”
“I’ll grab something before I go down.” Kenzie watched her sister go into the clan’s spell room – where she wasn’t welcome. After all these years it still bothered her.
She stomped up the stairs instead, all the way to the attic, four floors up. House was too damn old and Selene didn’t want to put an elevator in. But Edith preferred to work in the attic of all places. Kenzie guessed that’s why she’d claimed the top floor.
“Hey Gram-Gram,” she said, ducking her head under the low doorframe.
“You know I hate it when you call me that.”
“I know.” Kenzie watched Grandma Edith grind something pungent in a bowl and then she stopped to sprinkle something else in there. “Can I talk to you?”
Her grandmother arched a perfect brow but nodded, jerking her chin to the overstuffed armchair where Kenzie sometimes read while she worked. Edith had never said the words ‘I love you’ but she’d said ‘I’m proud of you’ more than once and that was more than enough in Kenzie’s world.
She wasn’t sure why Edith had stood up for her and taken her side, protecting her against the clan until Selene was old enough to do so. One day she would ask her.
The woman was nearing seventy years old but she was svelte and stylish. Somehow she didn’t look a day over forty. Witches aged a bit differently. Edith had the same fiery red hair Kenzie did – the same hair her mother and her grandmother’s mother had.
They’d had so much hope for her.
Kenzie sat down and watched her grandma work. Edith didn’t ask her anything; she just waited patiently like she always did. “What are you making?”
Selene had gotten her love for creating new spells, charms, and enchantments from Edith. And Kenzie supposed she had as well, just in a different way.
“Kenzie,” her grandmother warned. “Do you think I’m a damn idiot? Ask your real question.”
She smiled a little and then it disappeared when she thought of the contract. “What exactly do you think you’re doing hiring mercenaries?”
That made her grandmother actually pause in shock, her hand going still. “And what do you know about it?”
Kenzie tapped her bottom lip and wondered what exactly she should say to her grandmother. Edith was a shrewd woman so Kenzie assumed she knew a bit about her activities. She definitely knew about her workroom and the experiments she and Selene worked on together.
But as an older witch she didn’t know anything about technology. Not really. She knew how to work a phone, but that was about it.
What would be the best way to get someone like Edith to answer the right question?
Kenzie glanced out the window and studied the view of the bay. “So grandma, I found my mates today.”
The stone bowl slammed onto the table hard enough bottles rattled.
But Kenzie didn’t bother to look to see how annoyed she would be – witches and shifter pairings weren’t popular.
This game they were both playing – it was dangerous. “I met them the first time when I was in the West Coast Pride Alpha’s vault. They stole the potion from me that would have restored Selene’s powers.”
Kenzie turned back to her grandma and saw those perfect red brows rise in surprise. “I suspect Brad had put out a contract to make sure I couldn’t get my hands on it. So these three fox shifters took it from me. Imagine my surprise when they were at the barbecue today. Apparently they’re registered with the Six Rivers Pride.”
Now Edith’s eyes were narrowed, she probably knew what was coming, but wanted Kenzie to reveal as much information as possible before deciding what to ask her.
“They offered me a deal. The potion for my help with a new job. Apparently they’re mercenaries. Guess which job it is they took.”
Her grandmother crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. “Are you going to tell on me?”
“Grandma, what the fuck were you thinking?”
They glared at each other, knowing how dangerous it was to trust another witch, even one in your own family – especially in their family.
“Apparently the same thing you were, my darling. Now, are you going to rat me out?”
Kenzie considered. Would Selene do anything? It was probably best not to tell her sister as she was a bit more soft-hearted. Selene wanted to never think of any of that shit again, but Kenzie knew that’s not how things worked.
Especially since he’d fucking cursed her sister.
“I won’t tell if you won’t tell,” Kenzie finally said. “But I am going to be one of the people doing the job. I’m sure it will be satisfying.”
“Good.” Her grandmother went back to work. “At least my money will be going back to family.”
Kenzie’s brows shot straight up. “Excuse me? I just said I’m working for the potion, not for the money.”
“Pah, apparently you are mated to foxes. Seems fitting for you. So money goes to family.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “I’m not accepting the mate bonds.”
“Kenzie you’re bothering me. I have work to do. Do you have anything else you want to ask me?”
Why did you save me?
“No, I don’t. I’ll leave you alone.” She got up and went to leave, but her grandmother’s voice made her pause.
“I always knew you were worth more than all the rest of them combined, powers or not. You make him suffer, darling. What he’s done is unforgivable.”
Kenzie grinned, but it wasn’t pleasant – it was hungry. “He’ll suffer. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Good. Now go away.”
“Make me some charms yeah?” she yelled back as she went down the stairs.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll make some fucking charms,” her grandmother muttered.
