“Do you want to hold her?” Sara asked.
Angel had no idea why, but that simple question scared the crap out of her. She’d never really been around babies, so she had no idea how to deal with them. An image of herself dropping the tiny little baby on her head suddenly flashed through Angel’s mind.
“Uh, no, I’m good,” Angel replied.
“Oh, come on,” Sara pleaded, “you’ll be fine. Come on, come sit next to me.” Sara patted the bed next to her, and Angel begrudgingly came to sit on the bed. “Now,” Sara explained, shifting the baby’s weight in her arms so she could pass her to Angel, “just remember to support her head, okay?”
“Okay,” Angel replied meekly, panicking a little as she took the small child in her arms.
Following Sara’s instructions, she made sure Cassie’s head rested in the crook of her elbow. Looking down, Angel saw the baby was awake, staring up at her with wide eyes. She smelled fresh and new, with a hint of wildness to her Angel recognized as her wolf - not quite ready to make an appearance yet, but waiting quietly in the background.
“This isn’t so hard,” Angel mumbled, mostly to herself.
“Wow,” Ryan commented from the doorway, “I think we’ve finally found something the little witch can’t handle. You can take on psycho wolves and black witches, but you’re scared of babies?”
“Shut up, Ryan,” Sara scolded her brother before turning back to Angel. “Don’t listen to him, Angel, you’re doing great.”
“She looks like a deer in headlights,” Caleb quipped. “Might as well ask her now, Sara. I don’t think you’re ever gonna get a better chance.”
“Ask me what?” Angel asked, suddenly wary.
“Wyatt and I were talking,” Sara began, “and we were wondering if maybe you would be Cassie’s godmother?”
The request blew Angel away; never in a million years would she have expected this. Her knee-jerk reaction was to say no, but looking down at the little girl in her arms, she knew she couldn’t.
“Are you sure about this?” Angel asked. “I mean, shouldn’t her godmother be a pack member?”
“Heck, no,” Sara exclaimed. “None of those bitches deserve to be Cassie’s godmother; most of them only pretend to be my friend so they can get closer to my brothers.”
“Okay,” Angel replied hesitantly, “if it’s really what you want, I’ll do it.”
Sara squealed with delight and hugged Angel as best she could while still holding the baby.
Angel was finally able to escape around 8am. First, Sara had insisted she hold the baby for a while longer, “to get used to it,” she claimed, but Angel was pretty sure they all just enjoyed seeing her out of her element. Eventually, Cassie got fussy, and Angel managed to hand her back to her mother. Caleb and Ryan then announced they were making a proper breakfast, and Angel got roped into helping.
Wyatt and Sara managed to get the baby to sleep, right after her first feeding, and Wyatt carried his Mate out to the kitchen, setting her gently at the head of the table. Everyone was quiet as they worked through piles of bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, and toast. Angel had to admit, it was a lot better than the breakfast she would have made herself at home.
After the table was cleared and dishes were done, Wyatt and Sara retired to their room, looking to get a little sleep. Ryan bid Angel farewell, saying he had some work to take care of, but she was pretty sure he was just trying to leave her and Caleb alone. Surprisingly, Caleb didn’t try to make her stay. He offered to walk her to her car, chatting amicably with her along the way about silly little things like the weather. Even when they reached her car, he simply held the door open for her, closed it when she’d climbed in, and waved as she drove down the driveway. It left her completely baffled, and she wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or worried.
Caleb could sense Angel’s confusion as he walked her to her car and sent her on her way. She’d expected him to try and stop her, to try and finish what they’d started on the patio. But now that Caleb knew she wanted him – and badly – he could be patient. He strode into his office, and Ryan looked up from playing his video game, clearly confused.
“Where’s Angel?” he asked.
“On her way home,” Caleb replied, sitting behind his desk and booting up his computer.
“You let her leave?” Ryan asked incredulously.
“Yep.”
“You’ve been pining over her for months, and you finally get her not only talking to you, but practically ripping your clothes off – and you just let her leave?”
