But now Rye is squeezing my shoulder “Congrats, Jasey-boy. You better seal this deal soon. She shouldn’t have that look on her face.”
“Don’t I know it. Would’ve been done by now if not for your in-laws. Might need your woman to undo shit Danica did.”
Rye frowns. He doesn’t know.
Grey gets to me with wide eyes and hugs me. “Shit, bro. You’re not just in the doghouse with my sister…you’re in the fuckin’ outhouse.”
Yep. Gotta dig myself out and things will certainly stink living with these urges the next seventy-two hours.
***
We’re all in the sunroom addition on the back of the house. It’s a big room full of flowers, an herb and vegetable garden, and a dining area. Me, Rye, and Grey helped Graydon build this five years back. We’re all sitting around the big table waiting on Carrie who requested we hang tight while she gets some refreshments together. All of us except Joel and Linc, who are hovering by the door.
I’m just about coming out of my skin sitting here between my anger, the unmated alphas, not to mention this witch who has stopped me from claiming my mate.
Finally, Carrie and Graydon come in with trays of bottled waters, beer, as well as soft drinks.
Linc and Joel are as far from Bailey as they can be while still being present, but it’s not fucking far enough. I’m between them and her and still, it’s like my skin is nearly crawling and my pulse is way too high.
“Quite an audience here,” Bailey mutters to Erica. “Is this necessary?”
Grey speaks up. “Council’s here because there’s stuff we have to talk to Jase about. The coven is here because they’re helpin’ with the Cicely and Jared issue as well as the issue with Mom and Dad. We’re moving on from here back to Rye’s house so the girls can do some research, but they wanted to come check on you first and said Danica has something to say to all of us, including Jase, about the new Bailey and Jase situation. So, here we are. Wanna start, Dani?”
I speak up. “I’d like to get this over with. Having unmated alphas in the same space as my mate is not on. But I’ve got shit to say soI’llgo first.”
All eyes are on me, except the one set of eyes I want on me. Bailey’s.
“I fucked up. I wasn’t real nice to Bailey the last little while.”
Bailey scoffs, still not looking at me, but I only have eyes for her right now.
I continue. “I was not happy when you showed in Rome and even less happy when, directly after figuring out you’re meant to be mine, we get knocked unconscious by something only to wake up restrained and locked in that basement. And now I feel like you’ve been stolen from me. Because of you.” I point at Danica and wait for her reaction.
“Or… because of you,” she offers an alternative that’s absolute bullshit.
And this pisses me off even more.
“Explain,” Grey requests, eyes on me.
“Danica put a spell on me, warning me not to touch Bailey for three fucking days. I tried and felt like I was being fried, thrown back.”
“Dani…” Rye says with disapproval.
Danica gives him a dead-serious and unflinching look.
I keep going. “Not only was I shocked to suddenly find out Bailey’s mine, but I was given shit that made me sick, weakened me, and it stopped me from shifting.”
“Oh my goodness,” Carrie Blackwood mutters.
“The Starling witch got rough with Bailey and I lost my shit, got myself out of the restraints but she hit me with something that knocked me out. I wake up and Bailey’s gone, only to be dragged back in crying and disheveled in the clutches of the witch’s henchman and I can’t do a thing about it because suddenly I’m in that same bubble thing Wyatt Meadows was in. Because Bailey fed me that potion while I was knocked out. All this happened because you…” I point to Erica, “and you,” I point to Vivica “pulled some witchy bullshit game to get Bailey to follow me in the first place. Then you…” I point to Danica… “know the rest, don’t you? You and Erica swapped the artifacts, pissing off the Starling witch. You dropped Bailey off to me, playing some little matchmaking game because you guys obviously knew I was about to figure out who Bailey is to me. Meanwhile, I’m being insensitive because I’m waiting to find out who my mate is and can’t figure out why my best friend’s little sister has followed me to Italy. She’s pissed because I’m pissed and finally, whenDanica can get me out of the fuckin’ trap, does she do that and let me make things right with Bay? Let me settle my blood, my wolf? No… she keeps me locked in that fuckin’ bubble for a whole extra day coming outta my goddamn skin so Bailey gets a head start away from me.”
“Fuck,” Mase mutters.
All of these guys look pissed on my behalf.
I finish with, “And puts a spell on me so I can’t lay a hand on Bailey for seventy-two hours. I do not fucking deserve this shit.”
Bailey’s father looks livid. “Fuck,” he mutters to Carrie, “And you wonder why I don’t want the Youngs in my house?”