Page 69 of Wicked Witch of the Wolf

She reminded me of Ronan.

“Hello, Betty. I’m Lydia. The cat opened the door, but I didn’t want to enter without your express permission.” She gave me what I took to be a genuine smile.

“Please, come in.” I came forward, escorting her inside.

Kale and Denzel remained outside on either side of the door. Someone must’ve told them they were to guard their alpha, and they were taking that duty seriously.

“Will you be comfortable if I close the door? The guys are welcome to come inside.”

She shook her head, her hair flowing over her shoulders. “That’s not necessary. I was told by trusted sources that I could expect to be treated fairly by you.”

“I give you my word that you will be,” I said.

She shut the door, and I escorted her into the kitchen. The radio was still on and “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” by Vicki Lawrence was halfway over. It was my favorite version of the song, but the part about small town corruption hit too close to home for comfort. I turned down the volume.

“Please have a seat, Alpha Vincent. May I offer you coffee? Tea?” I’d gotten used to having visitors in the kitchen when I had the Airstream because there’d been nowhere else for them to sit except my bed. Now, it felt like the right room in which to congregate. It was warm from the oven and filled with good scents.

“Coffee would be nice, thanks.” She took the chair closest to the door. “And it’s Lydia. Alpha Lydia if you can’t stop yourself from using my title.” Her smile was easy. Kind.

“Got it.” I poured her a cup and set cream and sugar on the table. Poured myself a cup of peppermint tea.

“Is the omega here?” She looked around.

“Yes.” I peered around the room, finally spotting the white rat on the mantel again. “Maya’s been through a lot in a short amount of time. Maybe we should have a cup of coffee and some cookies and let her come out on her own. When she’s ready.”

I said it so calmly, when all I wanted to do was grab Maya, hand her to the rat alpha, and demand any information she had on my missing people.

But that would make me no better, and maybe even worse, than Desmond Mace. So I gritted my teeth and waited for her to work up the courage to come into the room on her own.

Lydia took off her sunglasses and set them on the table. Her eyes were a soft green. “My apologies if I was too direct. It’s my way, I’m afraid. I’ve never been a fan of beating around the bush.” She nodded at the plate of cookies. “Someone told you I like strawberries.”

“Yes.”

“Smart of you to use the information. I appreciate smart people. May I?”

“Please do. Otherwise, my partners and I’ll eat them all.”

Fennel hopped onto the chair to the right of the alpha. She stared at him, not rudely, but longer than comfortable. I had no idea what was happening. Fennel could handle himself in an attack, but I didn’t want him to have to.

I really, really needed this to go well.

“You’re not a shifter. Familiar?” She casually grabbed one of the tiny cookies and popped it into her mouth.

“No,” I said. “He’s one of my partners. This is Fennel.”

“Nice to meet you, Fennel.” She didn’t try to pet him, which I’m sure he appreciated. He was funny about who he allowed to touch him. “As I mentioned, I have two cats at home—one black, one white. They’re more like my deadbeat roommates than my partners.” She grinned. “I love Salt and Pepa ridiculously, though.”

Dang it, she was so likable it was distracting. I was going to have to press her for information, and I might not be able to be nice about it, which sucked.

“Alpha Lydia, I did invite you here, at your request, to meet Maya. But I had another reason, too. I need information. Desperately.”

I gave her the highlights—lowlights?—of the situation in which I found myself. I played up the missing friends angle, though from her expression, she wasn’t buying it.

“You aren’t friends with Margaux Ramirez,” she said when I was finished. “The other witch, Bronwyn Jonas, yes, and you’re sleeping with the third alpha, but I don’t understand why you’d want to find the coven mother.”

“Ex-coven mother,” I said, brushing over everything else. It was hardly the time to clarify my relationship with Ronan, plus, Ihadactually slept with him once. Nothing had happened except sleep, but still. “And yes, I did hate Margaux. To be honest, I still don’t hundred percent trust her, but I believe she’s trying to do the rightthing now, which puts us on the same side. Enemy of my enemy and all that.”

The alpha ate four more cookies, and I topped off her coffee. She said nothing for a few moments, merely looked from Fennel to me and into the living room, chewed and sipped. Finally, she spoke. “I’ll want a favor.”

---