Corrigan Fire Bloodfire - Helen Harper Page 0,30

possibly see what he could offer that even Tom couldn’t. Whoever he was, he winked at her flirtatiously. I strode up. I might be interrupting her little tête-à-tête, but if a shifter was consorting with a human, then I had to know about it. How could she possibly keep her true self hidden under those kinds of circumstances? Telling myself that she’d want to be present for the mage’s little spells anyway, I decided I had no qualms about interrupting.

‘Well, well, well,’ I said. ‘You’re just breaking hearts everywhere you go, aren’t you?’

The human, who was good-looking in a rather bland sort of way, appeared remarkably vexed, ignoring me and focusing on her. ‘Who’s this, Mack?’

Good question. ‘I’m her employer,’ I answered, pulling up a nearby stool and perching myself on it uncomfortably to join the action.

‘Where’s John?’ he asked.

I felt relief quiver inside me. He didn’t know very much after all. ‘He’s gone away on business,’ I said dismissively, staring at Mack who looked as if she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. I could see no reason not to play every hand I had. ‘So, Mackenzie, does Tom know that you are out here meeting another man?’

‘Tom? Mack, you said that you and he had nothing going on.’ There was a whiny note to the man’s voice.

Mack threw me a dirty look and focused on him. ‘I’m sorry, Nick. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.’

‘And dinner next week?’ he spat. ‘Were you going to come along and continue to lie to me?’

‘Nick, I’m sorry, I…’

‘Fuck off.’ He sprang up, knocking over his chair and storming out like an upset teenager. The barman was patently enjoying the show so I glared at him until he got the message and disappeared. Mack, meanwhile, looked even more furious.

‘Playing around with a human behind a shifter’s back, eh Kitten?’ I taunted softly. ‘You’re dangerous to know.’

‘You idiot – he’s the local policeman.’ Amusement flooded through me at the thought of how Staines would react if he knew I’d just been called an idiot by one of my own shifters. Mack’s eyes narrowed. ‘I was trying to find out what he knew about John,’ she hissed.

Except he didn’t even know her alpha was dead. I gave her a puzzled look. ‘And why would he know anything about John? He’s just a human.’

Her shoulders dropped abruptly and I realised I’d managed to say something very wrong. I didn’t want a depressed Mack; she was far more fun when she was spitting fire. Chancing it, I laughed. ‘I’ll have to think of something that you would want from me so that I can get you to come round to my place for dinner too.’ As soon as I’d said it, it occurred to me that I wasn’t actually joking. I’d even be prepared to cook.

Mack looked stunned. She stared at me with her wide, expressive eyes and I felt a twist in my guts. Surely the Lord Alpha of the Brethren would be a better option than a human bloke? I put my hand on hers, feeling the same heat in her skin as I had before. She flinched, which merely stiffened my resolve. ‘You need to come with me,’ I said.

‘I don’t need to do anything,’ she answered, pulling at her hand to free herself from me. I let her go.

‘The mage is here. We need all of the pack back at the keep.’

It was her turn, apparently, to do the taunting. ‘So you came to get me yourself? Couldn’t the Lord of all the Brethren find someone to run his petty errands for him?’

I smirked. This was finally starting to be fun. ‘Oh, believe me, Kitten, I enjoyed doing this one on my own.’

She stood up. ‘I thank you for your diligence. I’ll see you back at the keep then.’

I watched her leave, pushing open the pub door with such force that I was surprised it managed to stay on its hinges. I wasn’t about to let her run away just yet though, so I quickly followed her, catching up to her ramrod-straight body as she marched stiffly away. ‘You’re a rather prickly person, aren’t you, Mack?’ She didn’t answer, instead choosing to hasten her steps. ‘In fact, you’re the least pack-like shifter I’ve come across in some time. You appear to have a stubborn streak of independence that is – unusual – for our kind. The thing is, not only do you appear to be absolutely terrified