Kenzie laughed long and hard as she went all the way to her floor, the basement. One day she’d ask her grandmother the only question she’d ever really had for her.
But what kept repeating in her head over and over was the way Grandma Edith was so flippantly accepting of three fox shifters as her mates. What the fuck did she mean it seemed fitting for her?
Shaking her head she ripped off her dress and tossed it in the laundry basket for the maid to deal with later. Kicking off her Converse she grabbed a tank top and a pair of soft shorts. She had recon to do and after briefing her sister on the new developments she needed to work out.
Kenzie had a feeling she was going to need it.
“Kenzie I don’t think this is a good idea,” Selene crossed her arms over her chest as she watched her pack. “You going alone is dangerous. Foxes are dangerous.”
“Everything is dangerous for me, baby sis. I’m used to it.” What the hell were they going to be doing during this little meet and greet? It didn’t matter, she’d pack an arsenal.
“Really, a gun?” Selene asked, wrinkling her nose.
“Some of us can’t kill someone with only a thought.” Kenzie packed the silver bullets. She wasn’t sure if they’d work on foxes, but it was better safe than sorry. If things went sideways she could shoot the
m and take the potion.
The last of her charms and enchantments went into the pack as well. She slipped it on her back and strapped it across her chest. The loose workout pants slung low on her waist, but they wouldn’t fall off after being tailored to perfection.
Kenzie jumped as high as she could and when she landed she shook a bit, feeling the way the pack moved with her body and its weight. Then she did a standing sideways flip, her feet planting hard and her running shoes cushioning as her knees bent to dissipate the force. Her tight shirt revealed her belly button and more scars, but it stayed in place – helping to keep her tits from flying everywhere too.
“I told you the risk wasn’t worth it yesterday,” Selene said. “You’re ignoring me.”
“Then find the spell or recipe for the potion, S. I’ll back off the job, but this doesn’t end until you have your powers back.”
Kenzie grabbed her keys and headed for the exit on her floor.
“Just…be careful. Update me. How long are you going to be gone?”
That made her pause. She actually had no idea. “I’ll text you every three hours. I’m not sure how long.”
“I agreed for the two of us to meet with Samuel,” Selene blurted out as Kenzie’s hand touched the doorknob.
Kenzie just sighed. Of course her sister had. “When is it?”
“Three days from now during lunch.”
“Witches don’t work for shifters,” Kenzie reminded her sister, glancing over her shoulder. “At least not openly on their payroll.”
Selene looked away. “I know, but I want to see what he has to say. It’s never a bad thing to have the favor of a Council member.”
Kenzie didn’t push. Her sister was a big girl now. She’d figure it out. If she tripped and fell Kenzie would be there to pick her up, just like she always had. “I’ll be careful. Now stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”
Selene smiled at that and Kenzie headed to her restored pink VW Bug. It was the perfect car for San Francisco, compact. She got in and dumped her bag on the passenger seat. Her phone went up on the mount and she put in the address.
Despite everything she’d just said to her sister, Kenzie was nervous.
The address was all they’d given her. ‘Night’ was rather general. But the sun hadn’t set yet. Based on the timing she’d get there right after dusk.
What surprised her was that it was an address in the city limits, not up in Six Rivers territory. Music blasted as she drove, careful on the hills with her stick shift. Fucking assholes tailgating. If traffic didn’t hurry she was going to get there after the sun set.
The location was near Golden Gate Park and it looked like a residence from what she could tell in her research. That made her more nervous. It was going to be just the three of them. There wouldn’t be any eyewitnesses for what happened.
No doubt this was a test to see if she’d follow through – or maybe to see how dumb and determined she was.
Kenzie parked right as the sky went from orange to purple. She waited a few more minutes, going over the scant information she had on them. Someone there had to be as good with computers as she was. There was so little on them to find, even on the dark web.
When the streetlights turned on she got out of her car and stood on the sidewalk looking up at the house. It was narrow like most in the city. Did they own the whole thing or was it just a studio?
Guess she wouldn’t find out if she didn’t knock on the door.
Kenzie climbed the stairs and remembered the rest of the instructions. Gritting her teeth she looked up into the camera and knew they were watching her. Would they really not let her in if she didn’t do exactly as they said?
Probably.
She sighed and mentally prepared herself for whatever came next.
Chapter Eight
Finnick
He watched as Kenzie glared up at the camera. The grin on his face was so wide it almost hurt. Would she do it? How would it sound?
She huffed and then ran her hand through her wavy red hair, the deep part showing off the shaved side and all those tinkling, enchanted jewels she wore in her right ear. The vibrant red of her hair mesmerized him and Finnick wanted to know if the red was everywhere.