“Yep.”
“Why the hell would you do that?”
“Because,” Caleb explained matter-of-factly, “I have a plan.”
“You have a plan?” Ryan exclaimed. “What plan could possibly be better than ‘throw her over your shoulder, lock her in your room, and stay there until neither of you can walk straight?’”
“Don’t worry about it, Ryan,” Caleb assured him. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Yeah, right,” Ryan scoffed. “Just don’t come crying to me when your grand plan fails and she won’t answer your calls again. I’m going for a run.”
“Have fun,” Caleb called after his brother.
Grabbing the mouse, Caleb clicked to open a browser, bringing up his email. Flipping through a pile of folders on his desk, he pulled out the one he was looking for; the label read “Alpha Conference.” In his email, he brought up a saved conversation, starting a new message.
I think I have a potential solution to our problem. Remember that witch I told you about? She works well with wolves and should be able to fill the gaps in your security quite well. I’ll bring her along, and you can decide for yourself if you’d like her to help out.
Regards, Caleb
Feeling quite satisfied with himself, Caleb hit the send button. Too awake to consider going to bed, he stayed in his office, working through some paperwork that had piled up recently. After working for about an hour, he was pleasantly surprised to see he already had a response to his message. Clicking it open, he read quickly, pleased with what he saw.
Sounds good. Looking forward to meeting her.
Jonathan Pike,
Master Alpha,
North America
Chapter 8
Alice was hungry. She stumbled down the sidewalk, the usually weak streetlights blazing so bright, they hurt her eyes. She was trying to get away from her captors and found herself in a dark alley. She leaned against the wall and tried to collect her thoughts. She’d been walking home after work. It had been late. Someone had knocked her down. Then pain. She’d woken up in some dirty warehouse. Her shirt was covered in blood. And others were there - two people covered in blood, cold and unmoving. Dead. She’d run, intent on finding help. But as she walked, her hunger grew stronger. It was like she hadn’t eaten in days.
A dumpster was only a few feet away. She shuffled towards it and lifted the lid. The smell almost overpowered her, but she noticed a pizza box and grabbed it, letting the dumpster lid fall shut with a loud bang. She heard something move inside the box and opened it, finding several half-eaten crusts. She grabbed them and shoved them into her mouth, practically inhaling the stale hunks of bread. But just as soon as she’d swallowed them, her stomach revolted, and she bent over, heaving uncontrollably. She emptied her stomach completely. The hunger was still there.
“What’s wrong with me?” she said to herself.
“That’s not the kind of food you want.”
She glanced up and saw two men approaching her, moving slowly and carefully, like they knew she might run. Under normal circumstances, she would have. But something stopped her.
“What do you mean?” Her voice trembled, sounding like a shout when she’d intended to whisper.
“Come with us,” one of them said, “and we’ll show you.”
Something unseen tugged at her when he said that, and she found her feet moving of their own accord.
“Come with us,” he repeate
d, “and everything will be OK.”
Alice had the distinct impression nothing was going to be OK, but she found herself unable to resist as they led her back the way she’d come. Back to the warehouse with the dead people.
Chapter 9
Angel wasn’t sure what confused her most, the fact that Caleb had just let her leave the compound, or that he’d stopped calling her. A small part of her thought maybe, just maybe it had all been an ego thing for him. That he’d been so persistent because he couldn’t accept the fact that a woman would refuse him. And now that he knew she was attracted to him, he didn’t need or want anything more from her. Even her wolf thought the idea was a little ridiculous. Male wolves - especially Alphas - were known for having sensitive egos, but Caleb wasn’t a complete jerk. Unfortunately, when Wednesday rolled around and she still hadn’t heard a thing from him, Angel was a wreck.
“Fuck!” she cursed, hurling her phone across the room after checking it for the umpteenth time that day and seeing no messages or missed calls.
Wasn’t this what she’d wanted? For Caleb to give up on her? It had been one thing to hope for it, but now that it had happened, Angel was torn. Her wolf was pissed, convinced her human half had somehow really managed to fuck things up with their Mate.
