Page 89 of Werewolves and Witches AU

There’s a long pause on the line, and then I exhale my defeat.

“What happens when we deny our wolves?”

Rolling my eyes, I affix a thigh holster for my weapon. I don’t have a concealed-carry permit for this state.

“Answer the question. I already have Mum’s number up on the screen to bring into the call.”

“They weaken and wither.” The textbook answer.

“No, before that.”

Staring at the geolocation software as it updates, I avoid Riley’s question. Milo’s now in the heart of the financial district of downtown—what is he doing? At this time of night, that area is mostly empty skyscrapers.

Fearful of the unknown, and incredibly impatient to begin closing the distance between us, my wolf pushes closer to the surface, which extends my nails to claws. Riley makes a sharp inhale down the line.

“Yeah,” she gasps. “That’s like a cramp over here. Fuck ye very much for that, by the way. But that’s exactly why I’m calling. Ye don’t recognise what this is—clearly—but my wolf does, and so do I.”

She takes another controlled breath, and I move to the doorway to lace up my boots. “Yer wolf reached out to mine because he’s hurting and yer not listening. He needs help, Ro, to protect what’s his.”

I pause with the shoelaces wrapped around my fingers.

“Come again?” I whisper.

“This Package ye’ve lost—she’s family.”

“He,” I correct, because I refuse to acknowledge the rest of what Riley just said.

“He have a name other than Package?”

“Magpie.”

“Magpie belongs to yer wolf, Ro. And yer denying him that won’t make it less true.”

“Magpie can’t…” I swallow past the lump of emotion wedged in my throat. “He can’t be my mate. He’s lived here for days, surely I’d have—”

“Is he a wolf?”

“No, a witch.”

“Then that’s why. Yer not fated mates, Ro, but yer wolf has chosen him all the same.”

“He can’t be my mate,” I repeat, the air feeling very thin.

“Why not? Perfectly possible for a wolf to choose a non-wolf mate. Don’t be one of those dickheads, yeah?”

I shake my head. “No, not that. The job I do… I can’t do it like I need to if he is.”

“Aaaand this is why I’ve been awake all fucking night. Right. Listen, because I’m saying this once and then I’ll deny all knowledge we ever had this chat.”

Despite that she can’t see me, I nod.

“Mates don’t make each other weaker, Ro, it’s the opposite. If ye’d accepted him, Magpie’d be able to ground his magic through ye.”

Memories of the fight in the coffee shop with Janus and his purple crackly hands surge to the front of my mind.

“And ye and yer lovesick wolf, ye’d become faster, stronger, and more alert—instead of moping about our family bond. And I’d be asleep.”

I finish tying my laces and stand to put on my jacket.