Witch's Mate (PUBLISHED - SAMPLE ONLY)

Chapter 6

Orion caught himself staring at the appealing Witch again. If Adam hadn't mentally pushed him at breakfast, he would have let her into his heart completely. That place was meant to be reserved for his Mate, but Nashira was... What was Nashira to him?

Adam distracted him again soon enough with a mental push. His task was to gain Nashira's trust and get as much information as possible about the Vampires. That way, they would hopefully be able to prevent another attack or at least know how to defend themselves better.

Orion was impressed by Nashira's composure. Every question he asked, she answered thoroughly and with great detail. In a few hours, he had gathered more information about the way Vampires lived than they had ever gathered in the history of their pack. He saw how it took a toll on her remembering all the things she wanted so badly to forget.

He couldn't begin to imagine what she must have felt being drained of her blood every day. To have no choice but to be a slave to a parasitic species that was much stronger. The only match for Vampires were Wolves and they planned on using her information wisely.

After lunch, she braced herself for another round of questions, but Orion shook his head. "I think I have enough for today. How about a walk?"

Surprised, she stared at him. "A walk?"

He heard the longing in her voice as she looked at the forest. Being locked up for five years without fresh air must have been terrible. Orion couldn't even begin to imagine it and Levi just shuddered at the thought. He didn't want her to feel trapped here in the same way.

"Yeah, let's go." He jumped up and held out his hand to Nashira. "Hiking trails are plentiful here and with me around you needn't worry about getting lost."

After a brief hesitation, she placed her hand in his. The tingle that shot through his body straight to his cock took his breath away, but he resolutely ignored it. She must be testing her magic again, and he would not fall prey to her tricks. As soon as she stood up, he withdrew his hand and pointed towards an area of trees.

"About a twenty-minute walk that way and we'll come to a beautiful plain."

Nashira shrugged her shoulders and walked in the direction he pointed. As soon as she walked into the forest, he saw her entire posture relax and she took a deep breath. In pleasant silence, they walked together. The promised twenty minutes became forty-five as he'd thought in Wolf terms and not in human terms.

Arriving at the plain, Nashira lowered herself with a sigh. "I'm really not used to anything anymore. I still can't believe I got this far. If I hadn't ended up on your land..." She didn't finish her sentence and shivered.

Orion frowned and wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he didn't trust his own body touching hers. "Well, now you are here and as long as you are with us, you are safe," he said.

Nashira nodded. "Tell me about yourself," she said suddenly. Staring at him with her beautiful eyes.

"About me?"

"Yes, I've been talking about myself and my five years in the Vampire clan all morning. Now it is your turn. Tell me about the last five years of your life."

"Ah euhm," Orion felt uncomfortable talking about himself, but he could hardly prove her wrong. She had already exposed so much of herself and it seemed unfair not to give her something in return. His Wolf growled at those thoughts, but Orion felt obliged to be honest with Nashira.

"Well five years ago my sister won a scholarship to a culinary school in France," he said. Deliberately keeping the attention on someone other than himself.

"My dad was so proud," he said with a smile. "He had always dreamed about going to France one day, but he met my mother quite young. They mated, marked each other and before they knew it my mother was expecting my sister."

"Was your father also a chef?" asked Nashira.

"Yes, he was always working in the kitchen of the pack and he taught me and my sister everything he knew. My sister went to France with already a good prior knowledge and has now opened a restaurant there with her Mate."

"That's why you can cook so well," Nashira exclaimed. "That omelette yesterday, was one of the best things I've eaten my life."

Orion chuckled. "Coming from someone who's only had bread and shakes for five years, that doesn't seem like much to me."

Nashira playfully gave him a shove. He pretended to be in pain, and laughed.

"My father always said that a cook must first learn to work with eggs. It's such a diverse product, and cheap so if you ruin it, it's no big deal."

"Can you do so much with eggs then?"

"You can boil them, bake them, poach them, make sauce from them, make a cake from them, the options are endless. My dad said you had to know a hundred ways to use eggs before we were even allowed to start on another ingredient."

Nashira looked at him incredulously. "A hundred?"

Orion nodded with a smile. "Yes, though I never got to that hundred when..." His voice and his smile died away. It hurt to think back to the day he had lost his parents.

As if Nashira could sense it, she remained silent and took hold of his hand. The tingle that went through his body surprised him. His whole body buzzed, his cock leapt up, ready for action, and his Wolf growled in lust. Confused, he shook his head and pulled his hand from Nashira's.

His body screamed with loss. Orion turned away, not noticing the surprised look Nashira cast at her own hand. He had to get himself under control. She was a guest of the pack and not just someone to pounce on.

Levi had a different opinion, though still having reservations about the Vampire scent that still hung around her. It was fading and the scent of the soap she had used that morning mixed with something earthy but sweet was pleasant enough. It was probably the hot chocolate she had drunk in the morning that gave of that sweet smell. After five years the Vampire stench was more than superficial and it would take some time before it would be entirely gone.

He shook his head and silently led her back to the packhouse. This was not the time, nor the person, to lust after now. He was waiting for his Mate and he didn't want anything to stand between them once that moment came.