“You want me to spell it out for you?” She crossed her long legs. “Mary Anne.”
“You’re telling me Mary Anne believes I’m into Marni?” I didn’t believe it. She had to know how I felt about her.
“Yes. She does. She’s scared and confused and doesn’t know what to think.”
“A, how do you know? And B, why are you telling me?”
“I know, because I can read women, and I’m telling you because there’s more at stake than a few hurt feelings.”
“Ok. I’m listening.”
“Not so fast.” She rested her hand on my leg. “I need some answers from you first.”
“Depends on what you’re asking.” I didn’t really know this woman or how much I could trust her.
“How well do you know Mary Anne?”
“I’ve known her all my life.”
“And you’ve been intimate with her for how long?”
“How do you know we’ve been intimate?”
“It’s written all over you. Both of you. And Hunter as well. Why else would he have been so eager to eat alone with her? He doesn’t want her near you, and it’s not out of fear of you hurting her.”
“I’m doing my best to stay back.”
“It’s all an act, but that’s beside the point. Answer the question.”
“Why is it any of your business?”
“I have answers for you. That’s why.”
“I’m not sure I can trust you.” I wasn’t sure I could trust anyone anymore.
“Listen.” She leaned in. “Do you want the girl back, or not?”
“I also want us both to stay alive.”
She sighed. “Fine. You don’t want to play ball, we don’t have to.”
“I’m tired of all the bull shit.”
“Aren’t we all?” She held out her mug. “Want some?”
“I don’t need coffee.”
“It’s not coffee.”
I looked in the mug. “Scotch?”
“Yup.”
“Interesting choice of cup.”
“Interesting is a good way to describe me.”
“Let’s just say hypothetically we’d only been intimate a week.”
She laughed. “So how long have you known Hunter and his pack then?”
“A little bit less than that.”
“Gotcha.”
I wasn’t sure what she got exactly, but I didn’t care. “What did Hunter tell you?”
“Not much. But has anyone told you about his dreams yet?”
“His dreams?” I leaned back in the chair. “Do I want to know?”
“You do, because it’s the reason you are both in this situation to begin with.”
“What is it?”
“A few months ago Hunter called to tell us the time had come.”
“The time had come?”
“The time to end the hunt and for us to stop hiding.”
“That all sounds ok so far, but what does it have to do with dreams?”
She took a long sip of her scotch. “He knew the time had come because of dreams he was having. Dreams that were brought on by the magic of a witch he was dating.”
“Vanessa.” My hands balled into fists and the image of Jerry’s body flashed before my eyes. I wanted to be sick.
“I think that was her name.”
“What kind of dreams were they?”
“They were vivid dreams involving a girl who he now believes is Mary Anne. She told him she was the key to ending the hunt.”
“Uh, he thinks he was dreaming of Mary Anne before he met her?”
Jocelyn set aside her mug on a side table. “Magically enhanced dreams can be powerful.”
“Are you trying to tell me he kidnapped us because of a bunch of magical dreams?”
“Don’t make it seem trivial. He has every reason to believe in their truth.”
“What does he expect her to do?”
She picked up her mug again. “He doesn’t know. He thinks mating with her is going to suddenly tell him everything.”
“Oy.”
She laughed. “I thought you’d use a different word.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I know you want the girl for yourself, and I like her. She’s sweet in all the right ways, and she shouldn’t be tied to someone she doesn’t love. I almost was, but I fought it. The result was messy, but well worth it.”
“You think there’s a way for me to get her back? For this to work out another way?”
“If you or Mary Anne can end the hunt before they mate.”
“You can tell they aren’t mated?” Chet had given us explicit instructions to pretend they were already mated.