Page 102 of Wicked Witch of the Wolf

“Then how?”

“I called Jenny and had her look over the Smokethorn-La Paloma agreement, something I should’ve done in the first godsdamn place but was too prideful to ask. Jenny’s sharp as a tack. She found some pretty rotten things he’d built into the agreement.” Felicia smiled at her cousin, who tipped her head back. “Turns out, there are a lot of reasons to hate the alpha leader that have nothing to do with our deal.”

“Another reason we brought him here is because Felicia’s son is a nurse at La Paloma Regional.” Calvin thumbed in the direction of the young man with the short haircut. “Ronan was pretty banged up when we found him.”

I glanced at Ronan. “And he’s not banged up now?”

“I’m better. I was able to break away from the witches before they could do their worst,” he said.

“And who helped you break away? Or are you going to lie to me about that, too?” I asked without looking at him.

“Don’t accuse me of something I didn’t do. I haven’t told you a single lie.”

“Omission,” I said.

He growled and shuffled closer, keeping his shoulder against the wall. “A person helped me at great cost to themselves. I won’t broadcast the name because it could get them killed.”

It had to be Mason Hartman.

Again.

There was just no one else it could’ve been. Who else knew what Floyd and the witches had planned?

“Unbelievable. That lying liar.” I fisted my hands until my fingernails cut into my palms. “When I cash in the favors he owes me, I’m going to be sure to make thempainful.”

“I didn’t tell you who it was,” Ronan said then added, “He owes you favors? Why?”

I glared at him. Nope, we weren’t changing the subject. “So thisanonymouspersondropped you off at Calvin’s?”

“No. The person sent a man who helped me escape the witches.”

“Who?”

“No idea. Never seen him before.”

“And yet you assumed he was a friend?”

“I assumed anything had to be better than being spelled by half a coven and repeatedly stabbed.”

Gordon’s Mara blade. I felt even better about destroying the thing.

“I was able to make it to the senior apartments on my own before collapsing. Then Calvin and Jenny helped me.”

“He was bleeding all over,” Calvin said. “Almost didn’t recognize him.”

“Why didn’tyoucall me?”

Calvin looked at Ronan, who said, “I told him not to involve you.”

“Great. Wonderful. Fan-fucking-tastic idea. You’re attacked by the local coven and decide not to call yourwitchgirlfriend, who happens to be the single most qualified person in town to help you.” I threw up my hands. “What kind of spell did the coven use?”

“Didn’t catch the name, but to be fair, I was way more focused on all the bleeding I was doing.”

“Just tell me what it did.”

“The spell knocked me out, but only for a short time. Mostly it made me clumsy and stupid, like I was drunk. Even so, I should’ve been able to fight off three weak witches, but with every plunge of the blade, I grew more and more confused.” He shook his head. “I should’ve shifted, but when I tried, it was as if I’d forgotten how.”

“Mauricio was able to stop the bleeding and keep him from going into shock,” Felicia said, with a proud look at her son. “After a couple of days, Ronan was able to shift and heal the wounds.”

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