When she barked three times laughter burst from him – he couldn’t hold it in anymore. Finnick activated the door remotely from his phone and snickered. He watched as it swung open. She’d even managed to sound like a little vixen while doing it too. He was wiping the tears from his face when she stomped up the stairs to the main level of the house.
“You’re an asshole,” she snapped.
“I’ve never pretended otherwise,” Finnick told her. “There’s pizza in the kitchen. Make yourself comfortable. Our den is yours until the job is over.”
He openly watched her look around. Finnick lounged back on the couch and sipped at his beer absently, putting his phone back in his pocket. Not even online poker could interest him with her in the house.
Her eyes caught on the quote framed above him and he watched as her eyes widened.
“‘The cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf,’” Finnick said from memory. “Thomas Paine.”
Kenzie narrowed her eyes at him. “‘With foxes, we must play the fox.’ Thomas Fuller.”
Finnick grinned. She’d decided to play. “‘A fox is a wolf who sends flowers.’ Ruth Westin.”
She arched a brow at him and scoffed. “‘Women and foxes, being weak, are distinguished by superior tact.’ Ambrose Pierce.”
Finnick’s grin widened. “Are you saying we have something in common, mate?”
“You’re both nerds,” Ash muttered as he came down the stairs. “Now that’s been established would you like a beer, Kenzie?”
“No thanks.”
“You sure?” Finnick asked, scraping at the label of the bottle with his thumbnail, staring her down. “You seem uptight. Maybe you should loosen up a little.”
“I said no thanks,” she snapped, watching as Ash deliberately brushed against her arm as he passed.
“Geez, no need to get your panties in a twist,” Finnick told her. “I mean unless you want help twisting them. I’m totally down for that.” He watched as her cheeks reddened just the littlest bit and she tugged on the strap of her pack, flustered.
She had more control than most people, but Finnick knew exactly what to look for. Deep down everyone was the same. It had taken him all of ten minutes to figure out what her tells were. And now he could read her like an open book.
Tilting his head he considered her in that tight fucking shirt that showed off her abs and lovely tits and how it contrasted with the loose, comfortable looking pants. She looked like some kind of dancer, but he doubted she danced.
Kenzie was more graceful than almost anyone he’d ever had the pleasure to stalk, but he couldn’t figure out why that was. She could fight and she’d escaped the skyscraper though he didn’t know how.
“It’s not polite to stare,” she told him.
“Oh, I’m the farthest thing from polite,” Finnick said, smiling slightly. She really had no idea what she’d gotten herself into.
But neither did he really.
This witch was his mate.
He’d been content to never look for his mate. That kind of commitment wasn’t a good idea in his line of work. And Finnick didn’t want to drag some poor, unsuspecting soul into his shit. But this one, she was as damaged as he was. Maybe that would be a game-changer.
“So what exactly are we going to do?” she asked, finally sitting on the couch – as far away from him as she could get while still being in the same room.
Finnick knew it was because she didn’t trust him. Or was it because she didn’t trust herself around him? His smile left his face and he tilted his head in the other direction, seeing if the new perspective would help.
Why was she so mysterious? He could only get a read on her ‘now.’ Anything deeper than her reactions to the environment was impossi
ble to know.
That made her very interesting.
It helped she was hot as all hell and Finnick desperately wanted her to ride him with her hands around his throat.
Ash came out of the kitchen with two plates of pizza in his hands. He handed one to Kenzie and then sprawled out on the couch next to her, putting one foot up on the coffee table in front of them. Ash’s thigh brushed against hers and Finnick watched as she tensed, but didn’t move away.
She liked when Ash touched her, but she was also on the defensive.
Did that make him jealous? Finnick narrowed his eyes and took another sip of his beer. He wasn’t sure if he was. That was mildly annoying. He needed to figure out what the fuck was going on with her or he could easily see her ruining all three of them.
Hunter finally came down, freshly showered. “Take off the scent charm, in the house only. I don’t like not knowing where you are in my own fucking den.” Then he disappeared into the kitchen and Finnick glanced at Ash.
The slight shake of his head was barely a twitch, but he saw Kenzie watching them. She was extremely perceptive. So Finnick grinned at her. “You heard the man. I also want to smell that scent of yours. It’ll help with the panty twisting.”
The smell of her irritation flared the second she removed the charm and a few others, but not all of them.
Then that burnt sugar scent with blood and fire and a spice like cinnamon filled the room. Underneath all that was the strange scent of mate. Finnick closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the couch.
There was so much to read, but it was also a little overwhelming. Kenzie was a force to be reckoned with and if this was how she was most days…she was full of so much fight, so much spirit. She gave a big fat ‘fuck you’ to the world that wanted to kill her.
Finnick found his lip lifting in a silent snarl. He was already feeling protective of her.
Fuck man, he’d better figure out what he wanted – and fast.
