I spun around to find him. For a second, I thought he’d run off, but no, there he was with both hands pressed against an oak tree, arms stiff, his head hanging low. He looked like he had the first night I met him when he’d lost control with that customer and nearly choked him to death. He’d retreated just like this, obviously trying to regain control. I knew he’d be embarrassed because Mateo didn’t like to lose control. He’d probably be humiliated by what had just happened. I wasn’t embarrassed. I was—well, hell—I was aroused. I wonder what a psychiatrist would say about that.

Well, Doc, apparently I get turned on by being pinned down and helpless, with a bloodthirsty werewolf’s hands around my throat and on my pussy without my permission. Is this normal?

I was starting to wonder if my fascination with the bad boys of comics was a healthy thing. Right now, I needed to fix whatever just happened with me and Mateo, because there was no doubt he was in some emotional pain right now.

I eased closer. When I pressed a gentle hand to his back, he flinched. I pulled away.

“Mateo.” I sucked in another breath of air, knowing he was back. If he wasn’t, I don’t think he’d be blocking me out. Alpha would have me on the ground and— Okay, not going there. Stop thinking about it. “Mateo, it’s okay.”

“No.” God, that voice. “It’s not okay.”

Holy shit. He was in serious pain.

“Yeah. It really is. I mean, we probably should’ve thought about what might happen in that haunted house.”

He didn’t answer, still stiff as ever. He rolled his head up toward the night sky. “I lost myself, Evie.”

The anguish in his voice. It cut me so deep my heart clenched.

“Not for long,” I tried to reassure him with a soft, friendly tone.

Finally, he turned to me. I winced at the agony etched in the tight lines of his face, the misery in his eyes. “We have to break this spell. I could hurt someone. I could’ve hurt you or…worse.”

He licked his lips, glancing at mine, then looked away, despair drenching his features. He wouldn’t say it, but I knew what he was worried about. And we weren’t going to ignore the ginormous elephant in the room. Like Eleven said in Stranger Things, “Friends don’t lie.”

“You think Alpha would’ve had his way with me?” I asked lightly. Yeah, he might’ve, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have resisted. And that said a whole hell of a lot about me.

He snorted and squeezed his eyes shut, spearing both hands into his hair until he gripped the back of his head.

“He wouldn’t have hurt me,” I said.

Somehow, I knew this to be true even though Mateo seemed to believe otherwise. I mean, I’m not saying I didn’t consider for a second that he gripped me a tad too hard around the throat, but when Alpha told me about his little fantasy, he didn’t mention harming me at all. I didn’t want him murdering random strangers for looking at me, mind you, but I was almost positive he wouldn’t have hurt me.

Mateo finally met my gaze, his arched brow and half-grunt full of cynicism. “He would’ve—” He cut himself off, clenching his jaw so tight I heard something pop.

“No. You’re wrong. I know it.”

“You don’t fucking know. What he wants.”

Actually, he’d been kind of explicit, but I didn’t think repeating it would help right now.

He shook his head, looking helpless and furious at the same time. “He would’ve done whatever he wanted. Without your permission. He’s a fucking animal, and he’s a part of me. God, when I think—”

My pulse pounded insanely fast. Not out of fear, but from some other emotion overwhelming me as I watched Mateo crumbling in on himself, hating himself. I stepped in front of him and took his hand gently in both of mine. This time, he didn’t flinch away.

“Hey,” I said softly. He looked at me and swallowed hard. I squeezed his hand. “We’re going to fix this. I promise.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry if I scared you. You have to know that I’d never hurt you. But Alpha?” He gulped hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I have no idea what he’d do.”

“It’s okay.” I stepped closer, gripping his shoulder and giving him a squeeze so he’d look at me and hopefully see the truth in my face. “I’m fine. We’re okay. Right?”

After several painful seconds of absorbing the agony in his eyes, I tugged him out of the shadows. He still hadn’t answered me, but he was letting me lead him, and that was good enough.

“You promised to show me some amazing bands, Mateo.”

“Yeah,” he agreed roughly, his mouth quirking on one side. “I did.”

“So stop pouting and come on.”

No, he wasn’t pouting. He had reason to be stressed out, to be afraid of what might’ve happened. But I couldn’t let him dwell on it and beat himself up anymore. That’s not what friends did.

As we headed toward the stage, I was sure of two things. One, I had to break this hex because, two, he had good reason to be afraid.

Chapter 19

~MATEO~

I was fucking chicken shit.

