Page 84 of Witch Unexpected
“And if you don’t find the traitor?” Sten asked.
“Then we keep her safe until the blood moon. It’s a week away. Once the ritual is complete, she’ll be safe.”
“Like I said,” Arne said. “She’ll be safe with us.”
Sloane handed me a brooch. “Wear this. It’s a tracker. I have the counterpart.” She patted her wrist. “I’ll get an alert if you’re under magical attack. We’ll find you.”
I took the brooch and pinned it to my top.
The Elites trooped out, leaving me alone with the two huge shifters.
“You can sleep here tonight,” Arne said. “Sten and I will watch over you in shifts.”
Sten had walked off on his phone but joined us now. “Leif is on his way.”
I looked up at his forbidding face. “And Rune?”
“Rune can’t go where you’ll be going. You’ll be leaving for the city in the morning. We have a safe house there. Not even the witches know the location. You’ll stay there until the blood moon and return for the ceremony.” He turned to Sten. “Any news on Torsten?”
Sten snorted. “Fuck him. Ulf can take his place.”
I canted my head. “But Ulf isn’t primal bloodline, is he?”
Sten clenched his jaw mulishly. “He’s alpha, and he’s Mana Pack, so it will have to do.”
Arne kept his chin tucked in as if he was holding back words. Was he pissed Sten had opted not to have sons of his own?
It didn’t matter. “I’ll go get him.”
They both looked at me sharply.
I shrugged. “I told Leif and Anna I would. He’s in the city, right? I’m headed there anyway. I’ll convince him.”
I hadn’t almost been killed three times only for the damn ritual to fail. Once I had Torsten on board, I was coming back here, and if Sloane hadn’t found the murderous traitor, then I’d make it my mission to root her out myself.
Chapter Twenty-One
Iwoke to the aroma of coffee and opened my eyes to be snared in a gunmetal blue gaze.
Leif was crouched by the sofa, a mug in his hand. “Morning, sunshine.”
He smelled like dew. His hair was windswept and slightly damp as if he’d showered then gone for a run, which made no sense but, yep, I was staring.
I sat up, stretched, then eyed the mug in his hand. “Please tell me that coffee is for me.”
He held it out, eyes smiling. “I can totally do that.”
I took it eagerly, and several quick sips later was already more awake. My senses came back online fully, leaving me acutely aware of his proximity. Shifters had this thing, this aura of power that was hard to explain because it was different for each shifter. With Leif, it was a zing across my skin, fingers at the nape of my neck, and a delicious shiver licking down my spine.
His beautiful mouth lifted in a smile, and I realized I was staring. Again.
I took a gulp of coffee.
“You hungry?” Leif asked.
“Always.”
“Sten’s making breakfast. If we hurry, we can grab some.”
