Wolf's Claim (The Royal Heir #3) - Jen L. Grey Page 0,57

even white witches can be opportunistic as long as they harm no one and keep the balance of the elements."

"Don't worry." Mason tugged me closer to him so our shoulders were brushing with each step. "I won't let her out of my sight."

"The concern is for you too, my King." Tommy arched an eyebrow. "Our duty is to protect both of you. Not just her."

"But I'm more concerned with her," Mason growled the words.

"And you don't think she's more concerned about you?" Tommy shook his head and quietly chuckled. "You're mates, for God’s sake, and you are now the rightful king just as much as she's the heir. So you're both our concern. Got it?"

When did he get so pushy? Mason complained into our bond.

Kassie must be rubbing off on him in more ways than one.

And now you're channeling Ella. Mason squeezed my hand as he shook his head.

Oh, come on. I stuck my tongue out at him. Just because we've been busy and lost our sense of humor doesn’t mean you can credit Ella.

I guess that's valid. His smile dropped as the tree line began to open.

A large clearing appeared in front of us, and there were at least a hundred wooden houses within it. I'd never visited a coven before, so it all took me by surprise.

Even though the houses were made of wood, they appeared strong and well kept. They didn't exactly look like log cabins, but that was probably the closest resemblance. There was a larger home in the middle that I could only assume would be the priestess’s home.

"Before we allow you past the tree line, all weapons must be left in this spot." The witch pointed to the ground right next to the tree line. "You don’t need weapons, so they will be safe here."

"But what if a vampire comes by and grabs them?" Kassie's shoulders were tense and rigid.

"Vampires haven't been here in at least a hundred years." The girl laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.

"That's not true." James's brow furrowed. "We helped you get rid of them a few years ago."

"They were trying to break through our wards." She smiled. "They wouldn't have been able to, but we wanted them to remember to fear us. We may seem complacent, but we have nature on our side." She pointed to the spot again. "Now, put all your weapons down or you'll not be going through."

"But we got through to here with no problems." Kassie took a step away from the spot on the ground.

"Because I was walking in front, allowing you to come with me." The witch raised her head and crossed her arms. "You have one last chance before going through. I already didn't want to allow it when she appeared." The witch stared me down.

"I've never done anything to you all." There was so much hate directed at me. I'd never met them before.

"Oh, but your blood has done plenty." Her breathing increased as if she was aggravated with my mere existence.

"Let's do this." Mason tugged me behind him while Tommy and Kassie placed their guns and daggers on the ground.

Once they stood back up, the witch headed over to them and examined them from head to toe. "I don't feel cold energy from you any longer, so we're good to go." She turned around, scanning me, Mason, and James. "All right, the priestess is aware of your arrival. Let's go."

As we entered the clearing, it felt strange as no one was outside. As we passed by one of the houses, I glanced in the windows and met cold, gold eyes. They're all in their houses so we don't see them.

Yeah, they like to be kept from sight. Mason's jaw clenched as we approached the larger house, and the witch knocked on the door.

"Come in." A strong voice called out that sounded way younger than I’d expected.

The witch opened the door and waved us inside. "After you."

Knowing that Mason and I needed to be the first ones to enter, I pushed past Kassie and James before entering the house.

A low growl emanated from Kassie's throat, alerting me to the fact that she wasn't thrilled with me.

What was new at this point? The first room we entered wasn't a living room but rather a kitchen. There was a fireplace in the middle of the room with a black cauldron sitting within it. The counters were littered with drying herbs and spices. There wasn't a refrigerator anywhere in the