No argument here.

The morning after the Voodoo Festival, I texted Evie and told her we should take a break until the night of the full moon when we’d do the hex-breaking ceremony, whatever that entailed.

I hope it’s a bunch of witches dancing naked in the woods.

Shut up. You’re the reason I got into this shit-storm in the first place.

Me? What did I do?

He actually sounded completely innocent. Utterly clueless.

You scared the hell out of Evie, idiot, and I’ll never forgive you for it.

A rough snort. She wasn’t scared. I can promise you that. She was down for a wild ride. And you cockblocked us again.

I couldn’t reason with him. Ever since that night when he’d had control for those few harrowing minutes, when I’d experienced true, bone-shaking fear, I’d forbidden myself from seeing Evie. This self-imposed punishment was sheer torture. Not only had Alpha been prominent in my thoughts constantly without her nearby, but I…I missed her.

I missed her smirky smile, her smart mouth, the sway of her ponytail when she walked, her teasing games, her pretty face.

Her tight, curvy ass.

I wasn’t sure what Evie thought when I’d told her let’s just wait till the hex-breaking ceremony to see each other again. She’d texted back, worrying about me getting behind in my current commission for Sandra. But I told her a few days wouldn’t kill me.

I was such a goddamn liar.

I felt like I was dying slowly. Painfully. Every hour felt like a millennium. That’s why I was showered and dressed and pacing my apartment, trying to convince myself not to go to the Cauldron, knowing she was on shift tonight.

Why are you debating this shit? You know you’re going.

I shouldn’t.

You totally fucking should. She wants us to. She misses us.

She’s probably thanking God I gave her a reprieve for a few days.

I mean, she hadn’t texted me at all since I’d told her we needed a break.

If I remember right, you texted her, I need to stay away from you for a while.

That didn’t sound good the way he put it. I mean, I had texted that, but I’d also told her it was because I was worried about what had happened at that haunted house. She’d said she understood, then silence. Nothing. For three days. I was dying. Was she? Did she miss me?

You blew it. She’s moved on.

She can’t move on when there’s nothing to move on from. We’re just friends.

Keep telling yourself that. In the meantime, put on your fucking boots and go find her.

This had been my life for three days. I’d even avoided Missy, knowing I was slowly slipping back to the manic, nervous guy I was when I’d first met Evie. I hadn’t realized how much I truly needed her to calm the beast.

Blah, blah, blah. Yada, yada. Fuck off. Let’s go.

Fine!

I shoved on my boots, grabbed my black hoodie, and headed out. Hands in my pockets, I wove through the night crowd roaming the sidewalk. The cool weather had pushed people out of their homes and onto the streets. They wandered from one haunt to another, laughing and enjoying the company of friends. It made me lonely.

I stopped in my tracks. When had that happened? I’d never been lonely. I was a self-professed loner, a happy bachelor, and supremely contented introvert. Since when had this pang of loneliness filtered into my life?

I’ll give you one guess. Starts with an E and ends with an E.

No way.

You’re so slow. Catch up.

I didn’t want to think too hard about that. Right now, all I could think of was…

Hot as fuck, curvy witch.

Jesus. I walked faster, hoping for the love of all things holy that he’d shut the fuck up once I’d reached her. I was now moving like a man on a mission. It didn’t surprise me that two young women leaped out of my way, giving me crazy looks, as I barreled down the sidewalk. I couldn’t help it. Now that I’d given in, I had to get to her as soon as possible.

The fear that she’d had more time to think about the haunted house and all the fucked-up things Alpha had said to her had me losing my mind. I had heard every word and felt every sensation when he was in control. I can’t imagine what was going through her mind when we handled her that way. Said those things.

She liked it.

If anyone drove her away, it’s you, asshole.

That witch has been lying in bed every night, dreaming of what happened in that box. She was so primed and ready, I could smell her.

Great. Now he had me thinking of Evie touching herself in her bed, and I was hard as a hammer.

Throaty laughter echoed in my head.

I weaved past the crowd outside Ruben’s Rare Books heading to the alley entrance to The Green Light. The vampire who ran the bookstore, the dungeon behind it, and the vampire coven of New Orleans, Ruben Dubois, was a private man. Perhaps more private than me. I’d never had dealings with the vampires, but I knew their haunts. Seemed business was booming at their dungeon tonight, where humans could mingle and play with the pretty immortals. Actually, vampires were no more immortal than me, but they did live longer than most supernaturals.