Page 27 of Bitten by Bloodmoon (Mateless Shifters #2)

She gets an eyeful, not turning away as she takes in my body. Her eyes slowly travel up my muscled legs and quickly land on my cock that is beginning to strain and grow in her direction. Her eyes never leave that spot.

I chuckle. “I don’t think you’ll be able to say you don’t enjoy riding me much longer.”

That breaks her attention, and her head snaps up to meet my gaze. “I’m not fucking you or riding your damn cock. I don’t even like you. And as you’ve said many times, I’m not your mate. So stop teasing me.”

“Then stop ogling it like you can’t decide if you’d rather ride it or wrap your lips around it.”

“Gods, you’re insufferable. Put some damn clothes on.”

“I need the backpack first.”

She tosses it to me, and I quickly don the dark jeans and crisp buttoned-down black shirt.

“I’m dressed. Let’s go before you get any second thoughts about seeing them.”

“Your damned deal wouldn’t allow me to. I’m already feeling a bit queasy just because I’m having doubts about going to the coven. I can’t imagine what I’d feel like if I said I didn’t want to go.”

“You’re safe with me. I won’t let them hurt you.”

“They’re an entire coven of witches. We are in their territory. I’m not trying to downplay your skills or anything, but you being an alpha and a vampire lord are no match for a dozen witches.”

“Well, then get ready to be impressed, love. Because I can take on an entire coven of witches if I have to. Haven’t you heard the rumors? I’m a killer.”

“You’re an asshole, is what you are.”

I chuckle. “Let’s go.” I hold out my hand to her, but she just scoffs at it. She does let me lead her through the forest into the clearing where the witches have made their home.

A dozen houses sit in a large circle. Each house is exactly the same, all facing a giant interior where they are all gathered.

There’s music and laughter and tables for eating.

Nothing about this setup screams that they’re cursed.

If you asked them, I’m not even sure they would care about the curse being broken or not, from the amount of laughter I hear here.

Everything suddenly stops as they see us intrude on their space.

“You’re not welcome here,” the oldest says, her hair mostly gray now.

Lumi stills beside me, like she’s already ready to flee. But I’m proud of her for remaining still instead of running.

“I brought an offering,” I say.

“Her?” the oldest asks.

Lumi’s heart stops beating as she waits for her answer.

“No, me.”

And then her heart leaps out of her throat. “I thought you said I was safe with you. How am I going to be safe and get home if you offer yourself to them?”

“Just watch. And trust me.”

The witch looks to the others, and they all nod. “We will accept your offering. Come forward.”

Lumi grabs my bicep, trying to stop me.

“Trust me,” I say.

She frowns with a bit of a pout that I find adorable, but she lets me go.

The witches start chanting in an ancient way. Words that neither I nor Lumi can understand, which I’m sure is making Lumi even more on edge.

“Give me your hand, Bloodmoon alpha,” she says.

I hold out my hand, and she waves her hand quickly across my palm, causing a large gash.

“Hold it out so your blood spills.”

I do as she asks, letting my blood drop into the collection bowl another witch is holding beneath my hand. When she’s satisfied with the blood she’s collected, she nods, and I pull my hand back. That should be enough for us to gain an audience with a seer.

“And, the other hand, Nightfall lord,” she says.

I hear Lumi suck in a sharp breath. I’m not sure she’s going to survive much more of this without giving herself a heart attack. She’s forgotten how easily I heal.

I hold out the other hand. She strikes across my palm, and I let my blood flow into the bowl.

“Very well. We accept your offering. You are welcome here for the next twenty-four hours. Your wounds will not begin to heal until that time is up, alpha-lord.”

I nod. “Thank you for letting us stay.”

Lumi approaches me and starts digging through her bag. To my surprise, she pulls out some bandages. “Give me your hand.”

I do, and she wraps it quickly and efficiently. Neither of us speaks in each other’s minds or comments on how comforting her touch feels against my skin.

“And the other.”

I give her that one too, and she does the same. It’s strange to be wearing bandages when a wound like this would usually heal in a matter of minutes. But I’m thankful Lumi had the foresight to pack such items.

Lumi turns her scowl to the witch who cut my skin. “We are here to speak with a seer.”

“Ah, you are the snow wolf who is destined to break the curse.”

“Yes, can we please speak with your seer?”

“That is not up to me, but the seer herself.” The older woman looks through her coven. “Juliette, would you like to speak to them?”

Lumi and I both hold our breath. This is where things will get tricky. I’m not sure if she’ll want to share her visions with us or not.

“I’ll speak with them, but I’m not guaranteeing them that I will share anything,” she says, turning. “Come with me.”

The middle-aged woman with long blonde curls that are just beginning to show some grays leads us into one of the small houses.

She heads into her dining room and motions for us to take a seat, while she heads into the kitchen.

“I don’t like that you’re still bleeding,” Lumi says in my head.

“It’s barely a scratch.”

“What can they do with your blood?”

“Use it in spells. Probably control me. Not really sure.”

“You’re not sure, and you just offered them your blood like it was nothing!”

“I had to get us this meeting. It was crucial.”

“Well, maybe next time I should offer my blood. Yours seems too important.”

“No,” I snap. “I’ll be the one offering blood.”

She narrows her eyes at me in defiance as the seer returns with a tray.

“Coffee with cream for you, Lumi.” She places Lumi’s drink of choice in front of her.

“And black tea, no milk for the alpha-lord,” she says, placing a cup in front of me that is my preferred drink.

“You can call me Nyx.”

She smiles. “I’m Juliette. And you traveled a long way to speak with me.”

“It wasn’t too bad, honestly, the ride was quite enjoyable for some,” I say.

Lumi kicks me under the table, and I muffle my pained laugh.

Juliette looks at Lumi. “You’re here to ask about the prophecy, I presume? To figure out how to break the curse?”

“Yes, what do you know?”

“That’s not how my visions work. Can I see your hand?”

Lumi takes a deep breath and then holds out her hand. The witch takes her hand and closes her eyes. Magic connects the two of them with a jolt.

I’m on high alert. Ready to slit the witch’s throat the second she hurts Lumi.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, she’s not hurting me. It feels more like a strange tickle than anything.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know she was going to do that, or I’d have prepared you. I’m right here if you need me.”

There’s a pause then. “Thank you.”

With a gasp, the witch releases Lumi. Juliette’s eyes glow a bright yellow color, and then she blinks, and they return to the muddy brown color they were before.

“You want to know who your mate is between Ambrose and Nyx?”

Lumi nods.

“Your mate is crystal clear in the vision.”

I freeze, unable to move, not sure of the answer I want. Lumi, on the other hand, is having a panic attack; it seems her heart is racing out of her chest. Honestly, neither Ambrose nor I is a good choice for a mate for her. There has to be someone better out there for her.

Juliette eyes me suspiciously, then turns her attention to Lumi. “Your mate is who you’ve known to be your mate this entire time. The one who controls your wolf. The only one you can have a future with. The one who can help you break the curse—Ambrose.”