13 - You Found Your Mate?

LEON'S POV:

Bandit lurched forward in my head, causing a deep growl to erupt from my chest. “Oh, calm down. I knew Lucy when we were kids. My mom was friends with the late Luna. Sometimes Luna would let me and Lucy play when Kragen was out on business,” Tricia explained. One hand rested on her hip, and her eyebrows raised at me.

“So, you’re saying that Lucy is the Alpha's daughter?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Kragen never claimed Lucy as his own. They told the pack they took her in because the Alphas sister had died giving childbirth to Lucy and her mate couldn’t bear the loss of her but if you ask me, she looks just like the late Luna” she explained in a hushed tone. She looked around the room after she spoke as if to make sure no one heard her.

“You’re not a shifter” I responded changing the subject while eyeing her down. I still didn’t trust her and had to keep my guard up.

“You’re right, I’m not,” she said with a smile offering no explanation.

Where are you? Liam's voice rang in my head.

I could feel anticipation and irritation flood through our twin bonds. I looked around noticing that there was hardly anyone left in the ballroom.  

“Come with me” I spoke to Tricia grabbing her by the arm, ultimately giving her no choice. She didn’t seem scared or bothered by this somehow, which in turn bothered me.

Why was some non-shifter from an old pack of Lucy’s here for the mating gala?

I moved hastily down the corridor towards Seth’s office, being extra careful and aware of all scents around me since I was unsure where any of the Alphas were and Seth's office was near my fathers.

I unlocked the door and slid in with Tricia, locking it behind me. Anger flooded the bond with Liam as he looked over at Tricia.

“You found your mate?” Liam growled in our direction.

What the hell?

If he thought that she was my mate... why was he so angry? Liam stiffened as the confusion leaking from me seeped into our bond.

“Sorry,” he muttered shaking his head. Tricia giggled at the reaction which made me more confused.

“No Liam she is not my mate. Apparently, she is a friend of Lucy," My tone was a bit hard, but seriously what was his problem?

"Oh, and also... she isn’t a werewolf,” I added like it was a minor thing knowing damn well it wasn’t. Liam sniffed the air around him as he walked closer to her and looked at me like I had grown another head.

I inhaled deeply scenting her again, as a werewolf. She laughed as I looked at her puzzled. Did I imagine this conversation with her? She bowed her head and clenched her eyes tight. She no longer smelt like a werewolf.

Magic Bolten growled internally to me.

Before I could react, Liam had Tricia up against the wall by her throat. Bandits' claws were out, pressing against the sides of her neck. A faint smell of copper lingered towards me as a bead of blood slipped from the indentation of Bandit's claws sinking into her skin.

The last twenty minutes of my life happened so fast. One second, I'm chatting with this cute little she-wolf who actually wasn’t a wolf but then she was and then she wasn’t again. I blink and Liam is on the verge of killing her.

Before I know it, we’re engulfed in a bright purple, fluorescent light for a split two seconds and Liam's hand is now holding thin air. A small round ball of purple light, smaller than the size of a baseball, zipped around Liam's head.

Round and round in circles as he tried his best to grasp it in his hand.

I probably should have been helping my brother out, but I found the entire thing amusing. Bolten was running circles around in my head chasing his tail, mocking Liam. I meant to laugh internally but it came out of my mouth instead.

Liam's head snapped over to me causing him to lose his concentration and the moment he looked forward again, the ball of light barreled toward him and smacked right into his forehead causing him to fall backwards on his ass.

I burst out laughing watching as the ball of light transformed back into the little blonde-haired brown-eyed girl, who was now also laughing with me. My brother did not look impressed.

Since when did he become the serious one?  

“I figured you had to be a Fae or a Witch,” I said while taking a few steps forward and offering Liam my hand. He swatted it and rose to his feet quickly glaring at Tricia.

“How do you know that?” Liam responded by arching his eyebrow at me.

“I told you to take our magic studies seriously brother, you never know what form our enemies might arrive in. How can you protect the pack if you can’t even identify a basic Fae trick?” I retorted while gesturing my hand over to Tricia.

Tricia's smile beamed from the recognition of who she was before turning to Liam and rolling her eyes.

“Okay so she is Fae, that doesn’t mean we can trust her. For all we know she is lying about being friends with Lucy and — “Liam started ranting but Tricia pushed her hand forward palm down and flipped it back up, with her palm now facing the ceiling.

Within her small palm was a photo, another Fae trick. Her eyes were focused on Liam who was now staring down at the photo skeptically.

“It’s not fake, take it! It’s the only picture we ever took together.” Tricia explains.