to about three hours from here. I found her starving and dehydrated and covered in claw marks that were healing really slowly for some reason.”
Swallowing, his eyes traveled past them to where Marcus could still hear Doc working on assessing and treating her most serious wounds so he could then move her to the clinic without causing more damage. Marcus glanced back and saw that Drake was kneeling next to Doc, offering his assistance, and Colt stood between her and the stranger so Marcus still couldn’t get a good look at her. The scent of her pain and blood filled the air so heavily, though, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.
Turning back, he saw that the witch’s dark eyes were unfocused and haunted as he recalled what he’d seen. “Whatever they sent after her… Let’s just say they didn’t bother looking for the letter on her. Just attacked and maimed with the intent to kill. She was lucky to get away alive, but on foot, she never would have made it all the way here.”
No one spoke for several long minutes, the only sounds coming from Doc, Damien, and Tashmica. Finally, Marcus chanced a glance at Rick and saw he was staring at Gabriel and the witch, arms crossed over his chest.
“How did you even know about her, Morde?” Rick finally spoke, voice edged with anger.
Gabriel sighed and ran a hand through his loose blond hair. “Look, he didn’t mean to tell me.”
Marcus stiffened as he realized who Gabriel meant, and Rick’s sharp growl filling the air meant he’d come to the same conclusion too.
“Meaning what? You tortured the information out of my assistant?”
Releasing his hold on the witch, Gabriel turned to fully face Rick, jaw set and shoulders back. “I’d never hurt him. You know that.”
“I don’t know jack shit about you, hunter,” Rick said, storming forward and right through the barrier.
“Rick—!” Bennett’s harsh cry cut off as he stopped himself from rushing forward, instead taking Rick’s place next to Marcus and behind Tashmica.
“But I chose to give you the benefit of the fucking doubt, so tell me why I shouldn’t kill you both and make your bodies disappear.” Rick snarled into Gabriel’s face, pointing between him and the witch. “I feel like it would make my night a whole lot fucking better if I just ordered my witches and Enforcers to take care of you and went back to cuddling the hell out of my mate.”
“Alpha Kincaid—” Gabriel was cut off by the witch putting a hand on his arm.
“Gabriel saved my life two years ago,” the man said, raising his chin when Rick turned his snarling face toward him. “And he called in the debt I owed him to have me find that woman for you.”
Between the magical barrier, all the people and noise around him, and his own heartbeat thumping erratically in his ears, Marcus couldn’t get a clear enough reading on the witch to judge his truthfulness, but judging by the tilt of Rick’s head as he studied the man, he could.
“You’re the one who spelled him to hide his scent?” Rick asked suddenly.
The witch glanced at Gabriel, then looked back at Rick. “Uh, yes, sir. A spell of my own creation.”
Grunting, Rick crossed his arms and nodded at Gabriel but continued to speak to the witch. “Break it.”
“What?”
“Break. The. Spell.”
There was a tense second where Rick and the witch just stared at each other, then the witch matched his stance with his arms crossed as well and shook his head. “No.”
Some sort of silent acknowledgement passed between them, then Rick nodded and lowered his arms. “I can respect your loyalty to your friend, but I don’t trust him, so his word isn’t enough to vouch for you to stay in my territory or join my pack’s coven.”
The guy’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, I can’t stay. Like I said, I was doing Gabe a favor. And now we’re square, right?”
Nodding, Gabriel extended a hand and the two shook and embraced once more. “Thank you, Keegan.”
When they separated, the witch—Keegan—tried to take a step back toward the barrier, but Rick held up a hand, stopping him. “Hang on. I can’t let you go yet.”
Keegan’s brows lowered. “You can’t keep me here. My coven will—”
“I’m not keeping you here,” Rick said, turning and walking back to the other side of the barrier, not seeming bothered at all about turning his back to Gabriel or Keegan. “I just can’t let you leave until V and Fiona confirm for