just do?” She made some kind of warding sign in front of her. Keith could see the magical glyph floating in the air even more sharply than he usually perceived magic.
“I deflected your magic away. It was angry and I didn’t want to deal with that on top of everything else.”
“You can sense magic?” Suzy looked shocked.
“I can see it.” Keith stood from the table and headed for the door. He’d find out where Valerie’s parents lived and stalk his prey like the cat he was. No way was she getting away from him. Not now. Not ever.
“Jeez, Keith,” his cousin swore. “Don’t go off half cocked.”
Everyone was standing around the table now, tension running high.
“Have you always been able to see magic?” Suzy’s tone was accusatory.
“Yes,” Keith bit out.
“Can you?” She shot her question at Bill.
“No. Never. It’s not a shifter thing.” Bill looked to Keith for direction.
“As far as I know, I’m the only cougar who can. It’s not something I use often.”
“Did you use it last night?”
“Not intentionally.”
“But you saw something, right?” Suzy was calming down. “What did you see?”
“Magic. Twining together.” He heard his voice go all nostalgic when he thought back on the night before. There was no controlling it.
“Sweet Mother of All. You bonded with her?” Suzy fell back into her chair, clearly stunned.
“Why shouldn’t I? She’s my mate.” The cat wanted to growl and pounce, but Keith held his other half back, under tight control.
“Your what ?” It was clear that Suzy was utterly shocked by the idea. No wonder Bill hadn’t gotten around to breaking the news to his own mate yet. “Did you tell her that? Does she know?” Suzy’s voice was a mere whisper.
“I didn’t get a chance. She ran away before we could talk.” Keith’s hurt at the thought sounded through his voice though he did his best to suppress it.
“Sweet Goddess,” Suzy breathed. “Okay.” She lowered her palms to her sides, banishing any magic build up that had gathered on her hands. “This is what we’re going to do.”
Chapter Seven
An hour later, Keith rang the doorbell at an upscale mansion in an affluent part of town. The old-world mansion was Valerie’s family home. It wasn’t as creepy as it could have been, but the guy who opened the door was right out of an old horror movie. A starched up English butler who did his best to look down his nose at Keith though he was a few inches shorter. He didn’t say anything, didn’t greet Keith in any way, just simply waited with that hoity-toity look on his face.
“I’m here to see Valerie.” Keith had no patience for dominance games.
“And you are?” The words were frosty with disdain.
I’m her mate, dammit. Keith wanted to shout the words and proclaim for all and sundry that he would not be kept separate from his mate. But these weren’t shifters. His Alpha status had little pull in this house. He’d have to tread lightly.
“Keith Redstone. Please tell her I’m here.” With that, he muscled his way past the snooty butler and into the vestibule. The butler seemed shocked. “Oh, you’re wondering why the shield didn’t keep me out?” Keith felt the need to needle the man. He’d felt the shield as he entered—the same as at Valerie’s house. “I don’t intend anyone here harm. I just need to see Valerie and I will not take no for an answer. Go tell her that, won’t you? And we can speed this process along.”
Keith made a shooing motion with his hands. The obnoxious man wasn’t so certain now. The shield had admitted him and he was clearly aware of it. So was he a mage or wasn’t he? Keith wasn’t about to enlighten the servant. Whatever he was or wasn’t was between him and his mate. And possibly her family—if they gave her any trouble about mating a shifter.
The butler still looked shaken and uncertain. “Go,” Keith shooed him again. “I’ll stay right here.” At least until
“I deflected your magic away. It was angry and I didn’t want to deal with that on top of everything else.”
“You can sense magic?” Suzy looked shocked.
“I can see it.” Keith stood from the table and headed for the door. He’d find out where Valerie’s parents lived and stalk his prey like the cat he was. No way was she getting away from him. Not now. Not ever.
“Jeez, Keith,” his cousin swore. “Don’t go off half cocked.”
Everyone was standing around the table now, tension running high.
“Have you always been able to see magic?” Suzy’s tone was accusatory.
“Yes,” Keith bit out.
“Can you?” She shot her question at Bill.
“No. Never. It’s not a shifter thing.” Bill looked to Keith for direction.
“As far as I know, I’m the only cougar who can. It’s not something I use often.”
“Did you use it last night?”
“Not intentionally.”
“But you saw something, right?” Suzy was calming down. “What did you see?”
“Magic. Twining together.” He heard his voice go all nostalgic when he thought back on the night before. There was no controlling it.
“Sweet Mother of All. You bonded with her?” Suzy fell back into her chair, clearly stunned.
“Why shouldn’t I? She’s my mate.” The cat wanted to growl and pounce, but Keith held his other half back, under tight control.
“Your what ?” It was clear that Suzy was utterly shocked by the idea. No wonder Bill hadn’t gotten around to breaking the news to his own mate yet. “Did you tell her that? Does she know?” Suzy’s voice was a mere whisper.
“I didn’t get a chance. She ran away before we could talk.” Keith’s hurt at the thought sounded through his voice though he did his best to suppress it.
“Sweet Goddess,” Suzy breathed. “Okay.” She lowered her palms to her sides, banishing any magic build up that had gathered on her hands. “This is what we’re going to do.”
Chapter Seven
An hour later, Keith rang the doorbell at an upscale mansion in an affluent part of town. The old-world mansion was Valerie’s family home. It wasn’t as creepy as it could have been, but the guy who opened the door was right out of an old horror movie. A starched up English butler who did his best to look down his nose at Keith though he was a few inches shorter. He didn’t say anything, didn’t greet Keith in any way, just simply waited with that hoity-toity look on his face.
“I’m here to see Valerie.” Keith had no patience for dominance games.
“And you are?” The words were frosty with disdain.
I’m her mate, dammit. Keith wanted to shout the words and proclaim for all and sundry that he would not be kept separate from his mate. But these weren’t shifters. His Alpha status had little pull in this house. He’d have to tread lightly.
“Keith Redstone. Please tell her I’m here.” With that, he muscled his way past the snooty butler and into the vestibule. The butler seemed shocked. “Oh, you’re wondering why the shield didn’t keep me out?” Keith felt the need to needle the man. He’d felt the shield as he entered—the same as at Valerie’s house. “I don’t intend anyone here harm. I just need to see Valerie and I will not take no for an answer. Go tell her that, won’t you? And we can speed this process along.”
Keith made a shooing motion with his hands. The obnoxious man wasn’t so certain now. The shield had admitted him and he was clearly aware of it. So was he a mage or wasn’t he? Keith wasn’t about to enlighten the servant. Whatever he was or wasn’t was between him and his mate. And possibly her family—if they gave her any trouble about mating a shifter.
The butler still looked shaken and uncertain. “Go,” Keith shooed him again. “I’ll stay right here.” At least until
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