Page 29 of Freed By the Witchbone Knife

“Oh?” I lifted my brows in feigned interest. Truthfully, there was only one man on my mind lately. Which was really freaking annoying. It had been a week since our last encounter. Or…non-encounter since all I got was the cold shoulder.

And that was exactly why I found myself sitting in The Roost Thursday afternoon an entire week after said cold shoulder, hoping he’d come in at his usual time. Because when he did, I planned to confront him.

“I’ll be there,” Iris added. “We can get all dressed up, hang out, have a few drinks, do some dancing. You’ve been working so hard. You need to let loose a little bit.”

“You’re right, I have, haven’t I?”

“So?”

“I’ll go.”

“Perfect!” She grinned. “If you want to go together we can carpool. Otherwise, I can just meet you there.”

“That would be great. I’ll let you know.”

She headed back to the counter. It was only 3:20pm, so I dove back into some of my grading, knowing how punctual Axel was.

Which was why I sucked in a sharp breath when the chair across from me was pulled out a few minutes early.

Except when I looked up, it wasn’t Axel sitting down. Everything in me went rigid. It was Ambrose Blackthorn. And he was smiling like he’d just won a game.

9

Axel was running late, which never happened. Mainly because he’d debated going to The Roost, knowing the witch would be there. But why should he change his routine simply because he didn’t want to see her?

So, after several internal debates, he found himself striding through the door and⁠—

Every muscle seized up.

His head whipped in the direction of the witch’s chamomile and honey scent, soured by fear, and surrounded by an unfamiliar scent that made bile churn in his stomach. Which was when he saw Ambrose fucking Blackthorn sitting across from her, looming forward despite the witch’s obvious discomfort.

“I can’t believe you would send wolves after me!” Her voice was a low hiss, only discernible thanks to his supernatural hearing.

“I told you to come home,” Blackthorn said. “You left me no choice.”

“No choice?! What the fuck? They could have killed me.”

“They were not to harm you, Rebecca.”

Axel instantly hated the way Blackthorn used her name—the way it sounded in his mouth. He wanted to rip Blackthorn’s tongue out for so much as speaking it. Which was inconceivable.

“That’s beside the point, Ambrose. You don’t own me. Go home.”

“I’m not going anywhere. If I have to drag you home myself, I will.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” She crossed her arms and Axel’s admiration for her lifted several notches.

“You really want to test me?” Blackthorn snarled, keeping his voice low.

Annnd Axel had heard enough. His legs began moving before he could stop himself, closing the distance between them in several quick strides.

“You wouldn’t dare use magic out in the open,” the witch challenged.

“Try me⁠—”

“Is this man bothering you?” Axel inserted himself in the conversation, towering over the table.

The witch’s mouth widened into a surprised oh.