Chapter Eleven-Jaxson
Stalking the curvy little brown-haired Witch to the cemetery this morning was easy as pie.
Too damn easy, if I’m being honest.
Woman wouldn’t last five minutes out in the wilds of Shifter territory with that level of obliviousness.
I made a mental note to work with her on situational awareness—right after I convinced her to let me stay within pouncing distance.
But gods above and below, I didn’t mind the view.
Not one bit.
That swing in her hips? Hypnotic.
The kind of sway that made a man forget his name, his rank, his reason for drawing breath.
She wore these bright, ridiculous orange pants that hugged her in all the right ways, like the universe had stitched them just for her curves.
And that wild brown mane of hair—freshly styled, I might add—bounced with every step like it had its own brand of magic.
I itched to tangle my fingers in it. Just once. Or a hundred times.
I told myself I was just making sure she got to work safely.
That’s it. That was the plan.
But then I saw him—that rat-faced, overconfident, pants-too-tight Wizard trying to cozy up beside her.
Dick.
No really, that was his actual name.
And honestly, it fit.
My hands curled into fists before I even realized it.
My Wolf didn’t like him.
Not just because the guy was annoying.
Not even because he was clearly an ex.
It was because he had the gall to stand that close to my mate.
The fact that Evie didn’t hex him into next week immediately was a testament to her restraint—or maybe she was just too nice.
But I wasn’t.
I stepped out from the trees before my Wolf could take over and do something permanent.
I figured I’d let her decide how we handled it.
If she wanted him gone, I’d do it without leaving a mark.
Okay, maybe one small mark.
But she gave me a look. One of those warning looks women are born knowing how to make. So I backed off. For now.
Didn’t mean I liked it.
My Wolf was pacing inside me like a caged thing.
He’d already marked her scent, memorized the sound of her voice, the pulse beneath her skin, the exact tilt of her head when she got annoyed.
She was his. Mine. Ours.
Dual-natured creatures such as myself often had a difficult time separating the two aspects of our personality.
Sometimes—like with me—our animal halves seemed to have minds of their own.
Just so happened that my Wolf and I agreed vehemently on this one particular thing.
Mainly, Evelyn Castor was mine. Ours. Whatever.
Point was, that idiot Wizard? He was out of the picture, Permanently.
And if he knew what was good for him, he’d better take the hint and stay gone.
After that little tête-à-tête, I tried to focus on the cemetery.
The stench of rot clinging to the air wasn’t natural—and the sickly green magic smeared across her family’s mausoleum? That was even worse.
I didn’t need my years as a firefighter, or my time wearing a badge back in Rottingham County, Texas, to know something was seriously off.
Some things you just feel in your bones—and this? This reeked of trouble.
The protective wards on that place were old magic, and whatever tainted it wasn’t friendly.
But even as I sniffed the air and scanned for signs of movement, my damn brain kept short-circuiting back to her.
My curvy Witch mate.
Unclaimed, yes. But mine all the same.
The way her brows furrowed when she was concentrating.
The way she stood her ground even when she was clearly freaked out.
The way she rolled her eyes at me like I was a walking inconvenience, while her heartbeat betrayed her interest.
She didn’t know what she meant to me yet.
Didn’t know how my blood sang for her, how my magic was already syncing up with hers like gravity finding its pull.
Evie Castor didn’t believe in fate, I could tell that much.
She’d been burned.
Once, maybe more.
And now she wore her independence like armor.
But armor didn’t scare me.
I had claws that could peel it back, and a heart that beat only for her.
I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until she saw what I saw.
Not until she knew that she was everything I needed.
And I planned to spend every second proving it.
One date. One taste. That’s all I needed to start.
After that?
She’d never want to walk through this town alone again. Not when she could have me by her side—her partner, her protector, her mate.
And gods help the next Wizard who tried to test me.
Because next time? I wouldn’t be so damn polite.
“Well, that concludes all the time I have for investigating right now,” she said, and I nodded, following her out.
“What are you doing?” she asked as I continued to walk beside her.
“I’d think that was obvious,” I replied, and grinned at her cute portrayal of annoyance.
Truth was I needed a moment to collect my thoughts.
I had a question for Evie. A big question, and it was far more personal and important than anything I’d ever asked a woman before.
Nerves the likes of which I’ve never experienced filled me.
Would it be too much to ask her out already?
Maybe.
But I’ve never been the type to wait around once I know what I want.
And I wanted Evie Castor.
She wasn’t just some pretty face. She was it. No doubt about it.
This morning only solidified what I knew. The moment I saw her—bossing around ghosts and ex-boyfriends with one bloodshot eye and enough attitude to floor a grown man—I was gone.
Hooked. Head over tail.
Now she was turning to leave, those hips swaying in those ridiculous orange pants, and all I could think about was how I was gonna make her mine.
Slowly, surely, and the right way.
“Would it be too forward if I asked you out on a date tonight?” I asked, keeping it light.
Letting the drawl roll off my tongue like honey. She stiffened for a second.
Paused. Turned back to me with one eyebrow raised sky high and those big brown eyes wide as can be.
Bingo. Got her attention.
She glanced back at me, lips parting like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or hex me.
“Is that really a good idea? I mean, you aren’t staying here long.”
I let a slow smile spread across my face.
Damn, she was cute when she tried to play it cool. Like I couldn’t see the spark in her eyes or smell the desire rolling off her in waves.
“Maybe,” I said, stepping closer, just enough to see the pulse flutter at her throat. “But we gotta eat, right? Does seven suit you?”
She hesitated again, just for a beat.
Then, she said, “Yeah. I can be ready at seven.”
“Perfect,” I said, and before my better judgment kicked in, I leaned in and kissed her.
Just a quick taste. A whisper of a claim.
Her lips were soft and warm and tasted faintly of cinnamon and sass.
Gods, I wanted more.
But I backed off, tucking my hands in my back pockets before they wandered to places that would definitely get me banned from the town before dinner.
She just stood there, staring at me like I’d short-circuited her brain.
Her cheeks flushed that pretty pink, her mouth slightly parted like she wanted to say something but forgot how to speak.
Good.
Let her feel that spark.
Let her remember it.
I bit my lip, holding back the full grin threatening to crack my face.
She looked like she wasn’t sure whether to run, punch me, or kiss me again.
Maybe all three.
I could work with that.
But I knew I had something else to fix. And I was of a mind to get it done soon.
See, here’s the thing—Evie thought I was just passing through.
That I was gonna grab dinner, maybe steal a kiss or two, and hit the road.
But nah. She couldn’t be more wrong.
I was staying. Right here. In Castor’s Corner.
She didn’t know it yet, but I had every intention of showing her exactly what kind of mate I could be.
Protective. Patient. Persistent.
And yeah, I had plans.
Plans to feed her. Laugh with her. Worship her body with my mouth until she forgot whatever dumbass reasons she had for pushing me away.
Plans to make her mine. Forever.
Let her think it’s just dinner. Just a maybe.
I’ll make damn sure it turns into everything.