Retrieving the phone from the floor, Angel pulled up her list of contacts. She paused at Caleb’s number, wanting so badly to call him, but she knew she shouldn’t. Scrolling down, she came to Sara’s number, stabbing the “Call” button and holding the phone to her ear. Taking a few deep breaths, Angel tried to calm herself as the phone rang. Sara picked up on the third ring.
“Hello, Angel!” Sara greeted her brightly. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” Angel replied. “How are you? And how’s Cassie?”
“We’re all great,” Sara gushed. “She’s such a happy baby, and you should see Wyatt and my brothers with her - they’re naturals at this stuff!”
“That’s great,” Angel said, an image of Caleb holding a baby in his arms flashing through her mind, causing her heart to clench painfully. Angel had never wanted kids, but apparently meeting your Mate could change a lot of things. Forcing away those unwanted thoughts, it took her a moment to realize Sara had asked her a question. “Uh, sorry,” she apologized, “say that again?”
“I asked if you wanted to grab lunch,” Sara repeated. “Wyatt and the boys offered to watch Cassie for a few hours so I could get out of the house.”
“Sure,” Angel replied, “where do you want to go?”
“How about Bobby’s?” Sara suggested. “I feel like something deep fried.”
“Sounds great. Meet you there in thirty minutes?”
“Deal, see you soon!”
Angel hung up the phone, feeling a little better. Maybe Caleb has just been really busy with the new baby, and that’s why he hadn’t called. Hopefully, she’d be able to get more information from Sara at lunch, without actually asking her outright. Sighing deeply, Angel tore through the house, finding something clean to wear before gathering up her purse and keys and heading out the door.
Bobby’s was an average-looking sports bar in downtown Waterloo. It was typically more popular with college students and during sports games, so at 1pm on a Wednesday, there were plenty of empty tables. Angel arrived first, grabbing a booth and watching the door for Sara. The she-wolf arrived about ten minutes later, spotting Angel quickly and joining her at the table.
“Hey!” Sara exclaimed, sliding into the seat across from Angel. “This is fun, I haven’t been out without Wyatt or one of my brothers in ages.”
“You were pregnant,” Angel remarked, grinning when Sara stuck her tongue out at her.
“That’s what they said,” Sara complained. The waitress arrived a moment later, taking their drink orders and leaving them some time to browse the menus. “What are you getting?” Sara asked.
“Definitely the burger,” Angel replied, “it’s pretty good.”
“Ooh, sounds yummy. I think I’ll get one, too. And maybe some mozzarella sticks.”
They debated the different appetizers for a minute or so, finally deciding on mozzarella sticks and garlic bread. The waitress arrived with their drinks, took their meal orders and headed off to the kitchen.
“So,” Sara began casually, “what’s this I hear about you and Caleb going at it on the patio the other day?”
Angel’s face flushed red, and she lowered her head to the tabletop, groaning out loud.
“Oh, God,” Angel replied. “I’m guessing Ryan told you about that?”
“Yep.” Sara grinned, patting her gently on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, that kind of thing is pretty normal with wolves.”
“But it shouldn’t have happened,” Angel said. “I was there for you, and Caleb and I…it just wouldn’t work.”
“Why not?” Sara asked. “And don’t tell me ‘it’s complicated.’ That’s a crappy answer, and you know it.” When Angel hesitated, Sara reached out and took her hand. “Do you like Caleb?”
“Yes.”
“And I know for sure he likes you, so what’s the problem? Is it because he’s a wolf?”
“No!” Angel exclaimed. “It’s not. Definitely not.”
“Then what is it? I swear I won’t tell Caleb - not a word.”
Angel struggled to come up with an explanation close enough to the truth without actually revealing her secret.
“I have trust issues,” Angel explained, “and it’s easier to just bail on any kind of relationship before things get serious. And I know Caleb and I aren’t anything right now, let alone anything serious, but I’ve never felt so strongly about anyone before. It scares the crap out of me.”
