Page 46 of The Wolf and his Witch

“I think so. Isobella says she has two different colored eyes.

Annabelle nodded. “She does. Heterochromia. It’s a genetic mutation.

“Then she fits the description.”

Annabelle flicked open the grimoire on the coffee table, turning page after page. “Do you think—”

“Yes.”

Annabelle contemplated the book of spells. “That’s pretty bad news for our coven. I’ll have to inform Aunt Marjory. Maybe show her the grimoire.” She shut the book. “What are we going to do with this thing when we’ve finished with it?

“I’ve spoken to Maxime, our alpha,” said Stef. “He wants Alain to look at it. He’s a wolf witch in our pack, and he’s a newly elected member of the Council of Witches.”

Gabriel snapped his gaze to Stef. “They electedAlainto the council? After what happened last year? How the hell did that happen? Didn’t they haveanyother candidates?”

Stef held up her hands. “Don’t ask me.”

“Let’s get back to these Faucherians.” Annabelle’s gaze flicked between him and Stef. “These people have been hunting your pack since the tenth century. And they followed you here. Did they have anything to do with why you left me in Paris?”

His woman was smart.

“They were a big part of the reason. Twenty-five years ago, they attacked and killed our alpha and his mate. Stefanie and Maxime’s parents. With them at the time was their youngest daughter, Nathalie. Three years ago, a woman claiming to be her surfaced in Langeais. Everything pointed to her being who she claimed to be, but she wasn’t the first to make that claim. Then the Faucherians got involved. She didn’t know it, but they were using her as bait. If she really was Nathalie d’Louncrais, we couldn’t lose her again. I had to go.”

“Gabriel is essentially our head of security,” said Stef. “He takes his job very seriously. Perhaps a little too seriously.”

Gabriel shot Stef a look. “Thanks, Stef.”

She shrugged. “Well, you could have told Annabelle then, and we wouldn’t be here now.”

Gabriel gritted his teeth. “She wasn’t ready.”

Annabelle held out her hands. “Ready for what? To know you were a shifter?”

Gabriel sighed. “I didn’t know you were a witch. And we’re not like other shifters, Annabelle.”

“So you keep saying, but what does that mean? You’ve already told me you can’t impregnate a human. Oh.” Her face fell. “That’s it, isn’t it? You won’t mate me because I can’t provide you with pups.”

The hurt brimming in her eyes broke his heart.

“Is that what you needed to tell me?” Her voice rose an octave, and she hugged herself tight. “You say you won’t leave me, so…what? I’m to become some sort ofmistress? Well, I have news for you, Gabriel Montagne.” Now her finger was out, and she was shaking it at him, her blue eyes stormy. “I”—she poked herself in the chest—“I amno one’smistress.”

He crossed the room in quick strides. How had this all gone so wrong so fast? He gathered her in his arms despite her protests. She writhed against him, which did nothing to help his already hard cock at all.

“Annabelle, Belle, youaremy mate. And theonlywoman for me.”

She stopped struggling. “But… What about…”

He planted a kiss on the bridge of her nose. “Belle,I cannot get a human pregnant, but I also said the Langeais wolves differ from other wolves. That we aretruewerewolves.”

She stared up at him, confusion written across her face.

“My bite, my claim, will make you mine, but it will also make you one of us.”

Her eyes widened. “One of—” She searched his face. “You can turn humans into werewolves?”

He smiled down at her. “Yes, Annabelle, we can. If you’ll let me, if you consent to be my mate, I’d like very much to turn you.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

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