Then again, there were many women in the club and many scents to confuse my dragon. One of the women could have worn some love potion or something to make them irresistible or something like that, and that might have set him off. Those types of concoctions weren’t tolerated in the magical community as they interfered with a person’s free will.
Prohibited magic like that could have easily been the reason for my dragon’s confusion. After all, I hadn’t spent much time with Zoe. It was likely less than one song, and much of it was spent distracted by the rising competition with Tony. Whatever my dragonthoughthe sensed had to be false.
Sebastian cocked his head. “Does this have anything to do with Diego and me finding mates? Maybe you want to find yours?”
“Absolutely not,” I brushed it off with a wave. “I was just curious. You know that won’t happen with me. My parents weren’t true mates, and I’m only half shifter.”
Sebastian pinned a speculative stare on me. “Perhaps. But if you’re lucky enough to find your mate, you can’t fight your feelings.”
It wouldn’t happen. Since Zoe might be coming over today, I should be able to clear things up. Without any interfering scents or whatever magic that might have affected my dragon in the club, he’d see it was all a mix-up.
Then we’d get back to living life on my terms—unattached. I was happy with the way my life was, without complications. I didn’t need a curse to interfere with my freedom. The last thing I wanted was a mate.
Chapter 3
Zoe
The next morning, I met with Pandora at the Network. She sat in her office with piles of books and reports stacked beside her laptop. Her long black hair was pulled into a braid down her back and her eyes were accentuated with winged eyeliner.
“Any updates since we spoke last night?” she asked.
When I pictured Lucas’s dance and my reaction, my cheeks warmed. “No, we didn’t find anything.”
A worry line appeared between Pandora’s brows as she nodded thoughtfully.
“What did the caller say?” I asked.
“That was what was odd,” Pandora replied. “The call didn’t come through here, but to Colleen’s shop.”
“Why would they call her there?” Colleen was a witch at the Network who helped establish connections for jobs, places to live, and so on. She owned a shop with magical supplies in Salem.
“Perhaps out of desperation,” Pandora replied. “The woman must have called anyone she could think of who might be able to help.” She picked up her phone. “I’ll see if Colleen is around and can talk.”
After Pandora called her, Colleen met with us, sitting in the chair besides mine in Pandora’s office. Her blonde curls were pinned up into a messy bun with a few strands falling loose.
“What can you tell us about the call?” I asked.
“Not much. It sounded like a young woman. She said she encountered a demon who then slipped into the club. When I tried to get more information from her, she hung up.”
“Hmm.” My shoulders slumped. “That’s unfortunate. I wonder why she felt the need not to talk.”
“Her voice was shaking,” Colleen said. “She sounded afraid.”
“Maybe she wanted to get away from there as soon as possible,” Pandora added.
I snorted. “I don’t blame her.” Who wanted to stick around where a demon was prowling? “Did she give any indication what it looked like?”
Pandora turned to me. “Unfortunately not. You didn’t find anything at all? No traces of dark magic?”
“Nothing.”
Back in my office, I combed through reports of demon activity in recent months. The wide variety of species and capabilities made this task more difficult. According to some, not all demons were vile monsters, but I had a hard time believing that. I’d never encountered a demon I’d want to invite to dinner.
Of all the beings I’d encountered, they were the ones I despised most. What purpose did they have in the world other than to destroy? They wreaked havoc and created pain. I knew this first-hand. They’d destroyed my family. I wouldn’t let them take my town.
I had suspected we’d write off the sighting at the club as another unreliable report until Pandora stepped into my office an hour later.
“Zoe, we got another call from the woman who made the report last night.”
