Into the Woods Again

DELILAH

Cole left me alone after my second bite of food, retreating back into the house.

After I was finished with my plate, I quietly went in and washed it before a she-wolf came up and took it from me with a very sour look on her face.

Keeping my gaze lowered, I gave her a small nod of thanks before I exited the kitchen to search for Seth.

Any time I met someone’s eyes or tried to engage them in conversation, I could tell just by their body language that I was disliked.

Our kinds did not mix.

Seth, on the other hand, did I want to face him again? Not particularly.

Be alone with him again? That was even a larger question, and even more confusing. Yes, and no.

Regardless, I had a job to do. Even if it was unpleasant.

I found Seth out front with four younger male wolves.

He was giving them some sort of instruction, so I waited on the porch patiently until he was finished talking to them, gazing out into the woods.

As I looked around, I noted how nice the house looked—and how it was almost closer to a large compound, with clusters of homes around it, than an actual home.

We were on private land, way off the main roads. At least that’s what I’d gathered from the drive yesterday.

Remote location—perfect place to hide a pack. It always made me wonder how they did it in bigger cities back east.

Witches there had a hard enough time finding sacred spaces that weren’t dangerous.

Most of the ones that still existed were on lay lines, where Fae magic was rampant and the veil between worlds was thin.

Their magic was not like that found on earth—theirs was untamed and wild.

Anywhere else was too constricted and well-tended to hold much magic, unless someone put a lot of love into maintaining it.

Fae magic, on the other hand, was powerful. But you never knew if it would help or hinder whatever it was you were doing or if it would have a completely unexpected result.

At least for anything born on earth.

“Enjoying staring at my brother?” Cole whispered, coming up behind me. I jumped slightly as his hand went around my stomach, pulling me back against him tightly.

~Stay calm~, I mentally told myself.

Getting aroused around both of them at the same time could cause a fight.

“I’m actually just waiting for him to finish so we can start our trek in the woods,” I replied innocently, keeping my voice steady.

“Mmm, is that so?” he said, skimming the top of my head with his lips. “You were so aroused this morning when I first found you, it makes me wonder if you can’t wait to hop on and ride him in the woods.”

His fingers dug into my side slightly as his hips flexed against mine, grinding against me, as if he wished I would press back against him.

Or that he wanted me first. So he had smelled it…

And in his eyes, I was an object.

That thought alone chilled me to the bone, making me slowly pluck his fingers off me like a dead rat.

“Contrary to what you both seem to want to believe, I am here to do my job. If I get your engines going, all the better.”

“I’m not an object to be had by either of you though. Your mates are out there, and by sundown tomorrow you’ll be drawn to her, and her alone.”

“Or…” I stepped out of his arms and gave him a look with a small smile on my lips. “Him, if that’s what you truly desire, deep down.”

The growl that vibrated from him was loud enough that Seth looked up from his instruction as I walked away from Cole without a second glance.

Though Seth hadn’t heard what I said, he seemed slightly amused by how angry his brother was.

I’d put him in his place later, but I now realized I’d been mistaken in thinking Seth was the soft one.

Externally, he may look more like the pushover, but Cole was certainly the soft one.

I could tell by how concerned he was for my safety, as much as how badly he wanted me.

But then again maybe it was a ploy.

Was this how they played the game between them? Good Cop and Bad Cop, so you’d fall for one or the other?

Who knew? Definitely not me. I didn’t know them well enough to find out, nor would I be around long enough.

“We need to enter the woods,” I said to Seth. “I’m certain your brother can take over your duties for a while.”

I turned and sure enough, Cole was right behind me, brooding.

“Make sure everything is situated by two or three in the afternoon and there’s a plain meal of fresh bread and cheese for the three of us. Nothing else before we go back in.”

Cole furrowed his brows, and even Seth looked confused.

“We?” Seth asked, trying to clarify.

I blinked at them. “Both of you. We are finding a space for both of you, so I will need both your energies together to find a perfect spot.

“Then,” I continued, “I will begin to prepare it, and only you two will be able to bring me items until the actual ceremony.

“We want to disrupt the ritual area as little as possible with as few hands. We don’t want too many different energies going in and out.”

They both looked at me, puzzled, but Cole was the first to shrug. “All right, I will be sure all the arrangements are made until sundown.”

I paused and shook my head. “Morning at least just in case. Sometimes only the moonlight will tell us where to go. When all other paths fail, the Goddess will guide me in the dark.”

I didn’t let them think it over; it wasn’t something I’d expect anyone on the outside of my kind to understand. Except maybe a hedge witch.

Some of them were very perceptive, even if true magic did not flow in their veins, and they could still do powerful things, just in a different way.

“Come,” I said curtly to Seth, slipping off my shoes to walk directly to the woods.

I could see him scowl at being ordered around. That just may be the way I’d have to handle him though.

I could not jeopardize this spell just because he wanted to have sex. No matter how attractive he was.

Or how wet he made me.