“So now I know two things that scare you,” Sara teased, “babies and relationships.”
“I am not afraid of babies,” Angel insisted. “I’ve just never been around one before. And she was just so small, I was afraid I’d drop her or something.”
“Wolves have hard heads, even as babies,” Sara replied, “not that I think you would ever drop Cassie.”
The waitress arrived with their appetizers, and they both fell silent for a few minutes, munching on the greasy snacks. Despite the fact that she’d avoided discussing Caleb with Sara for months, she was glad they were talking now. It was somehow freeing to admit she was scared of her feelings for Caleb, even if she wasn’t being completely honest. Angel trusted Sara - more than anyone else, actually - but she had no idea how the she-wolf would react to the revelation that Angel was a hybrid. Or whether she’d be able to keep that information to herself.
“So,” Sara continued when they’d demolished the appetizers, “what are you going to do now?”
“No idea,” Angel answered honestly. “I don’t even know if Caleb is even interested anymore; he hasn’t called me all week.”
“He hasn’t?” Sara asked, looking surprised.
“Nope, not even a text. And the other day when I said I was leaving, he didn’t say a word. He just walked me to my car and waved as I drove away.”
“Huh,” Sara replied, deep in thought. “That’s strange.”
“Whatever,” Angel said, trying to sound like she didn’t care. “Maybe he’s not interested anymore. It’s not a big deal. I’ll get over it.”
“Oh, no,” Sara insisted, “he’s definitely still interested. The only thing that would explain his change of behavior is that he has a plan in the works.”
“A plan?” Angel asked, slightly worried.
Sara laughed at her, reassuringly patting her hand.
“Welcome to dealing with an Alpha,” she replied. “They’re always up for a challenge.”
“Awesome,” Angel grumbled as the waitress arrived with their meals.
The burgers were massive, covered in cheese and bacon, and rare, just how she liked them. They dug into their food, continuing to chat about random things - the weather, cute things Cassie had done - but never returning to their discussion about Caleb. Angel
was grateful for that; Sara had given her a lot to think about.
Before too long, their plates were cleaned, and the waitress came by to clear the table. Declining dessert, they paid the bill and headed out to the parking lot. Angel walked Sara to her car, knowing Wyatt would appreciate the gesture, and gave the taller woman a big hug.
“I had fun today,” Angel said, “thanks for inviting me out.”
“Don’t mention it,” Sara told her, “I had fun, too. We should have a girls night sometime soon.”
“Okay,” Angel agreed.
Sara pulled her keys from her purse and unlocked her door, turning to Angel before she climbed into the car.
“Sometimes things are scary, but they’re worth it,” Sara told her. “Think about it, you might be pleasantly surprised.”
Angel felt a lot better after lunch with Sara. She was incredibly relieved to know Caleb hadn’t completely given up on her, but a little worried about what he was planning. Wednesday afternoon, she went for a long run, working out the last bit of tension that had built up from worrying over the last few days. Trying to stay busy, she cleaned her house from top to bottom, reorganized her files from work, and did some baking. It was late Thursday afternoon by the time Angel remembered she had a check-in at work the next day. The appointment loomed before her, ruining her good mood. While each check-in revealed a reduction in the extra power she’d gained from the blood magic, the Agency wasn’t happy with how slowly the magic was leaving her system.
Ignoring the fact that she was bored out of her mind most days, Angel had no idea what she’d do if she wasn’t able to go back to work. Being an Agent was all she’d ever known. She loved her job, and it was the one place in her life where she always knew exactly what she was doing. Trying to dispel those negative thoughts, Angel grabbed a plate of cookies and turned on the TV, flipping to her favorite movie channel.
Chapter 10
Angel climbed out of bed Friday morning, already in a bad mood. Showering quickly, she pulled on a pair of jeans and nice top, grabbed a quick breakfast, and headed out the door. The drive into the city was busier than she was used to, mostly because it was later in the morning. But her appointment wasn’t until 11am, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to hang around the office any longer than necessary.
Burned: Wild Magic Book 2 Page 4
