A Little Green Magic (The Little Coven #1) - Isabel Wroth Page 0,34

up, her cheeks almost as violently pink as her hair.

“Since when do you have a mate?” McManus asked, clearly confused as he stared at where Uriah had Ivy tucked protectively to his side.

Uriah kept her tucked tight under his shoulder. “Officially? As of three days ago.”

“And you came blasting out of your truck like an asshole because you thought I was here for her? Why?”

As McManus continued to show nothing but surly confusion, Ivy could feel Uriah slowly starting to relax.

“Warren showed up on my doorstep this morning, thought she was human, and made noise about the pride stepping in. I pull up after getting a ‘9-1-1 get here now,’ text to find the whole damn coven out in the front yard and you standing here What else was I gonna think?”

The naked lion gave a pissed-off chuff. “I dunno, buddy, maybe you could have ASKED FIRST!? I can't believe you flipped my truck. My WORK truck, asshole.”

“Why are you here?” Juliet interrupted rudely.

McManus blew out a sharp, frustrated breath. “I’m here as a fuckin’ courtesy because a coven in Vermont was wiped out a week ago, and my alpha wanted to make sure the same didn't happen to the only coven in our territory?”

A chill of a whole new kind tripped up and down Ivy's spine, her concern mirrored on Rowena's face when she looked to her coven leader. “A coincidence?”

Rowena shook her head and glanced at Astrid, who nodded in silent understanding, and hurried back inside to get her cards. “I don't particularly believe in coincidences. Gentlemen, perhaps you should come inside. Pants are required, Abel.”

The lion scowled, his hands still perched on his hips, still waving his dick around. “I'd love some pants, Rowena. Unfortunately, douchebag over here completely overreacted and made me shred my only pair.”

Uriah opened his mouth to no doubt fire off a few choice words, but Rowena hissed impatiently, muttering spells under her breath as she waved her hands through the air.

McManus's truck flipped back over with a screech of metal. Pieces of glass swirled through the air and zoomed back into place as the windows reformed. The dents and damage to the metal body popped back into place with loud bangs, and even the shredded pieces of Abel's clothing pieced themselves back together, the pants forcefully flying through the air to smack him in the face.

Sometimes Ivy forgot what a powerful witch Rowena was. It was easy, especially because Rowena chose to make her living sewing charms on pillowcases to ensure the person sleeping on them never woke up with anything less than perfectly styled hair.

“Pants. Now!” Rowena ordered, drilling a finger at the house, clearly having had quite enough shenanigans for one day. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Ivy turned away when McManus started hopping into his pants, looking up at Uriah longingly. “Can we rewind and go back to breakfast?”

Uriah gave her a gentle look, bending to press a kiss to her forehead. “How about a do over tomorrow morning?”

“I'll take it.” Ivy sighed, marveling at how easy it was to sink into him. How wonderful it felt to be wrapped up tight in his arms, how safe it felt. How much easier it was to face the uncertain road ahead now that he was here.

Uriah curled himself around her, rocking her gently from side to side, palming her hair with a gentle stroke. “Can you tell me what happened after I dropped you off?”

With a shuddering sigh, Ivy quickly gave him the abbreviated version, and throughout the tale, he didn't release her by so much as a finger.

“I ran out here because I felt like I couldn't breathe,” she finished, “and a few minutes later, McManus showed up.”

“Next time, honey, you call me immediately. It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing, I'll be here.”

“I'll call,” Ivy promised with her face pressed against his throat.

“Good. Did you tell Rowena about the weird feeling you got while we were in the woods?”

“Um, no. I completely forgot about that. And uh... I might have gotten the same feeling again when we were napping in the hammock,” Ivy confessed sheepishly, feeling like an idiot for not having mentioned it in light of the threat now hanging over them.

The bear gave a threatening snarl, and just like that, Uriah hustled her into the house as though it was no longer safe to be out in the open.

*****

Uriah didn't stop crowding until they were inside the coven house, following the soft murmur of voices