Page 85 of Witch Unexpected
The smell of bacon hit me then. How had I not noticed it? Oh yeah, because I’d been too focused on Leif and how his crimson locks fell artfully to caress his chiseled face.
“Why the long hair?” The question popped out unbidden. But I wasn’t taking it back. I wanted to know. I tipped my head to the side. “I’ve noticed you all seem to have long hair.”
He arched a brow. “You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, you didn’t.” He tucked away his smile. “It’s a heritage thing. We’re descended from Fenrir, the giant wolf of Norse mythology. Our roots are Nordic, and the alpha males in our packs usually opt to keep their hair long. There are exceptions, though.”
His hair looked super soft and silky. What would it feel like sliding between my fingers?
“Do you want to touch it?” he asked as if reading my mind.
Fuck it. “Sure.”
He leaned closer, bringing the scent of the forest with him—pinecones and dew and the earth after rainfall.
I reached out and ran my hand through his hair, allowing the tresses to glide through my fingers. Yes, just as silken and soft as it looked.
His mouth flirted with a smile. “Satisfied?”
I frowned. “Only if you share your haircare secrets.”
He chuckled. “Sorry. That information is top secret.” He got to his feet. “Come on, let’s go eat. We have a long trip ahead of us.”
* * *
Breakfastwith the wolves was enough to rival a Grimswood breakfast—way too much food and all much too delicious. It was the kind of meal someone would eat too fast and realize too late that their eyes were bigger than their stomach.
Charlotte joined us toward the end of the meal but refused any food. She looked pale and dazed as she sipped her coffee, and I noted the slight tremor to her hand, but no one asked her how she was feeling.
I guess this was normal for them. This was her deterioration from being the anchor for so long. My heart went out to her but sitting here feeling bad for her wasn’t going to help anyone. I needed to bring back Torsten and get the ritual over with so she could be free of the strain of maintaining the seal.
I drained my tea and set my cup down. “We should go.”
Leif nodded from across the table. “Can we take the Land Rover, Dad?”
“Sure,” Arne said.
“Go?” Charlotte snapped out of her daze. “Where are you going?”
“To the city,” Sten said. “The safe house.”
Charlotte shook her head. “Why? Why would you leave so close to the blood moon?” Her mouth parted as if a thought had occurred to her. “You haven’t changed your mind about becoming anchor, have you?”
“No. I just—”
“She needs to be away from here,” Sten said. “There’s a traitor witch in the coven working with The Order, trying to kill her.”
Charlotte’s cup clattered against its saucer. “Oh my! Are you sure?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Arne said. “But you don’t need to worry. We’ve got this. We won’t let anything happen to her.”
Charlotte nodded slowly. “Of course.”
“Do I smell coffee?” Pen entered the kitchen and balked at the sight of me. “Cora, what are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
