Page 34 of Brutal Alpha

By the time I was done with breakfast, I had eaten Xander out of half of Ensign’s rations and was raring to go. I would have preferred to shift and make the run as a wolf, but with Ethanaccompanying me, I didn’t trust myself to think clearly while she had so much control. Plus, it was probably considered rude to show up at a witch’s house stark naked.

The walk through Ensign town was the worst part. It was embarrassing to admit—even to myself—that I was glad of Ethan’s company as we made our way through the maze of long buildings. Unlike Lapine or Ferris, Ensign shifters did not live in family units in little cottages; instead, they shared sparse dormitories with shifters of the same sex, divided according to their rank and role within the Pack. I wasn’t sure how mated pairs and their families were supposed to work—I would have to ask Xander.

Ethan stuck close to me until we were out of town, fogging my mind with his scent and the quiet sound of his breathing. I was haunted by memories of the almost-kiss on the bridge, of how he’d made me his in the Argent woods. I’d begged him, debased myself, loved every minute of it, but he still refused to mark me, to claim me, to accept what was obvious.

As desperate as I was for answers, I wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up, and so we walked in silence out of town and down the path Xander had sketched out on his crude map. It took us into the woods and down a path carved only from frequent footfall until we emerged into a clearing where a sweet wooden cottage stood. Its roof was covered with moss, and the wood of its walls was tree branches and rough-hewn planks.

“Wait out here,” I told Ethan, and he made a face.

“I’m not waiting out here. What if she’s dangerous?” he said, because of course he did. I half expected him to start insisting I eat my cereal dry, just in case I drowned in the milk.

“The nice lady who helps the women of this island safely deliver their babies?” I reminded him, and he scowled.

“Maybe High Witches and Shadow Witches are mortal enemies,” he suggested, but we both knew he was clutching at straws.

“I feel like Sybil might have mentioned that, if it were true,” I pointed out.

“Fine. But if you’re not out in ten minutes, I’m coming in.”

That didn’t give me much time, but I knew the expression on his face too well to continue arguing.

“Fine,” I said. “See you in ten minutes.”

I strode across the clearing, hoping I looked more confident than I felt. With a glance to where Ethan stood watching me from the edge of the clearing, I forced myself not to hesitate before raising my knuckles to rap on the blue-painted wooden door.

“It’s open, honey.”

Inside, the cottage was as cozy as it appeared from the outside. Unlike the shifter cottages, it was all one room, with a neatly made bed in one corner, covered by a patchwork comforter, with a few other items of furniture dotted around. Everything was mismatched and handmade, the walls cluttered with drying herbs and art and hanging textiles.

The witch herself had her back to me, bent over a small stove. She was shorter than me, like most females, wearing a simple green tunic dress, belted around her thick waist.

When she turned to face me, I knew exactly why Sybil had told me not to mention Lapine. Her mahogany curls were salted with gray, and her round face was beginning to crease, but her hazel eyes were bright and warm. I felt as though I was looking at my best friend twenty years in the future.

“Don’t get many new faces around here,” said Alyssa’s mother. “What brings you to Ensign?”

I froze. I should leave. I should return to Ethan and never speak of this again. I should go straight home and tell Alyssa where her mother had been hiding out in the years since she left baby Alyssa on her father’s porch in the middle of the night.

She’d asked me a question. She was looking at me, expecting an answer. Shit.

“It’s a long story,” I said quickly, trying not to make eye contact.

“I’ve got time. Tea?” A kettle was already bubbling on the stove, with two mugs lined up next to it, as if she’d been expecting company.

“No. Thank you. Someone’s waiting for me.” Normally, I wouldn’t care how long Ethan lingered outside—in fact, the longer I made him wait, the better—but I wasn’t about to have tea and story time with the woman who had abandoned my best friend.

Eve ignored my rudeness, only nodding with a twinkle in her too-familiar hazel eyes.

“Your Alpha is outside.”

“He’s not my Alpha,” I said instinctively. Was that true? If he were my mate, but he refused to acknowledge the truth of it, could I still call him mine? Did I even want to?

“Another story there, I think,” said Eve, as though it was her business.

“I’m not here to entertain you,” I snapped. “I’m here for information on Shadow Magic.” I should probably be more polite if I wanted this woman’s help, but being here at all felt like a betrayal. I might need Eve’s help, but I wasn’t goingto be friendly with her. Fortunately, Eve either didn’t care or my question was interesting enough for her to overlook my rudeness.

“Shadow Magic?” she repeated, a little incredulous. “Well, that’s a question I’ve not been asked in a few years. What makes you so curious?”

“I think—I think I can do it.”

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