Page 58 of Strike It Witch

“Finally, a reaction,” I croaked.

“Power move walkinginto a wolf bar with blood on your head,” the wolf snarled as he wrested the Mara blade from my grip with his free hand and tossed it onto a cardboard box. “Stupid, but brave.”

I wheezed in a breath. “That’s me. Stupidly brave.”

“Lilibet Lennox. I’m Mason Hartman. Nice to meet you. You’re even prettier than I’d heard you were. Now, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Aww, you think I’m pretty?” He tightened his grip until my head felt ready to burst. “We should … totally get … a drink … sometime.”

“I’d love to, but I think my boss might have a problem with it.” The wolf squeezed my throat harder. Stars cha-cha-cha’d around the edges of my vision.

“You must be Alpha F-floyd’s new s-s-sec…”

“New s-s-sec?” Mason hissed. “What’s that you’re saying, witch?”

I coughed a few times then cleared my throat. “Alpha Floyd’s new second asshole.”

Mason laughed. He loosened his grip on my throat but didn't let go completely. “Now, why would you start off a perfectly good relationship with an insult? I thought we had something, witch.”

I coughed a couple more times, waiting to speak until my throat healed a little more. There’d been no real pain, only panic—and a lack of oxygen. The charms around my neck were doing their jobs.

“Youarechoking me.”

“I'mflirting.” He leaned close, pressed his mouth against my ear. He smelled like expensive shampoo and clean wolf. “Didn’t pick up on the subtext?”

“Nope. You need to work on your game.”

That got me another laugh. “Choking isn’t my usual style of introduction. I only did it because I don’t want you to start chanting. See, I dated a witch once, and I know what they can do.”

Girlfriend Witch must’ve kept a few things secret from him, because we didn’t all need to chant aloud to cast—in fact, I could do it in my head.

“Tell me something, witch.”

I took two gasping breaths before responding. “What?”

“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right here, right now?” His fingers stroked my throat, sending a mixed message due to the relentless pressure of his arm.

“Because you’re a moral and ethical member of society?”

“As a wolf, I have a moral and ethical duty to protect my alpha leader.”

“I’m not here to hurt Alpha Floyd,” I said, adding silently,Yet.

Mason’s arm around my throat tightened to the point of pain. “I don’t believe you.”

A low, bone-rattling growl reverberated off the walls of the storeroom.

“Release her, Hartman.”

Ronan stood in the doorway. He wore black Ray-Ban shades, a white pub T-shirt, and jeans. The shirt sleeves snugged his biceps, and the jeans hugged his thighs. Golden light spilled around the lenses of the sunglasses, accentuating the cold planes of his face.

My breath, already in short supply, whisked out of my lungs in a heated rush. Relief slackened my muscles and slowed my rapidly beating heart. I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but I’d been terrified.

Mason stilled. His grip on my neck loosened, but he didn’t let go.

“Don’t worry, third,” he said, fingertips of his non-choking hand dancing down my neck. “The witch and I are just getting to know each other better.”

“Why is she bleeding?” Ronan pushed his shades to the top of his head. His eyes, which had been bright before, now shone like a quasar in deep space. Claws slid from the tips of his fingers, and he was decidedly hairier than he’d been a moment ago.

---