CHAPTER FIVE
– KAREV –
Nighttime normally means party time. Even with prez and his old lady having a baby in their room. Right now, it’s silent as fuck inside, and outside as well where I’m standing. No time to party when you’ve set a trap. A trap to catch my fated mate.
Talk about some really twisted shit. Finding your fated mate is rare, unique.
A once in a lifetime shot that some supernatural never get to experience.
Sevrin for example found his fated mate, but those two were sworn enemies for a long time which caused deaths on both sides of their families.
Damn. I might not be the only one with a fucked-up mate.
Then again, I haven’t even met mine. I’ve felt her presence, smelled her, grabbed her...
well, transparent her...but that’s it. Now I’m standing outside waiting for her to show up.
Triton is positive she will, and it’s why I’m waiting here while my brothers inside have set a trap.
I can’t wait inside because she might sense the magic Triton used. Basically, I’m the distraction.
The mouthwatering scent enters my nose and I have to adjust my cock.
Waffles, lemon cookies...I can’t quite describe her scent, but it makes me want to devour her whole.
Damn, the woman has a weird hold on my body and I haven’t even seen hers.
I take a few breaths and wait for the scent to intensify.
When it does, I know she’s close and turn to open the door of the clubhouse. Here’s to hoping she follows me in. The main room of the clubhouse is empty, hence the damn silence, and within three strides I hear a sharp intake of breath.
A grin slides across my face, and as I turn around I state, “Gotcha.”
Hot damn. My mate is utterly captivating.
Dark long hair with a reddish glow. Bright green eyes are locked on me and her lush cherry-colored lips are slightly parted.
Slender nose, pronounced cheekbones, and some cute as fuck freckles.
Slowly letting my gaze roam over her curves makes my cock even harder.
Yeah, my fated mate is made for me, that’s for damn sure.
“What’s your name, cookie?” I ask.
She tilts her head and glances down. A hint of panic slides over her face and then she turns and walks straight into the damn wall.
Whirling around, a soft voice flows through the air. “What did you do?”
“VP didn’t do anything, it was all me,” Triton proudly says as he steps into the main room.
The woman’s eyes narrow. “Warlock. Release me of your magic. Now.”
Triton throws a glance my way. “Your woman is kinda stern, brother.”
“Why do you call him brother if he’s not yours by blood?” she asks and takes a few steps in the direction of the door.
Her hand slams against the door and confusion hits her again.
A sigh rips from Triton and while the others step inside the room, he tells her, “Stop before you hurt yourself. You can’t get out. I set a trap to confine you to the clubhouse and disable the ability to make yourself invisible.”
“Why would you do that?” she grits and her eyes zero in on Cassia.
I snap my fingers to get her attention. “You killed Blondie, didn’t you?”
She purses her lips, holds my stare and gives a tight nod. Such honesty without an inch of shame or remorse.
I nod in acknowledgement. “No more killing, especially not old ladies.” I point at Cassia.
The woman crosses her arms in front of her chest. “She’s not old, and she’s mated to the man standing next to her. As long as she doesn’t touch you or offer to suck your cock, I won’t be killing her.”
“She won’t be offering to suck any damn cock other than mine,” Sevrin snarls.
The woman waves a hand in their direction, and her lips twist with a hint of a laugh. As if she’s saying, “See? No problem.” Yet she fucking slaughtered a woman for only touching me.
Which is another reminder of who, and what she is. “You’re one of Valentinius Calvania’s three daughters. I met your sister in his office, the angry one. You killing Blondie who only offered me a blow job makes you the jealous one, am I right?”
“She touched you,” the woman snarls.
I nod. “She did. Not a reason for taking a human’s life.”
Her fingers curl into fists.
“What’s your name, cookie?” I ask again.
“Not cookie,” she fires back. “Why do you call me cookie?”
I shrug. “Because you smell fuckin’ delicious. Like waffles and lemon cookies.”
