Chapter 13
Did You Just Compare My Best Friend To A Cow?
“I haven’t decided if a mate is a blessing from Visata or payment for my transgressions.”~Gage.
Gage stared at the screen.The faces of Taras and his mate, Lyra, could be seen, along with a few others from the Kingdom of Claws that he recognized.The royal family’s son, Callon, as well as their Shaman, Roan, were also present.Then there were some people that Gage didn’t recognize.One, he’d deduced simply by her proximity to Callon—she had to be Lola, his new mate.She had unusual skin with two-tone markings that were lovely.There was another young woman he didn’t know, and since the call was muted and hadn’t yet started, he couldn’t eavesdrop to figure it out.Whoever she was, the female was human, and Roan was especially interested in her.
“Let me do the talking.”Nox stepped around the front of his desk.
“As if I’ve ever had a problem keeping my mouth shut.”Gage’s mouth barely moved as he leaned a shoulder against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“They’re going to be upset that you didn’t call them last night.”Link took a seat in one of the empty chairs in Nox’s office.“I’ve been around Lola and her friend Maddie.”He nodded to the other female that Gage had been wondering about.“They’re very protective of one another.And you waited to tell them you’ve seen Katy.I foresee a couple of pissed off females.”
Gage chuckled.“Oh?You thinkthat’swhat they’re going to be upset about?Not the fact that Azure is trying to sell her like she’s a prized cow?”
“Did you just compare my best friend to a cow?”a cool voice asked.
Gage turned to look at Nox, who stood in the middle of the room with a remote control pointed at the large screen on the wall.He’d activated the call.Whoops.
“You were already beginning to explain things.”Nox shrugged.“I saw no reason to stop you, so I just unmuted the call.”
“Right,” Gage said flatly.
“Is Katy okay?”Lola asked.Callon had her tucked protectively against his side, as if Gage or Nox could somehow attack her through a video call.
“She’syourfriend,” Gage challenged.“How do you think she’s doing?”
Maddie turned and looked at Lola, waiting for her response.“It’s a toss-up.Katy could be kicking ass and taking names.Or she could have herself strung up like turkeybecauseshe attempted to kick ass and take names and her opponent was out of her league.Which, let’s be real”—Lola looked at the people around her and then at Gage and Nox—“you guys aren’t exactly fighting fair with your supernatural abilities.”
“You have the same abilities.”Gage waved a hand at her.“As does Katy.”
“Ihave a mate,” Lola bit back.“She does not.So,no, she doesn’t have the same abilities.Maybe she will one day.”
Gage bristled at Lola’s words.This female knew nothing about him or his capabilities.
“I’m well aware of what Katy does and doesn’t have access to, which is why I’m going to do everything in my power to get her out of there.”
“Oh, really?”Lola challenged Gage, her eyes flashing.“Doesn’t seem like you’re doing much besides standing there looking all stoic and unhelpful.”
A rumbling growl built in Gage’s chest, but he tamped it down.Barely.What the hell was her problem with him?They didn’t even know one another, and yet she’d already judged him and found him lacking.
“Appearances can be deceiving,” he ground out.“Rest assured, I’m working every angle to secure your friend’s release without endangering her further.”
Lola looked skeptical, but before she could retort, the one called Maddie placed a calming hand on her arm.
“He’s telling the truth,” Maddie said softly.
“What?”Roan stepped halfway in front of her as Gage’s gaze sharpened on the willowy blonde.There was an air of preternatural wisdom around her that seemed at odds with her youthful appearance.
“You’re more than you seem,” Gage remarked.
“She’s a human female worried about her friend.”Roan’s voice was dry, bored even, but his interest in the female was the opposite.
Maddie gave Roan a withering glare before offering Gage a cryptic smile.“One of these days, he’s going to end up on the wrong end of a pointy object.And I’m going to be holding the other end.”
Interesting.Gage didn’t think Shaman mated, at least not the way their kind did.But Roan was definitely acting like a mated male with his posturing.And the tension between the two could be cut with a knife.Gage filed that away for later.
“If we could get back on track.”Nox gave Gage a quelling look.“Please tell the prime and prima what you told me.”
