Page 99 of Witch Undecided
Her expression clouded. “It’s all right. The alpha explained you wouldn’t be visiting. But Halle has said wonderful things about you.”
Wait, what? “Rune said I couldn’t come?”
She blinked rapidly. “Well, yes. He said you were busy.”
Busy? Why would he do that? She was watching me with open curiosity now, and I needed to rein in the confusion, or I’d make Rune a liar.
I composed my features. “Iwasbusy, but I’ll be down to visit next week.”
Her face lit up. “Oh, that would be awesome. We can have lunch.” She clasped her hands together. “I have to admit, we were a little jealous when you visited Vita and Mana but not us.”
“I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you guys.”
“You can meet a few of us now, if you like?” She looked at me expectantly.
“Sure.”
I followed her into the bar and caught Sloane’s eye as I passed our table. I mouthed,Be right back.
She nodded, tracking me until I turned away and dove into the crowd with Selena. The shifter led me to a small group of dark-haired women who looked up in surprise at my approach.
I chatted with them for a while, ignoring the burn between my shoulder blades from Astrid’s laser eyes. She was beginning to get on my nerves.
I was making my excuses, eager to get back to Sloane and The Elites, when the spot at my solar plexus bloomed with heat and my nape prickled.
Leif.
I turned as he entered the bar. He was dressed casually in a long-sleeved black sweater and jeans, no coat despite the chill outside. But then he was a shifter, and they all ran a little hot. His crimson hair was tousled, silken strands kissing his cheeks and sweeping across his forehead. Our gazes locked and his face broke into a huge smile.
“Leif!” Astrid threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You made it.”
He frowned down at her and then reached up to grip her arms and tug them from around his neck, then his attention was back on me. He bridged the distance between us and wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me off my feet in a bear hug. It was my turn to wrap my arms around his neck, and I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in my throat.
“Hey, you.” I peered into his face.
He looked at me with a soft smile. “I missed you.”
“We’ve been apart for one day.”
“So youdidn’tmiss me?”
I leaned in to brush my nose with his, mouth tipping up teasingly. “Not one bit.”
“Liar.”
“Totally.”
He lowered me slowly so our bodies kissed all the way until my boots touched the floor. Desire twisted and tugged in my lower abdomen. I squashed it and grinned up at him.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.” He kept his arms around my waist, leaning back slightly, relaxed and at ease with me in his arms like we did this every day.
I arched a brow.
“Fine, so I’m checking in on the wolves too, but Rune told me you might be here tonight.”
“Leif, you didn’t need to come.” A guy joined us. A tank with no neck.
