Alex’s pov:
Ever since Jade’s father passed away, we had not been intimate… and no, I meant more than just sex. Even the usual morning kiss became a little bit of a chore to her, it would seem.
I was trying to give her time and space, not knowing what went through that beautiful head of hers… And that might have been quite the mistake!
Indeed, in hindsight, I realized that giving her space and time allowed doubt to fester. And trust was fundamental in any relationship.
I was thinking of taking her on a date, seeing as it had been quite some time since our last one. I was about to start making arrangements, and even call her, when there was a knock on the door of my office.
I straightened up, sensing Camelia, and wondered if today was the day she would bear good news for me.
As per usual, before long, her overly potent perfume permeated the air, and I had the urge to open a window, but I didn’t, knowing that she had caught a cold.
“Hello, Xander,” she greeted me softly, her eyes twinkling, and I couldn’t help but smile back at her.
“Hey, Cami,” I let out before I could catch myself and call her Camelia, as per Jade’s wishes.
Her smile widened, and she soon said, “Been a while since you called me Cami. I was starting to wonder if I had done something to upset you.”
I shook my head negatively and told her matter-of-factly, “It’s nothing.”
I refused to let her know that Jade was jealous of her and of our friendship. Not because Camelia might take offense though it was a possibility but because I, too, didn’t like when Jade was buddy-buddy with anyone but me.
This possessiveness came with the territory, and there was no way to be indifferent, lest one didn’t care for their mate which was unlikely unless they rejected one another.
“I think we are out of options, Xander,” she said after a moment. “All I could find was the potion I told you about before. After all, since it’s neither a spell nor a curse, even if we were to find the witch working behind the scenes, not even killing them would work.”
“I see,” I told her gravely, my eyes narrowing into slits. “Then, I guess we troubled you for nothing.”
“No, don’t worry,” she shook her head negatively at once. “It was an absolute pleasure to be around your pack.”
I nodded at her, a small smile stretching my lips. I then rose to my feet and extended a hand for her to shake.
She shook her head at once and then suggested sweetly, “I made you cookies as a parting gift. How about you have some?”
“Sure,” I nodded at her, and she was soon handing me a couple of cookies, right out of a handkerchief of which the design was intricate.
The moment I bit into the first cookie, my wolf growled.
What’s wrong? I asked him without delay, even as I ate the rest of the cookie.
Spit out, he growled once again.
Indeed, the cookie tasted rather funny, almost like there was a rose incorporated into the dough or something. Sadly, I had already swallowed, and it was too late to spit it out.
“Do you like it?” She asked me in a sweet tone of voice.
“What did you do?” I asked at once.
“Nothing,” she drawled, as she looked at me with something akin to lust in her eyes. “I am just taking back what’s mine.”
I growled at her, ready to lunge at her and strangle her, so as to get answers, but I found myself unable to move.
** ** ** ** **
Jade’s pov:
I sensed Alex’s wolf’s distress as I was in the kitchen, helping omegas make cookies, which I wanted to offer him as a means to reconcile with him.
I shot up from the chair at once, and ran to his office where I knew he was. I didn’t bother knocking, knowing the situation was dire, and opened the door without delay.
I found the troublesome witch sitting on a chair, next to his desk, while he stood frozen, signs of shock written all over his face.
I approached him, different questions burning my lips, and the moment I touched his hand, there was an unpleasant zap. Gone were the pleasurable sparks that erupted wherever we touched; this hurt.
He looked at me with a confused face, shook his head, and asked me, “What are you doing here?”
I was taken aback at the cold tone of his voice, but still I didn’t hesitate to turn to his precious witch and asked, “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” she said in a sweet tone of voice that was fooling nobody.
I used mind-link to call for both Luc and Trevor, even as I glared at Camelia.
I could smell a rosy smell that wasn’t usually around her, but couldn’t find where it came from.
I turned to Alex and asked him softly, “What’s wrong, honey?”
He leaned down, glaring right into my eyes through narrowed eyes, and he soon hissed at me, “You’ve been getting awfully cosy with Trevor… Are you sure you should be calling me honey?”
Doing so, I smelled the rosy scent on his breath. I immediately understood that there was witchcraft at play.
I contacted Trevor again and said, “Bring a gallon of milk and some olive oil.”
“Yes, luna Jade,” he said at once, without questioning my motives at all.
Luc was the first one to arrive and I told him at once, “The witch betrayed us. Take her to the dungeon.”
Alex let out a growl but I wasn’t frightened.
The witch, on the other hand, played it cool, “And what could I possibly have done?”
Luc didn’t bother with her and merely held onto her wrist so she couldn’t escape.
“You had Alex drink or eat something foul,” I said, glaring at her, because she was someone he trusted, and yet she had gone and betrayed that trust.
“Oh please, your jealousy is unjustified, Jade,” she let out bitterly.
“It’s Luna Jade to you,” I growled at her, even as my eyes stung, turning black in my ire no doubt.
“Luna?” Alex echoed after me in a little bit of a daze. “Whose Luna are you? Mine?”
His words and confusion hurt, probably more than they should, considering I knew that the witch had used underhanded means to get this effect. But then again, I had warned him against her.
“What did you do?” Luc growled at the witch, and must have tightened his grip on her wrist for she let out a pained ouch.
“Let’s see how long you can keep the smug smirk on,” I taunted, even as my fangs extended and my nails turned into claws. “My wolf is dying to wipe off that damned smirk off your face.”
“You cannot touch her,” Alex said as he nodded and then held a hand to his head, “She’s a friend.”
I took hold of his hand, despite the unpleasant shocks, and put it right above my wildly beating heart.
“I love you, Alexander Bad. I am yours and you are mine. Never forget that.”
He seemed to be contemplating my words for a moment, before he hung his head in defeat, “I don’t know what’s happening.”
Trevor entered at that moment, and he soon announced, “I got the milk and the olive oil, luna.”
“Great,” I nodded at him.
“Alex,” I began softly, and he looked at me, his eyes full of doubt and unending questions, “I need you to trust me for one moment. And if you don’t trust me, trust your third-in-command. You need to drink lots of milk and some olive oil.”
“What for?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at me, though he wasn’t growling or in any way aggressive, merely curious.
“You need to throw up whatever you ate or drank,” I declared matter-of-factly.