their way with Zane.
“How long has Landa been here?”
“How do you know her?”
Zane ran a hand through his hair, wincing as his arm rose. “I was sent to find and capture her.”
Chapter Three
Margie’s eyes narrowed and Zane felt the twisting tendrils of her anger wrap around him. Even pissed off she was the best thing he’d ever seen, although that must be mating hormones talking since nothing about her was his type. She stood around six feet tall with short brown hair cropped chin length and large eyes the color of good Scotch. He wanted to drink in her scent, to drag her beneath him and prove to her he was her alpha.
Oh, wait. He couldn’t prove anything with Sid’s damn torc on. The spell weaved into the twisted silver ensured the wearer’s magic remained trapped, locked away, useless. Born an alpha, the torc reduced him to a beta. A beta with an alpha’s scent and strength and none of his powers. The only way to get the thing off his neck was through death, his or Sid’s.
And he sure as fuck wasn’t dying anytime soon.
“Well now. If that’s true, it seems you and I have a problem.”
Yeah? Ya think? “Do we?”
“I’m not giving you Landa. She’s part of my pack now. And I guard what’s mine.”
He’d like in on a little of that guarding action. “I said I was sent to find and capture her, not that I wanted to.”
“Great! Then just say no and leave her here in peace.”
He’d like nothing more than to do just that, but Sid held his sister as collateral, thereby ensuring he’d return. Prey in hand. The bastard.
“As much as I’d love to do that, I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t.”
“Well, then. We’re back to our problem.”
He shrugged and stared at her, liking the way her hair brushed her jaw, noting the muscles twitching in her legs under her jeans. Maybe she was thinking of giving him a kick in the ass with those steel-toed shit-kickers she wore.
He didn’t really blame her.
He wanted to kick himself in the ass.
“Is it true what they say about you?”
One eyebrow cocked a droll tune. “What? That I’m a hard-nosed bitch?”
“Nope. That you know a bit of magic.”
Well, didn’t that deflate the wind out of her sails. If her face got any paler, she’d pass for a ghost. Her eyes widened as they met his gaze. A flash of fear sparked and dissipated. “What makes you think I’d know anything about magic?”
Not a thing like Sid. Sid enjoyed lording his magical abilities over others. Margie seemed to hide from hers. Provided she had any. Maybe the rumors he heard were wrong.
“When I got close to London, Montana, a few people started describing how you knew some magic. The magic alpha bitch, I believe it was said.”
“Who—” Her voice squeaked and she cleared it. “Who said that?”
Zane shrugged. “Some drunk were at a bar in Billings.”
“Oh, that’s just great.” One hand ran through her hair, ruffling it. She started pacing in front of him, over to the soup mess, back to the clean floor, again to the soup. The same hand ran another stroke through her hair. “Why does Sid want Landa so badly?”
Zane heard his teeth click together, his jaw clenched so hard. He pictured his sister, Zenia, as he’d last seen her, the band Landa had worn clamped around her neck, her eyes full of pain and fear. “He’s a sick son of a bitch. He sees a female he wants and he takes her. Keeps her caged like a dog, collar and all. Somehow Landa escaped. Sid wants her back.”
“What kind of sick person are you to take a female back to those types of conditions?” Her eyes narrowed, the glare she gave him piercing like a spear.
“Unless you have magical abilities and want to help me take this thing off, I don’t have a choice.” Sticking a finger through his torc, he pulled, the metal biting into his neck. “This damn thing ensures I stay nothing more than a lackey. Until I get rid of it, I have no choice. If I don’t come back
“How long has Landa been here?”
“How do you know her?”
Zane ran a hand through his hair, wincing as his arm rose. “I was sent to find and capture her.”
Chapter Three
Margie’s eyes narrowed and Zane felt the twisting tendrils of her anger wrap around him. Even pissed off she was the best thing he’d ever seen, although that must be mating hormones talking since nothing about her was his type. She stood around six feet tall with short brown hair cropped chin length and large eyes the color of good Scotch. He wanted to drink in her scent, to drag her beneath him and prove to her he was her alpha.
Oh, wait. He couldn’t prove anything with Sid’s damn torc on. The spell weaved into the twisted silver ensured the wearer’s magic remained trapped, locked away, useless. Born an alpha, the torc reduced him to a beta. A beta with an alpha’s scent and strength and none of his powers. The only way to get the thing off his neck was through death, his or Sid’s.
And he sure as fuck wasn’t dying anytime soon.
“Well now. If that’s true, it seems you and I have a problem.”
Yeah? Ya think? “Do we?”
“I’m not giving you Landa. She’s part of my pack now. And I guard what’s mine.”
He’d like in on a little of that guarding action. “I said I was sent to find and capture her, not that I wanted to.”
“Great! Then just say no and leave her here in peace.”
He’d like nothing more than to do just that, but Sid held his sister as collateral, thereby ensuring he’d return. Prey in hand. The bastard.
“As much as I’d love to do that, I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t.”
“Well, then. We’re back to our problem.”
He shrugged and stared at her, liking the way her hair brushed her jaw, noting the muscles twitching in her legs under her jeans. Maybe she was thinking of giving him a kick in the ass with those steel-toed shit-kickers she wore.
He didn’t really blame her.
He wanted to kick himself in the ass.
“Is it true what they say about you?”
One eyebrow cocked a droll tune. “What? That I’m a hard-nosed bitch?”
“Nope. That you know a bit of magic.”
Well, didn’t that deflate the wind out of her sails. If her face got any paler, she’d pass for a ghost. Her eyes widened as they met his gaze. A flash of fear sparked and dissipated. “What makes you think I’d know anything about magic?”
Not a thing like Sid. Sid enjoyed lording his magical abilities over others. Margie seemed to hide from hers. Provided she had any. Maybe the rumors he heard were wrong.
“When I got close to London, Montana, a few people started describing how you knew some magic. The magic alpha bitch, I believe it was said.”
“Who—” Her voice squeaked and she cleared it. “Who said that?”
Zane shrugged. “Some drunk were at a bar in Billings.”
“Oh, that’s just great.” One hand ran through her hair, ruffling it. She started pacing in front of him, over to the soup mess, back to the clean floor, again to the soup. The same hand ran another stroke through her hair. “Why does Sid want Landa so badly?”
Zane heard his teeth click together, his jaw clenched so hard. He pictured his sister, Zenia, as he’d last seen her, the band Landa had worn clamped around her neck, her eyes full of pain and fear. “He’s a sick son of a bitch. He sees a female he wants and he takes her. Keeps her caged like a dog, collar and all. Somehow Landa escaped. Sid wants her back.”
“What kind of sick person are you to take a female back to those types of conditions?” Her eyes narrowed, the glare she gave him piercing like a spear.
“Unless you have magical abilities and want to help me take this thing off, I don’t have a choice.” Sticking a finger through his torc, he pulled, the metal biting into his neck. “This damn thing ensures I stay nothing more than a lackey. Until I get rid of it, I have no choice. If I don’t come back
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