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Alistair sat in one of two cushioned chairs, a glass of wine in his hand. The bottle stood on the glass-topped table next to him. A book lay open in his lap as if he hadn’t noticed me. But when I stepped toward him, he looked up. Both of us were predators and our senses were keen. “Gideon.”
I inclined my head then sat down opposite him.
“Did you find out what you needed to know?” he asked. There was a weight to his question. We both knew this was more than a normal scouting mission.
I sighed, gazing out at the sky. The moon was still bright, but the stars were doing their best to make themselves seen. “She’s my mate.”
Alistair stilled. “You’re certain?”
I nodded.
He took a sip of his drink. “Then I release you from your contract.”
The ties that bound us loosened in my chest. “I don’t want to leave you unprotected.”
Alistair smiled toothily. “I was never helpless.”
“I’m aware,” I said. “But there are witches in town.”
He leaned forward, his arms on his knees. “You found them?”
I leaned my head back against the metal of the chair. “My mate’s one of them.”
Alistair hissed. “That’s unfortunate.”
I looked at my friend. “And there’s something wrong, some darkness, some evil clings to her. I need to find out what it is.”
He watched the swirls of wine as he spun his glass. “I could find out so much, if I had a taste…”
My body tensed, and I squeezed my hands around the metal of the chair, bending it. The sound of it echoed across the balcony. I glared at Alistair, and ground out, “Never.”
He chuckled. “I would never harm your mate, my friend.”
My heartbeat raced as I considered jumping him. He deserved to die . . . but then his words came through. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to think rationally.
“I would never harm your mate,” he repeated.
“I know,” I said, still trying to pull my instincts under control. The very thought of him preying on my mate had me ready to tear his throat out. But Alistair wouldn’t do that. He was my boss and my friend.
“Witches can be tricky,” he said softly. “You know we’re looking into some of the more extreme groups.”
“We know of at least one operating here,” I said. Could Red’s, no, Toni’s, darkness have something to do with an extremist coven? Was she being manipulated somehow?
Alistair turned thoughtful. “It looks like our interests still align. We both need to know what’s going on with this coven and with your mate.”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Then it looks like we have some planning to do.” Lifting the wine bottle, he refilled his glass. “You want some? I haven’t spiked it.”
I nodded and rose to fetch another glass from the kitchen. Despite my worries, Alistair would help.
***
The next morning I waited outside of Toni’s dorm with a huge bouquet of roses. Students passed me by in a droves as they headed out to their morning classes. Toni was one of the last stragglers from the building. She wore a short skirt and a sweater combo, with her hair in a messy bun.
A young man with hair as blond as Alistair’s ran up to her and put his arm around her. “Toni, where have you been?”
I froze. Why did he have his hands on my mate? My instincts roared to life, and I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to use my bodyguard skills. I needed to understand the situation before I ran in.
