the witch. He was getting his thoughts in order on how to ask Deirdre what she wanted to do about the stranger when the witch shot him a sideways look. “Where’s the witch staying?”
“The bears’ shelter,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance to question her with that damn Russian bear standing over my shoulder.”
“She’s staying at the battered women’s shelter?” Deirdre straightened up from the plants and braced her hands at the small of her back. “Why?”
“Didn’t get a chance to ask. She said her car broke down and she didn’t look… rich. Maybe she didn’t have anywhere else to go.” Henry tried not to feel too badly about it, even if he didn’t like the idea of the stranger being in such duress.
Deirdre sighed and eyed her mate. “Then I suppose I’m making a trip to the shelter to figure out what’s going on. The last thing we need is another blasted coven in this city, and if she’s the first of a wave of them, then we need to nip this in the bud. I don’t want to deal with more witch drama.”
“None of us need that,” Evershaw said under his breath, though he pasted a fake smile on his face when Deirdre gave him a dirty look. “I mean, when are you going to talk to the girl?”
“Soon,” Deirdre said. She pulled off her gloves and tossed them into the basket where she’d collected the various leaves and stems and clippings. “Don’t want to give her time to disappear into the city.”
Henry stretched and tilted his head at the house. “If you give me just a minute to get changed, I can go with you.”
“That’s okay,” Deirdre said. “You should sleep. I’ll bring Mercy with me. She likes ogling the bears, even if they’re all mated already.”
“I didn’t need to hear that,” Evershaw muttered, shaking his head like he could have dislodged the thought. Mercy was like everyone’s little sister, but she was especially Miles’s. “She shouldn’t be ogling anyone, especially not those meatheads.”
“Says you,” the witch said. She winked at Henry and headed for the house. “Just because you’re not paying attention doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. She’s a grown woman, you know. You should see the way she looks at Iskander and—”
“I’m not hearing this,” her mate said. The wolf alpha covered his ears and stormed up to the house while Deirdre chased after him, laughing and naming all the guys that Evershaw’s distant cousin and adopted daughter liked to stare at.
Henry shook his head and leaned back on the bench, basking in the morning sun. He fought jealousy every time he saw them together, joking or even arguing. He hadn’t ever been in a relationship like the one between the alpha and his mate, and part of Henry wanted to find the same thing for himself. He hadn’t felt a connection with any of the female wolves in the city, despite searching for his own mate, and part of him always wondered if the family curse followed him to a new pack.
He didn’t wait long before shoving to his feet to get on with the day. He didn’t have time to rest; there was still too much to take care of with the coyotes and the wolves from outside the city. He could find a few of the guys to help him track the perpetrators from the night before, if any of the scent remained.
Henry was halfway back to his room to prep for a long day when his cell phone rang and an unfamiliar number popped up on the screen. He hesitated before answering, but gave up as curiosity reared its ugly head. “Yeah?”
“Henry?” The semi-familiar voice, female and rough on the edges, sent him into a spiral of memories. “Henry, it’s Nola. We need to talk.”
He stopped dead in his tracks. Nola. What did she want?
Chapter 9
Ophelia
A loud jangling noise jolted me awake, and for far too long, I had no idea where I was or what the hell was ringing at me. I scrambled around in the darkness and finally located the alarm clock, tossing it across the room.
The ringing continued, and I cursed and spat hexes as I stumbled out of bed to knock a phone off the hook. I held it up and squinted at it, managing to put the correct end against my ear. “Uh… yes?”
“Good morning, Ophelia,” a chipper voice said. “Sorry to wake you. When you get a chance, could you come downstairs? The guys