Jade’s pov:
Leave it to the damned witch to interrupt just as Alex and I were ready to reconcile.
My wolf began to grow angsty, pacing in my head, making me itch for a fight as if Sasha hadn’t been enough. Hell, I even had to bite on the inside of my cheek, so as to keep myself from growling in displeasure at the mere sight of her.
Admittedly, her scent too wasn’t one I liked and not just because I didn’t care for her. It was actually too rich in jasmine, and a little bit overwhelming if the shoe fit.
Alex sat on his chair. And I, being too petty to go down without a fight, and way too stubborn to actually leave, sat on his lap. As to be expected, Alex didn’t object. On the contrary he trapped my waist between his arms, and I felt like I belonged there.
For a split-second, the woman showed her true colors through the narrowing of her eyes and the purse of her lips but I blinked, and it was gone.
I might be slightly obsessed when it came to my mate, but I wasn’t one to see illusions… I knew what I saw, and it went to prove that the woman wasn’t to be trusted.
“What’s up, Camelia? Do you have good news for me?” Alex asked after a moment of silence.
The man was really endearingly precious. I had mentioned that I hated the way he called her rather intimately, saying Cami, and he immediately went into action, and called her Camelia on the next occasion.
I couldn’t help but sport a smug smirk for a brief moment, especially seeing as Alex couldn’t see me.
“Yes and no,” she said, dramatically stretching the suspense.
“Care to explain?” He probed in a seemingly genuinely curious tone of voice.
The woman had the nerve to shoot me a look, as if I didn’t belong here, as if I shouldn’t stay to listen to what she had to say.
“I thought you wanted to protect your mate, and not bother her with such matters?” She tilted her head to the side in a quizzical manner.
“I want to be bothered,” I shot in a saccarine tone of voice that was fooling no one, before Alex could even formulate a proper answer.
That was when she sat at the chair on the other side of the desk.
Before long, she began to explain what was happening in a jiffy, “Your patrollers mentioned that the rogues’ smell only hit them when they were close by. I believe that is because they used scent suppressants.”
“That’s a possibility,” Alex conceded with a nod of his head as his arms tightened around me ever so slightly.
“I then went through three witchcraft textbooks, and I think the rogues had been organized because of a potion they drank which rendered them like puppets easy to manipulate.”
“I only see good news, seeing as we’re figuring out what happened,” I drawled, my eyes focused on her solely, just about ready to pounce should she do anything suspicious.
To say I was on edge would be the understatement of the century. I felt threatened in my own territory, and that was insane really… but it was what it was.
“The bad news is seeing as it is a potion, and not a spell, it would be extremely hard to nullify it,” she said with a small mocking smile which I was dying to wipe off her face. “We don’t know the exact quantity or the concentration of the potion.”
“I see,” Alex heaved a sigh.
“What I can do however is cast a spell on them to be even more brainwashed,” she offered, her eyes sparkling, “so much so that they would be basically brain-dead, unable to do anything.”
At that moment, I realized why I hated her from day one. If she could come up with such a solution to our problem, and believe we’d actually rejoice at the prospect… that was absolutely insane!
“Rogues used to be werewolves as well, Camelia,” Alex said in a firm tone of voice, “And no matter the circumstances, there’s no honor in fighting a brain-dead person.”
“I understand,” she nodded, losing her smile altogether. “I will retire now to the cabin if you don’t mind.”
“Sure,” he nodded at her as he softly played with a lock of my hair.
“I hope to find a solution that would fit your vision better soon,” she said in parting, to which he simply nodded, before she left.
So, the witch is staying? My wolf let out angrily, despite the soothing and arousing patterns Alex was drawing on my upper back.
It would appear so, I told her on a sigh.
Give me five minutes with her, and I will rip her to shreds, she said angrily. I don’t have much more patience left.
Me neither, I mentally nodded.
“What’s on your mind, love?” Alex asked in a soft tone of voice, before placing a small butterfly kiss on the top of my shoulder blade.
“Nothing really. I was just talking to my wolf,” I let out softly. It wasn’t the truth, but it wasn’t a total lie either.
Alex let out a noncommittal sound in response.
“I am also happy that we’re ready to receive the allies,” I said after a beat.
“You were quite invested with the preparations, I heard?” He chuckled.
Because I just wanted to avoid you and your precious witch friend, was the retort I wanted to give him but which would no doubt sound too insulting.
“Isn’t it one of the luna’s duties to see to it that everything is as it should be?” I said instead.
“Absolutely,” he said softly, nuzzling my neck gently. “Are we good, love?”
I was taken aback at the question, but still found myself lying through my teeth, “Naturally.”