“Magic.”Azure winked.“The object of your affection is in that building working on the project I have for her.The building can only be seen by someone who knowsss it’s there.Otherwise, it simply doesn’t exisst in this realm to them.They could walk right across the courtyard and not even run into it.”
Slick turned to look at him.“What kind of magic is that?”
“It’s our own glamour, but magnified.Marissa, the voodoo priestess, hasss been helping me learn how to harness the magic of our people and use it in other waysss than just our own personal glamour.The wards inside the mansion are one of the smaller things she’s taught me.The building is just a glamour on a new level.”
“So you’re going to let me challenge Gage for her?”Slick didn’t seem worried that he might lose.Maybe he was delusional and thought he couldn’t possibly lose?
“Why not?Every man should be able to have the chance to choose their future.”Azure looked back at the building and again wondered why Gage hadn’t headed for New Orleans.It didn’t add up.“You know what?Come with me.”Azure nodded for Slick to follow him.“Since you’re so eager to make her your female, who better to protect her?”
“Protect her?Who does she need protection from?”
“Well, she’sss in a vulnerable state right now.So if something happened, she would need someone to help her.Not to mention, if Gage getsss a wild hair up his ass and decides to come for her, you will be here to stop him.”
Slick’s eyes lit up.He liked that idea.
As soon as they were in the courtyard, Azure lifted his hand and said the words Marissa had given to him, calling on the natural world around them to shadow them from watchful eyes.
He pushed open the silver serpent-covered door and waited for it to close before continuing forward.“None of the femalesss can see you or hear you,” he told Slick.“Marissa has them drinking a concoction she callsss Helen’s Poison.Because it makes them blind and deaf.”
“Remind me not to piss this Marissa-chick off,” Slick muttered.
“Wise decision.”Azure led Slick over to the table where Katy lay.Her head was turned away from them.The even, deep breaths as her chest rose and fell made it clear she’d fallen asleep, which was probably a good thing.She needed her strength.
“What’s wrong with her?Why is she tied down?”
“Stop,” Azure ordered when Slick started to get closer to the little wolf.“Don’t touch her.She’s tied down becaussse we didn’t know how her body would react to the magic.Her life force has been tied to that of ten other human femalesss.When the spell is complete, they will be animi that our males can take as matesss.”
“How long does it take?”
“Not completely sure.”Azure folded his arms as he looked down at Katy.“The other animi never lived past five hours.But the spell was getting close to being completed about then, so I’m going to say … six hours.”
“Others?”Slick’s head turned, his eyes wide.“There have been others, and they died?”
Azure shrugged.“They weren’t powerful enough.”
“And they were also tethered to humans?”Slick shoved his hands into the front pockets of his pants, almost as if he needed them to be restrained to keep from touching the little wolf.“How many?”
“Just one.”
“They died from one connection, and you’ve tied Katy to ten?”Slick’s voice rose as his skin began to shift to scales, the human flesh fading away.“There’s no way in hell she’s going to make it.You’ve just signed her death warrant.”
“I think you’re underestimating the little she-wolf.I think she’s going to surprise us all.She sure as hell surprised me with the fact that she is Gage’s mate.If she wasn’t a dire, Otto’s poison would have killed her.”
“WHAT?”The hair on Slick’s head disappeared and was replaced with scales.“Otto bit her?”
“Don’t look at me like it’s my fault.”Azure held up a hand.“It washeridea.Her way of proving that Gage was, in fact, her mate.I thought maybe she was just suicidal.”
Slick’s shoulders drooped, and he suddenly looked like a deflated balloon.“Even if I fight Gage and win, I might lose her.”
“We aren’t guaranteed anything in this life, Slick.You’re old enough to know that.”Azure turned and started for the door.“I’m setting you as her guard.If anything happens to her, I will hold you responsible.”
When he reached the door, Azure looked back over his shoulder.Slick stood in the same spot, his gaze focused on Katy.He’d managed to wrangle his emotions together because he looked completely human again.“Slick.”The other male turned to look at him.“Is she really worth death?”
“She’s worth my life and more,” Slick answered solemnly.
Chapter 16
Are You Always Going To Be Bossy?
