Page 66 of Traitor Witch

Three immortal males get the room set up in under an hour, even with my indecisiveness. We’ve just finished when Nos tenses, falling into a vision with a slight gasp of surprise.

“He’ll be fine,” Cas reassures me after a tense second.

But the looks on their faces tell me that’s not always the case. The way one of them always keeps an eye on him makes me wonder just how bad Nos’s visions get.

I want to ask, but I don’t think they trust me enough to tell me. I can’t blame them, of course. Even for all their kindness, I’m still lying to them.

What will they do if they find out I’m a Lunar?

Chapter Seventeen

NIKLAUS

When I close my eyes I don't expect to accidentally fall into a mating dream. Despite searching for her in my sleep for almost a week, the familiar beach I created for her isn't a welcome sight tonight.

I don't want her to see me like this.

I limped home from the battle, reported my defeat to my matriarch, and collapsed on my bed without even bothering to clean up. I'm still wearing the blood of warriors who fell under my command, and I'm pretty sure there's seaweed in my hair.

I'm wearing nothing more than the white loincloth that allows me to shift to my sirenae form unhindered.

It's pure luck that my subconscious mind remembered to bring us to a dream-plane above the waves.

Hardly the way to woo a female.

But I'm going to have to work with what I've got. At least the Goddesses blessed me in more ways than one and I shiftto make sure she can't miss what I'm offering as she stands awkwardly a few feet away.

"Hello, beautiful, I'm afraid you've caught me off guard."

She brushes a lock of her long, dark hair out of her face and surveys me with wary, but appreciative eyes.

Goddess, my mate's stunning. It makes everything I've done worth it, just seeing her.

Just like Cassandra said it would.

She's more naked than I am, but I know it makes her uncomfortable, so I take a hold of the fabric of the dream and fashion her one of my tunics to cover her before she can ask.

The next stage is hiding the dirt and blood which covers me and summoning platters of seafood for her, and a soft rug, covered in a small army of plush cushions to cover the pebble shore. I choose my spot on the opposite corner of the rug from her, then settle in to wait.

I'm never quite sure how she's going to react, and it infuriates and fascinates me in equal measure.

Not for the first time, I wish she was sirenae. Everything would be so much simpler if she just understood who I was and what we were facing.

My siren isn't helping matters. He's going to try to lure her at every turn until we're mated. Even now, his influence forces a seductive hum beneath my every word. A female sirenae wouldn't be affected, but a witch...

I have to fight my instincts every second, just so she doesn't think I'm trying to manipulate her.

That's the kind of complication I can't afford. If Cassandra's to be believed, I don't have long to make her care enough about me to enter the mate challenge. After today's disaster, I only have one defeat left...

The feeling of time slipping through my fingers isabsolutely petrifying, but I keep it off my face by force of will alone.

Originally, I assumed I'd just seduce her. The first twenty-five years of my life had been filled with lessons on pleasing my future matriarch. Under the tutelage of the best instructors money could buy and with my freedom as the best motivator in the world, I stupidly assumed that winning over my mate would be simple.

But she's so much more complex than that.

"Dine with me?"

She's silent, but sits anyway, taking the food without resistance.