Claiming His Witch by Ellis Leigh Page B

out the window, her face growing dark. “Don’t listen to Scarlett. She’s cranky and being a brat. We’re okay, but some things have come up so we’re probably going to hang here for a bit.”
    I raised an eyebrow and mouthed the word probably as she turned my way. She raised one right back and nodded, still talking on the phone.  
    “So Sarah’s okay? Yeah, no. Don’t wake her if she’s sleeping. I’m fine; Scar’s fine. There’s no need to worry about us. We’re safe here.”
    Her second eyebrow rose to match the first, as if looking for my agreement. I nodded, not sure what she would be worried about, but knowing, whatever it was, I’d take care of it. My mate would be safe with me no matter what.  
    The instinct to protect what was mine was a strong one, and something I wasn’t completely prepared for. I’d seen it with Rebel and Gates, but this was different. It felt stronger than what I expected. Protecting this woman had instantly become the only thing in the world that held any importance to me, and that feeling scared the shit out of me.  
    I’d failed once when someone had been put in my care. I’d die if I failed again.
    “I know.” My mate sighed and sat down on the corner of the bed, still holding the phone to her ear. “Just get some sleep. We’ll be home when we can. We can start again in the morning. Yeah, love you too.”  
    My lips rose, baring my teeth in an almost unconscious show of irritation. I hated that she was telling someone else she loved them when I couldn’t even reach out to hold her hand without second-guessing myself. But when I saw the way she was clutching my phone to her chest with her head bowed, I had to brush off my petty selfishness. This girl was in pain about something.  
    “Is everything okay?”
    Her head whipped up at my voice, as if she’d forgotten I was in the room. “Yeah, it’s just…”  
    I waited as she seemed to fight back some kind of strong emotion, looking both lost and angry. Her expressions made me want to comfort her and fight for her, though I had no idea which was needed. The inability to jump in and help her fix whatever was bothering her drove me mad. Just one more thing I couldn’t get right, it seemed.
    As she sat and stared at nothing, a warm draft blew through the cabin. Humidity. It was becoming extremely humid in the little cabin, making the hairs on my arms stand up as the window fogged over.  
    “Uh, are you doing that?” I nodded my head in the direction of the steamy windowpane when she looked up. She stared at me for a moment, as if unsure who I was or what I was talking about, but then she followed my gaze. Her mouth turned down into a frown when she saw the now opaque glass.
    “Sorry.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “It’s been a really weird night.”
    “Yeah.” I leaned over my thighs and ran a hand over my face. “I can’t imagine I’m helping much in the weird department.”
    She smiled, tilting her head to the side a little. “You’re the most interesting thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”
    My eyes met hers, a smile growing on my face. “Yeah?”
    She stood and strolled over, not stopping until she was standing between my thighs, her breasts at my eye level.  
    “Totally. And I’m a witch…interesting things happen to me all the time.”
    I wrapped my arms around her, loving how perfect she felt in my hold. As if made for me. As if her body pressed against mine was exactly where she should be. And deep down, I truly believed it was.
    “So you really are a…witch.” I hadn’t meant to stumble over the last word, but it was hard to imagine true witches with powers and shit just running around the dunes of Lake Michigan. I wanted to kick myself for being so-not-smooth as her smile fell.  
    “Yes,” she deadpanned. “And you’re really a man who can morph into an overgrown dog.”
    “Wolf.”
    She shrugged. “Same difference.”
    I stood, towering over her,