Page 26 of Witch Undecided
I gasped and pressed a hand to my chest. “Really?”
He looked up at me with his big, brown, quizzical eyes. “Is Cora making fun of Wren?”
I kissed the top of his head. “Totally.”
Mana Pack wasnothing like Vita. It was a cluster of log cabins built off-road in a gated community.
We’d taken the Rover and Wren was curled up in the back seat, fast asleep by the time we parked on a gravel drive. Four wedges of cheese on toast and a packet of jammy dodgers and he was a pot-bellied, snoring heap.
I’d counted ten cabins as we’d driven up, all one-story affairs, but this main building, the alpha house, was a two-story monolith with a deep porch and lanterns hanging from the eaves. I bet it looked gorgeous at night with the lanterns lit.
Tor killed the engine. “You ready?” He glanced across at me. “Mana is smaller than Vita, more males than females for starters, but most of the menfolk will be resting in preparation for patrols.”
“Do the men always sleep during the day?”
“No, but we’re covering a wider area tonight. They’ll need to be in top form.” He unlocked the car door. “Come on.”
I checked on Wren and then followed Tor as he got out of the car and stretched his huge body.
Yeah, the Rover was a squeeze for him.
I caught movement to my left, a couple of women hovering at the windows to one of the smaller cabins. They ducked out of view when they caught me watching.
If Tor noticed them, he didn’t let on. Instead he led me up the steps to the alpha cabin. The door swung open and Sten greeted us. He’d shorn off his long golden locks and his face looked gaunter, haunted.
“Uncle,” Tor said.
“Tor, Cora.” He smiled kindly at me. “I’m glad you’ve come to visit. Bee will show you around. Tor and I need to talk.”
A woman appeared behind Sten. She was slender with dark hair and pale gray eyes that smiled warmly at me.
Tor stepped past Sten to envelop her in a hug. “Aunt Bee, how was your trip?”
“Good.” She pulled away to look up into his face. “I’m only sorry I missed your return.”
“Bee, can you take Cora to meet the potential breeders, please,” Sten said.
Wait, what? My gaze flew to meet Tor’s. “Excuse me?”
Tor frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Sten beat him to it.
“We’d like you to choose who Tor breeds with.”
What the fuck?
