a dozen weird things pop up. A new witch in the city, random coyotes and wolves wandering around without a pack or direction, a banker we’ve always worked with turning out to be something dangerous, a sorcerer chasing after the witch... I don’t like it. Until we can start resolving some of these issues, we should either stick close to home or move everyone to the warehouse so we can protect the females.”
Henry’s eyebrows rose. “I’d be more useful out on patrol, not in the house.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got a mate now,” Todd said, and he didn’t even look like he was joking. “Better for you to be here to protect her and Deirdre, just in case Evershaw and I get called away.”
“She’s not my mate,” Henry said, but it tasted like a lie. “It’s not possible. She’s not a wolf, she’s only been here a week, it’s just... inconvenient.”
Todd laughed, propping his feet up on the arm of another chair. “Dude, when is this bullshit ever convenient? Besides, Deirdre isn’t a wolf and it happened with Evershaw. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. If she’s supposed to be yours, then you’ll know—and don’t let her go. Figure it out.”
Henry growled in irritation at the casual way the other man referred to finding someone as special as his true mate. And from the look on Todd’s face, the growl just proved his point about Ophelia and Henry being connected. Henry headed for the door. “I’m going to get rid of this damn jacket and then I’ll patrol around the block—I’ll stick close enough to respond if anyone howls. Silas saw some prints in the mud about a block west of here, and I need to check it out.”
Todd grunted and went back to watching bay of security camera monitors they kept in the office so he could survey the neighborhood as well as the area around the warehouse. “Keep your phone handy. Tell Silas to stick close to the house.”
Henry found the other wolf and passed the message on the way to his room, irritated with Todd and Evershaw alike for insisting he stay near the house. His nerves twitched at the idea of being far from Ophelia, particularly when that rogue sorcerer was still on the loose, but he really didn’t want to deal with his sister. His steps slowed as he approached his room and saw the door partially open, a murmur of female voices reaching him from inside. His eyes narrowed. What the hell was going on?
He whipped the door open, ready to read Mercy the riot act for invading his den again, but he froze as Ophelia and Deirdre jumped a foot in the air where they stood near the window. Static charged the air and lightning flashed out of Ophelia’s hands as she stared at him in horror, and Henry had a split second to regret his irritation before his brain short-circuited and the wolf tore free.
Chapter 23
Ophelia
I hardly knew what to do with myself when Deirdre and Mercy drew me out of the office and to a quiet alcove on the first floor where no one would overhear. Mercy dry-washed her hands and didn’t make eye contact. “So here’s the problem. We only have the one guest room, since every other room is taken.”
I nodded. “Okay?”
“You’re in the guest room,” Mercy said slowly. She glanced at Deirdre, who watched me with amusement, then back at me. “And we need the guest room for Henry’s sister and her friend.”
I frowned and looked between them. “I’m not tracking. What’s the issue? They can have the room, but where am I going to sleep?”
“Normally you would be sleeping with your mate,” Deirdre said. “Which is what Nola and Fran will expect—if you do not sleep in Henry’s room, they will know something is amiss. We certainly will not require you to cohabitate with him, even for a night, but it might raise some eyebrows. It’s just a question of whether he cares.”
Of course. My cheeks heated. “Uh... right. I can stay at the warehouse. I won’t cause any trouble there. That might be easier. I don’t want to encroach...”
“He won’t mind,” Mercy said quickly.
Too quickly, maybe. My eyes narrowed as I studied the two women, and suspected that maybe Deirdre’s matchmaking had gone beyond tricking us into lunch. The other witch just smiled serenely and folded her hands together at her waist. “It’s true. I doubt that he would mind. He might even offer to