Azure’s eyes sparkled with humor.“Oh?And who’s your mate then?”
She lifted her chin and pulled her shoulders back.“Gage, the dire wolf.”
Azure chuckled, shaking his head back and forth.“He said you’d say that.Though I don’t think he realized you’d be quite so proud.Even if it were true, if you knew the disgrace that is a dire wolf, you’d never be proud to be mated to one.Especially Gage.”
“I am his mate.”Katy’s heart squeezed tightly in her chest as she fisted her hands.
“Not according to him.”Azure shook his head as he slid his hands into the pockets of his expensive-looking slacks.“In fact, his exact words were, ‘Her best friend just mated the Lion King.She’s jealous and wants to lay claim to a powerful mate.But I belong to no one.”
Chapter 14
Don’t Spit In The Snake King’s Eye.
“I feel like life just looked at me and said, ‘Could you please hold my glass?’and then proceeded to beat the crap out of me while laughing maniacally.Why?Because sometimes life sucks.We’re supposed to grow in character and learn from it.But I think we’re in the midst of that learning process where we can also just hand life its drink back and return the ass-kicking.”~Katy
Gage felt as if the floor had been ripped out from beneath him and he was free-falling.A wolf wasn’t meant to fly.His feet belong firmly planted on the ground.But Slick’s words had just plunged him through the air.
“Did you hear me?”Slick’s voice came through the phone.“Gage?Katy’s going to tell Azure.Right now.That you’re her mate.”
“I’ll take care of it.”Gage’s voice was so guttural with his beast that his words were nearly unclear.“And then I’m coming to get her.You might not want to be there when I get there, Slick.If he hurts her, I will end the Kingdom of Venom.”
“Myron and I will try to get her away from Azure.Just get your ass down here and bring that crazy-ass Alpha with you.”The snake ended the call.
Voices around Gage began asking him questions.He held up his hand, and the room, including the people still on the video call, got quiet.He punched a number on his phone.
“I’ve been waiting for your call,” Azure said without preamble.
“Nox will pay whatever you want.Katy is going to tell you I’m her mate.”Gage’s mind was working overtime, trying to figure out a way to keep his female from getting herself killed.“You and I both know it’s not true.”
“Why is she going to tell me this, and how do you know?”The Snake King’s voice was careful as he spoke.Clearly, he was unsure of where Gage stood in their so-called alliance.
“Because I’m in a video conference with Kingdom of Claws, and Katy has managed to contact her friends via cell phone.Apparently, I left an impression when we met.”Gage sounded smug and wanted to punch himself in the face, but he had to sell this.“Her best friend just mated the Lion King.She’s jealous and wants to be able to lay claim to a powerful mate.But I belong to no one.”
He heard the hissing of pissed-off females behind him, but Gage couldn’t worry about who he offended.He had to keep Azure’s attention off of the remote possibility that Katy could be his mate.
Azure chuckled.“Females do like to one-up each other.I’m sure it’s a bit of an ego blow for Katy to find herself beneath her friend on the power scale.”
Gage’s wolf wanted to bite the damn snake’s head off.Katy didn’t give a shit about power.That was obvious because she was willing to put herself on the chopping block for females she didn’t even know.“How much for her?Nox has males ready to meet her.”Gage changed the subject.
“Ten million.”
“Done,” Gage said without pause.
“Just like that?He’s not even going to threaten to out me to the Council?”
Gage laughed.Complete silence filled the line and the surrounding room.When he stopped laughing, he looked around and saw shocked looks on the faces of Nox and Link.Everly, Nox’s mate, had come into the room at some point in the conversation.She looked aghast.
“Never laugh again,” Everly said softly.“Like, ever.”
Behind her on the screen, Lola and Maddie were nodding and pointing at the Alpha female in agreement.
Gage shrugged.“Sorry,” he said into the phone.“But you just made a funny.”
“Made a funny?”Everly mouthed.“Who are you?”
“Are you quite well?”Azure sounded as confused as the KOF Alpha female looked.
“Nox has the females marked for your kingdom, fifteen so far, though not all of hisanimihave gotten their tattoos yet, so there may be more.”Gage didn’t answer the snake king.“So, you’ve got ten million dollars to work with.I’m sure you and Nox can come to an agreement on a fair amount for the exchange of the women who wish to come to New Orleans.”
