Page 8 of Knot Your Pucking Mate
“I just…I felt it, Chase. I can’t explain it any better than that.”
And he doesn’t need to. I know exactly what he means. If I’m being honest with myself, I knew it the second he said the words ‘palpable connection.’
I’ve felt it, too.
Reaching across the bench, I pat my packmate on the forearm in a comforting gesture as I say, “Then let’s find her.”
There’s nothing worse than losing someone you feel that kind of pull towards. I’ve already lost my shot, but I won’t let Axel lose his.
His face lights up at my words, his smile stretching across his clean-shaven face.
“Marilyn assigned us to help her, right?” Axel nods. “Have you asked her?”
“No. She scares me,” he says, laughing at himself. “I don’t want her to know that I’ve fucked it up already.”
“Right,” I say, frowning as I think through the options. “I don’t blame you. She can smell bullshit a mile away. Does she have any other connections to the team?”
“Yeah, she came in with Vae.”
“Great. I’ll call Malcolm.”
“I already sent him a message. Thought he was the safer of the pair. No reply.”
I sigh and suggest, “Katz, then.” Axel cringes but nods his agreement.
Digging my phone out of my pocket, I find my teammate's contact and hit the call button before I can think better of it. Deacon Katz is a bit of a wildcard. Quick to anger and not always the best listener. This phone call could go really well, or really poorly.
“Warner,” Katz barks as he answers on the third ring. “Where’s the fire?”
“What?” I ask, briefly thrown off by his question. Axel quirks a brow but doesn’t say anything. “Why would there be a fucking fire?”
“You never call me. Thought something big might be happening. What’s up?”
“Is Vae around? I’ve got something to ask her about the girl—”
“Mandy,” Axel cuts in. “Mandy Paige.”
Mandy?Mandy Paige? A pit forms in my stomach, a wave of nausea rolling over me. I swallow against it, trying to hide the very real visceral reaction I have to the name. It’s so familiar.Not exactly the same, but close enough that I can’t help but wonder.
I don’t have a chance to say more before Katz is bellowing down the line, “No fucking way are you talking to Vae. Why the fuck would you need to? She’s off-limits, Warner. Stay the fuck away from her.”
And with that, he hangs up.
Fuck.
“Thanks for trying, man,” Axel says, grabbing his protein water and moving back towards the living room. “I’ll just have to man up and talk to Marilyn tomorrow.”
Shuffling in behind him, I lean against the back of the couch as he flops down. My hands are shaking, but I don’t want him to see it. I just need to hear it one more time. Hear the name of the woman he’s clearly already falling for.
“What did you say her name was again?”
“Mandy Paige. She’s the author of that book series I was telling you about. With the dragons and faeries?”
“Right,” I mumble, my stomach flipping over. “I’m going to turn in. I’ve got a bit of a headache.”
Axel's phone chimes, signaling a new message, and he picks it up as he nods.
“No worries, Chase. Do you want a ride to train—oh, it’s Vae! She says, ‘If Mandy asks, you didn’t get this from me.’ And there’s her contact card.” He sits up on the couch, his eyes lighting up as he looks over at me as I’m about to enter the hall. “Thanks, Chase. You’ll have to meet her soon.”
