Page 38 of Bullied Wolf Mate

“Which was why I decided to chat with you first.” Her features darkened, that supernatural beauty turning deadly. “Besides, I wanted to lay eyes on the man who stole her away from me in the first place.”

Jameson didn’t blink, didn’t show a hint of fear. “Well, you’ve done that. And now you can leave.”

“I told you I want to talk to Lorelei. You can stay in the room if you want. Then you can hear everything I have to say. But I’m not saying anything until she’s here.”

“You’re not getting anywhere near her,” I growled.

She examined her nails, not the least bit concerned. “I think it’s in everyone’s best interest if the little witch is here,” she said. “So why don’t you go collect her and bring her here instead of hiding her? Otherwise, I’ll be off and you can forget about the deal.”

“What deal?” Declan asked.

Inara smirked. “Wouldn’t you all like to know? Go fetch Lorelei, and we’ll talk about it. Otherwise, we’ll leave, and you can find out for yourself in a few hours.”

The simple way she spoke made my blood run cold. She didn’t seem the least bit concerned one way or the other. It was like she thought she was doing us a favor by being here at all.

Which made me wonder what ace she had up her sleeve. She wouldn’t be here unless it furthered whatever plan she had. Looking over at Jameson, I could tell he was thinking the same thing.

“Go get her,” Jameson told me. He turned back to Inara. “So much as think of uttering a spell or trying to lay a hand on her, and you’ll be dead in seconds.”

“So strong and serious,” Inara said flirtatiously. “I can see why she has so much faith in you.”

The statement made me pause. What was that supposed to mean? How was Inara supposed to know what Lorelei thought about Jameson in the first place?

Alarm flickered across Jameson’s face as well, but barely. He glanced over at me. “Go get her,” he repeated.

I exhaled, wanting to argue but knowing it was pointless. I turned on my heels and marched out, heading toward the office. My mind spun, trying to figure out what it might be that Inara was after and coming up blank every time. I gritted my teeth. I didn’t like being on the back foot like this.

I knocked on the door, and Will cracked it open. I could see his fingers had already lengthened to claws, ready to strike out at any threat. When he saw it was me, he opened the door wider.

“Is she gone?” he asked. Behind him in the room, Lorelei looked on anxiously.

I shook my head, looking past him to Lorelei. “She wants to talk to you,” I said. “She won’t explain what she wants unless you’re there.”

Alarm flickered across her face. “Me? Why?”

“She won’t say,” I explained.

Lorelei went quiet, but I could see the tension in her shoulders.

“It’s all right,” I promised. “I’ll be right there with you.”

She hesitated, biting her lip. Then, she straightened, nodding. “Let’s go,” she said.

The walk back to Jameson’s office felt like an eternity. Anxiety wafted off Lorelei in waves. I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but I didn’t want to give Inara any more information than she already had. So I stood next to Lorelei, hoping that would be enough reassurance for her.

Even though I could tell Lorelei was frightened, she held her head high, her features set in determination. She didn’t even pause as she pushed open the door to Jameson’s office.

Inara turned when we walked back in. “Lorelei,” she purred. “I hear congratulations are in order. A witch-shifter child? How… unusual. I’ll be curious to see how that develops.”

Lorelei stiffened, shock shooting across her features. I tried to keep my own mask up, but I could feel it slipping at the comment. How the hell did she know?

“But who is the lucky man? Which of you is Mark?” Her eyes flicked to me, and her lips curled upward. “It’s you, isn’t it? Suddenly, things make so much more sense.”

“How do you know all this?” Lorelei asked.

Inara tutted as if she were a disappointed teacher. “You, more than anyone else here, should know I have ways to figure these things.”

“That’s not an answer,” Lorelei retorted.

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