Her whole face transforms into happiness. Fuck, she’s breathtaking.
“Okay, this is great bonding shit and all. But are we going to ignore the fact that she’s like an unstable bomb that can detonate at any fucking moment? She killed Blondie for only offering something she’s probably done multiple times already,” Levan states.
Pure hate obliterates her happiness in a fragment of a second. I hate Levan is right because she looks like she’s about to detonate any damn second and ram a torpedo up the shark shifter’s ass.
“Eyes here, cookie,” I rumble.
Levan shakes his head. “Sure, sweet-talk the crazy murderous chick.”
Cookie takes a step forward, inhales, and instead of anger she smirks at Levan and says with a hint of mock laughter in her voice, “That’s the jealousy talking. I can smell it wafting off you, shark boy.”
“Fuck you,” Levan snarls and takes a step closer. “You don’t know shit.”
“No? You call me an unstable bomb while you have the hots for a torpedo-shaped fish, highly intelligent...probably why she dumped your walnut-for-a-brain ass.” Her nails become longer and I can sense she’s preparing herself in case Levan charges her.
Which he’s going to do, so I step between them. “Walk it off, Levan.”
“How does she even know that shit?” Levan snarls.
Cookie glances around me at Levan. “You were on your phone when you walked in and whispered words out of jealousy. I heard those loud and clear. It might just be your temper as a shark shifter, which I can smell you are, but I assumed she dumped you...so, I don’t know shit...I guessed.”
Turning to face her, I say, “Come on, let’s chat in private.”
I don’t wait for her to follow me but simply stalk into church and hold the door open. Once she’s inside, I close the door.
“Azalea,” she blurts and stares at me with those stunning green eyes. “I like baking lemon cookies and having waffles for dinner.”
The corner of my mouth twitches. “Which is exactly what I smelled when I got on my bike in front of your father’s home.”
“That’s the first time I saw you.” She nods.
I raise one of my eyebrows. “Then you followed me home and saw Blondie touch me.”
“She shouldn’t have touched you,” she grumbles.
“Or offered the blow job,” I add.
I get another nod and it makes me wonder, “If I accept you as my fated mate...will you still kill anyone who touches me or so much as flirts?”
She studies her feet, but I still catch the wince before she shrugs.
“Lea, give me your eyes,” I rumble.
Her head whips up. “Lea? Nobody calls me Lea.”
I like this little fact, and shortening her name simply happened.
I take a step closer. “Good girl. Now, flipping your shit and turning people into red mist needs to stop, understood?”
Her cherry-colored lips part and her cheeks turn pink when she whispers, “I’ve always felt jealousy from others, but never in my entire life have I felt it burn this hot through my veins before today.”
“It’s a fated mate thing I assume.” Another step in her direction.
I’m so damn drawn to her scent.
“Probably,” she murmurs and the tip of her tongue peeks out to lick her bottom lip.
Reaching out, I cup the back of her neck and pull her close. “No more killing for now, okay?”
“I’ll try,” she breathes and I can feel her pulse under my palm.
“This thing between us is inevitable,” I murmur.
To my surprise she abruptly pulls away and steps back.
“We can’t,” she firmly states and shakes her head.
“My father...he wants to chain a hellhound to his services. An alpha hellhound. I didn’t even know there was such a thing, but I saw you shift and he says an alpha has three heads and you have three, and...
so, we can’t. Besides, the no killing rule you threw at me would be thrown into the wind as well because I’d have to kill my sister.
She still wants you and is pretty damn pissed you returned father’s coins in time.
So, nope. We can’t do this...or we can and I can never go home again.
Which also isn’t an option. My father would come for me.
He has a pack of werewolves handling security, and even though I flew here they might still be able to track...
could they? Shit. I’m so stupid. My sister is right to call me stupid.
We can’t. I have to go. Make that warlock drop his magic. I need to leave to keep you safe.”
What the ever-loving-fuck is she rattling on about?