Page 24 of Alice and Her Shifters (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 2)

“You’re not in charge of me,” she snapped. “And if you want me to feel bad for what I did, then you are shit out of luck. I don’t. I am glad I jumped in when I did, and I would do it the same way if we had to do it all over again.”

“You have no idea the level of hell you just brought down on yourself,” I snapped. “The sheer enormity of the trouble you brought yourself.”

“I handled myself pretty well, I think,” she said. “Especially considering this is all new.”

I laughed sarcastically. The sound bellowed into the night, echoing through the trees. “That’s hilarious. I didn’t realize you had such a fantastic sense of humor.”

“Not funny,” she said.

“I beg to differ,” I retorted as I continued my pacing.

“Whatever,” she said. “How are you anyway?”

I looked up, confused by her question, and realized she was asking Calvin. I had the sudden urge to snap his neck and remove him from the equation, but I still needed him.

“I’m fine, thank you,” he said. “Just a bump and a scratch. It will heal by tomorrow.”

“Seriously?” she asked, sounding surprised. “That quickly?”

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Calvin said.

I shook my head and huffed out a heavy sigh. “Unbelievable. You wouldn’t have even known about him getting a small scratch if you had kept your ass in the house.”

I faced Aidan. “And you…”

I wanted so badly to knock him into the next century. Obliviate him from existence. But damn it all, I also still needed him to complete this job.

He glared at me. I could almost see the dare in his eyes for me to do what I so desperately needed to. He was insane, but there were times, especially since Alice joined us, where I could have sworn he knew more about what was going on than any of us realized.

I groaned. “You should have kept her busy enough for Calvin and me to have finished our business here.”

Aidan laughed.

“I beg your pardon?” Alice said. “That is not only none of your business, but it is certainly not your concern.”

Calvin growled.

“Oh, did I touch a nerve?” I asked Calvin.

“Watch your tongue,” he warned. “You’re about to cross a line.”

I rolled my eyes and faced Alice again. “You will train because your life now depends on it. Camelia won’t fight fair. She will discover and exploit all of your weaknesses and end up taking the power you carry for herself. One way or another, she will take that amulet of yours.”

“I thought no one can touch this but me,” she said. “Or was that just another lie? A trick to get me to do your bidding, whatever that is?”

I smirked. “Her general left here alive, again, thanks to you. He will report back what he saw, and Camelia will rip this world to pieces to find you. Is that something you are prepared for?”

“Tell me the truth,” she demanded. “What do you need me for? And I mean the real truth, not some half-baked version of whatever story you think I’ll buy.”

“First train,” I said. “Then answers.”

“No! I’m done being dragged along with no answers! If you want me to help, you need to give me details. Tell me what is going on,” she said. “Now. Or I leave and you three can figure this mess out on your own.”

I glared at her, matching the intensity and depth of the contempt she held for me. A spark of arousal ignited within my core. She was hot when she was angry. I wondered if she was this fierce in bed. But I couldn’t allow myself to get carried away by fantasy.

We were in a standoff. Neither one of us was going to break first. I certainly wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of looking away. I appreciated that she seemed to have the same stance and refused to so much as blink.

I might have met my match with this one. That thought made me even more excited.

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