Theron put his hand up to stop her. “Okay, okay. I’ll track down some gummy bears for you, if that’s what you need.”
Josie’s face went wide with a smile. “Perfect! You’re a lifesaver, Theo. A real life lifesaver, you know? Oh, but make sure they’re the soft kind. They have to be soft. Nothing in this world is worse than a rock hard gummy bear,” she insisted.
But he could think of a few things.
Theo shook his head. He was glad Josie didn’t have anything worse in her life than rock hard gummy bears. Now if she would just tell him where his mate was…
“Mirena?” he urged.
“Oh! Yes. I almost forgot. Well, she’s…” Josie looked away, puffing out her cheeks in a slow exhale.
She was stalling.
“Josie.”
“She went to the lake with Mason.”
Mason.
Theron squinted.
It took a moment for the information to set in, but when it passed his brain and landed somewhere in the pit of his stomach, he felt… ugly things. Things he hadn’t felt in ages. Things he didn’t want to ever feel again.
“She…” The single word was all he could get past his throat.
Josie nodded, looking uneasy.
He straightened to his full height, pulling his shoulders back to convey confidence. Josie didn’t need to know she’d just thrown him into a tailspin.
Mason Miller was a playboy cougar shifter. He was Hollywood around the lodge. Famous. Admired. The single females loved him, while he kept the males constantly on edge, ready to defend their claim. With movie star looks and his job as a masseuse, he was a legend among the regular guests. Ladies—and a few gents for that matter—based their vacations on whether they could book a massage with Magic-fingers Mason.
But ever since the witches arrived, the cat had been unsettled. Edgy, and desperate to make the clan stronger.
He shared a strange mental connection with an Elder from the Dirt Track Dogs wolf pack. Destiny was her name—oddly appropriate—and she served as his little psychic guide, advising him how to help the members of the clan. They’d successfully brought seven couples together with their shenanigans. Just little tweaks here and there, Mason said, but it had earned him the nickname Cupid.
During Thames’s mating with Nastia, Mason made it clear he had his eye on one of the Sorcera. But Theron assumed it was Adira, the other coven sister. The one Mason called Sunshine because she had the most light magic remaining inside her.
Theron swallowed hard, keeping his face as stony as possible.
Never did he think it was Mirena. Never did he think he would have to prove his worth while another male sought her.
How would he compete with Mason? The smooth talking, winking wonder. He had women purring on a regular basis, and now he was after the one and only female Theron would ever want.
Hell no. Fuck no.
We’ll kill him, the bear growled. Mate is mine.
Theron hated how strongly he agreed with his animal, but it was right. Mirena was his.
“Thanks,” he ground out, brushing past Josie toward the back exit.
He’d be late for work. Gash would have to cover him. Because Theo was going to find his woman, and take her somewhere safe so they could begin this mate.
Without the meddling of a charming-pants cougar.
Hollywood was going down.
Chapter Three
Mirena the Bravest stood at the top of the rocky bluff, staring down at the water that sparkled like gems in the afternoon sun.
It was very far down. Extremely far down.
She gripped the gnarled rope tightly in both hands. It was attached to a fat, ancient branch that stretched out over the lake, and as thick as a jungle vine. But still, it didn’t seem substantial enough.
She wasn’t a fan of heights. Nope, not a fan. She wouldn’t specifically say she was afraid of them, because she wasn’t afraid of anything.
Nothing. Not anymore.
But… her legs did shake like twigs in the wind. A cold sweat coated her skin. Her mouth had gone dust dry. Her body was reacting to fear, but inside she didn’t feel it. She’d done too many daring and brazen things in her life. All the fear was worked out of her long ago thanks to Father Isaac and the tutors.
“Hey!” Mason called up from the water far below. “You doing this or not?”
Mirena opened her mouth to answer, but only a small squeak came out so she just nodded.
She was doing it. She was going to swing from the rope and land in the water far below. Mason had dared her, so she had to see it through. It was her vice.
Like her sisters, and every other Sorcera, her vice was a behavior that drove her to accomplish a goal. The goal was singular to each individual. A fear to overcome, an insecurity to conquer, a physical stumble to rectify.