15
Sage
Fromthenon,theystarted showing up at jobs together.About two months after that arrangement became a regular thing, Sage had an appointment at Madame Celeste’s Boudoir to make sure all the wards and little magics there were in good working order.
They parked in the underground garage and walked toward the elevators together, though as soon as Carl, one of the security people, came into view, Will, who normally followed Sage, stepped in front of him and…postured unless Sage was mistaken.He’d since read the damn book, not that it had cleared up all that much.
“Hey, Sage,” Carl said.“Bringing a date?”
Carl sounded mildly annoyed.He’d flirted with Sage whenever they ran into one another, but Sage had never gone for it.
“I’m his apprentice,” Will said, pushing his shoulders out to make himself look bigger.
Sage had to lean around Will, who would not be moved even by a gentle shove.It was unlike the shy and demure person he normally was.
Carl chuckled.“Pup, you turn into a big wolf every now and then.If your balls have dropped, that is.Doesn’t mean you’re magic like Sage here.”
Will started growling, and from what Sage could see from his limited point of view from behind Will’s back, Carl was just standing there with his arms crossed, a mild sneer on his face.
“He’s a witch wolf, Carl, and yeah, he’s my apprentice.Will, back the fuck down.I’m not breaking up a growling contest between two grown werewolves.”
Before anyone had a chance to back down, Carl said, “Sage, honey, you miscounted.There’s only one fully grown wolf here.”
Sage froze, worried he’d have to get between the two of them, but Will just took a step back, pulled Sage to him—and licked his cheek without so much as a by your leave.
“The fuck?!”
Carl’s expression soured.“You lick a human once, pup, doesn’t make him yours.”
Will glared.“It’s not the first time I’ve licked him, so back off.”
“We arenotdiscussing who gets to lick me, and also, no licking in public, Will, godsdamnit.”Sage wiped at his cheek.
Just to keep things interesting, Carl growled and locked eyes with Sage.“You wouldn’t mind if I did that to you where all and sundry could see.My offer to grab a drink upstairs or elsewhere still stands.Just say the word.”
“He’s busy.”Will maneuvered Sage to the elevator.
“Yeah, um, taken, pretty much.Sorry, Carl,” Sage added, which only made Carl scowl harder.
Once the elevator doors closed, Will stopped growling, and Sage slapped Will’s forearm.“What the fuck was that?”
“Ouch!What do you mean?He wants you.I can smell it all over him, and it’s disgusting.But he can’t have you.”Will’s defiant posture and manner made a one-eighty turn, and he became the embodiment of a soufflé gone wrong.“Unless…you want to?With him?”
Sage rolled his eyes.“Sweetcakes, I’m all yours, but less growling, and a hard pass on the public licking, okay?”
Will managed to go from growling super wolf to puppy ashamed of peeing on the floor in two seconds flat.“Okay.”
He gave Sage big puppy eyes too, and sucked his bottom lip into his mouth.It was the cutest, most calculated thing.
The elevator came to a stop and spat them out on the bar floor of the Boudoir.“That’s fucking over-the-top, but you are my favorite werewolf, after all.C’mon.”
The Boudoir was classy.The carpets on the first floor, which was for socializing and meeting Celeste’s employees, were thick and bold, all reds and golds and silvers.It was early afternoon, and at a glance, Sage could see there were only few people working right now, probably with regulars who came to a specific person for a specific need they wanted sated over their lunch breaks.Unless Sage was mistaken, there was a vampire chatting with one of the sex workers who also allowed blood drinking and a human looking for something equally human.
Celeste was behind the bar, wearing a black silk T-shirt, a crimson and gold corset, and a pair of pants that simply drew the eyes to her firm, round butt.As if she’d felt Sage’s eyes on her, she turned and smiled at them under her full and carefully manicured beard.If Sage had actually been looking to grow a beard, he would have been extremely jealous of Celeste’s facial hair.
She rounded the bar and walked toward them in stilettos that always made Sage stare because he just couldn’t fathom how it was possible to walk in them.He’d checked them for magic on several occasions, but there wasn’t any.It was all Celeste.
“Sage, sweetheart.”She pulled him into a hug before kissing him on both cheeks.“And this must be the apprentice I’ve heard so much about.Will, is it?”
