Little witch

Complication

Titus P.O.V

Zander's boots thudded against the gravel as he caught up to me, his usual grin plastered across his face. He hadn't stopped teasing me since I told him about the witch. He'd even gone so far as to make some stupid comment about how I should just mark her and "get it over with." As if it was that simple.

I didn't even know her name at first. She'd shown up on our territory, alone, silent. The kind of witch who didn't look like trouble but was trouble just by being here. But she was different—she had to be if she was my mate.

"Found out a little more about your mystery girl," Zander said, pulling out a folded paper from his jacket pocket. He waved it in front of me before tossing it onto my desk earlier this morning.

"Her name's Adeline Wildes. She's been on her own since she was sixteen. Parents died in a fire that wiped out her coven."

"A fire?" I frowned, snatching the paper off the desk and skimming the information. It was basic, nothing detailed, and there was almost nothing after the fire. She had just... disappeared. No trace of her after that, as if she'd gone off the grid.

"Yup. Weird part is, nothing was reported. No investigation, no pack took credit. No records. It's like the whole thing never happened." Zander's voice lost its usual playful edge as he spoke, his brows knitting together for a moment. "She's been slipping through the cracks ever since."

"Why come here?" I muttered, leaning back in my chair. I'd been chewing on that question for days, unable to get her out of my head. She'd had no reason to come to South Carolina, not unless she was running from something—or toward something.

I needed answers, and fast. She was my mate, but the last thing I could afford was a witch causing problems in Red Moon territory.

We'd planned to go over basic border control today, but my thoughts kept circling back to her. I couldn't shake the way she'd looked at me when I walked into the diner a week ago. Like she knew, but wasn't ready to accept it. Hell, I wasn't ready to accept it either, but the pull was there. Every time I got close, it was like my body knew before I did. She was mine.

But she was also a witch.

"I still think you should just talk to her," Zander said, snapping me out of my thoughts as we walked toward the diner. "You're the Alpha. You can't just ignore this forever."

"I'm not ignoring it," I shot back. "I'm trying to figure out what the hell to do. This isn't exactly a normal situation."

Zander grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Sure, sure. All I'm saying is, if she's your mate, the wolf part of you knows what to do. It's the human part that's overthinking everything."

I shot him a glare, but he just shrugged, completely unfazed. Typical Zander. He could always find the humor in any situation, even if it involved witches and mates.

The bell above the diner door jingled as we stepped inside, the familiar scent of coffee and grease filling the air. I glanced around, scanning the room out of habit. And there she was.

Adeline.

She was working behind the counter, her copper hair pulled into a loose braid, a few strands framing her face. She looked different up close. Tired, like she'd been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders for far too long. But she was beautiful, with those freckles dotting her nose and cheeks, and her dark green eyes... I had to force myself to look away before Zander noticed.

Too late.

He elbowed me in the ribs, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Well, well. Looks like fate's doing all the hard work for you. She's right there. Go talk to her."

"I'm not here to—"

Zander cut me off, waving a hand dismissively. "We can talk about border patrol later. This is more important. You can't keep pretending she's just some random witch. She's your mate."

"I know that, Zander." My voice came out harsher than I intended, and I felt the low rumble of a growl in my chest. I didn't like the way he was pushing this, like it was some joke. This wasn't just about a mate. It was about pack business, about keeping things under control. About not screwing up.

But Zander, being Zander, didn't care.

He leaned back in the booth, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he waved Adeline over. "Hey, we could use a couple drinks when you get a chance!" he called out, his voice dripping with mock innocence.

I glared at him, but he just grinned wider, clearly enjoying every second of my discomfort. "What the hell are you doing?" I muttered under my breath.

"Helping you out," he replied, his grin not fading in the slightest. "You're welcome."

I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists under the table as I watched her approach. My wolf stirred, pacing inside me, urging me to say something, to do something. But all I could feel was this tight knot of confusion in my chest. How could she be my mate? And what the hell was I supposed to do about it?

Zander leaned back, folding his arms behind his head, as if this was all just some casual conversation. "Relax, Titus. You're gonna scare her off if you keep looking like you're about to rip someone's throat out."

I glared at him again, but before I could say anything, Adeline reached our table. Her eyes flicked between the two of us, a flicker of something in her gaze—recognition, maybe—but she kept her expression neutral.

"Can I get you something?" she asked, her voice soft but steady.

Zander looked at me expectantly, like he was waiting for me to say something, but my throat had gone dry. This wasn't how I'd planned to talk to her. Hell, I hadn't even planned to see her today.

Zander cleared his throat dramatically when I didn't answer, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Yeah, two coffees. Black." He flashed her a grin. "And maybe a little conversation, if you've got time."

Adeline nodded, her expression not giving anything away, and turned to go back behind the counter.

Zander chuckled, kicking me under the table. "You're hopeless, man. Totally whipped already."

I ignored him, my eyes glued to her as she walked away, my mind racing. This was going to be a hell of a lot more complicated than I'd thought.