Mazarine's Mates

Souls & Snakes

“Sand in motherfreakin’ sandwich, watch where you are going!” I slammed on my car brakes, hard enough I felt like I had temporary whiplash. 

All to avoid hitting a car that decided to run a red light. Freakin’ tourists. How much did we want to bet that was a tourist? 

Our mountain town was currently stocked full of them because of the harvest festival. Don’t get me wrong, I was thankful for the revenue it brought our small community but did it have to bring so many bad drivers? 

It didn’t help that my entire body felt twitchy and tense with the influx of souls in the area. Threads of energy, like silk scarves, kept brushing up against me and because they were all from strangers, it made me extremely uncomfortable. It was why I had been against leaving the house in the first place today but no, Anna needed donuts. 

When my phone rang, causing me to jolt and step on the break, I muttered another creative curse word under my breath, wishing that I could just say the words out loud. But, heck, I wasn’t even able to internally say them! 

When you think of cool abilities that come with being an angel-demon hybrid or a Nephalem, if we were getting official, you never consider the negatives. Like not being able to swear. 

I physically couldn’t. Nothing came out. It was horrible. 

“Hey, I’m on my way to grab donuts,” I picked up Esmeralda’s call as it blasted through my Lincoln’s speakers. I wasn’t one for luxury items but a massive SUV with heated seats and four-wheel drive? Yeah, that was the good stuff. 

“Oh, thank the sun goddess,” She sighed happily, the sound of dishes clattering in the background. “I just had to wash all the dishes from breakfast this morning, and I need something to look forward to.” 

I smiled at that, “Anna made you do dishes? What the heck did you do to get that punishment?”

A loud feminine voice sounded behind her as she muttered a strand of curses in Spanish before redirecting her attention back to our conversation. “Tell you later, just get those damn donuts.”

“Yes mam,” I offered sarcastically as the phone line went dead. Shaking my head at her and Anna’s antics, I turned on Main street and parked in front of our favorite bakery. 

Crescent Moon Cookies. One guess on who owns the place… yep, wolf shifters! 

As I slipped from the car, I rubbed my hands together and tightened my jacket around me, wondering just how bad the winter was going to be if it was already this cold in October. Colorado wasn’t exactly known for its unusually warm weather.

Then again, that was what people loved about Briar Glen. Our small mountainside town was shaded in beautiful red, orange, and brown colors as pumpkins were laid out on cute front porches. It was as idyllic as one could find, and our autumn festival was known across the country because of all the vendors that attended. 

I eyed all the unfamiliar faces that I saw as I stepped up onto the sidewalk and let out an exhale, really wishing that Anna hadn’t sent me out of the house. She knew how I felt about being around strangers… as in I didn’t do it. 

“Mazarine.”  

Well, that was not the voice of a stranger.

No, that was the voice of a very dangerous man with an equally lethal voice, that had a deep rumbly tone to it which made my toes curl. 

“Mateo,” I approached the jaguar shifter, trying to ignore the surge of desire that always seemed to eclipse my body and made my mind fuzzy in his presence. Bad Mazarine. Stay away from the sexy shifters…

That never worked for the record. 

“What are you doing on main?” His voice was accented and low enough that I had to step slightly closer to hear him, which obviously was his intention. 

I tilted my head back as he brought up a hand to my waist in greeting, dipping down to press a kiss to my cheek. How tall was this man? He had to easily be 6’3, if not more. I inhaled his dark cologne as I tried to focus on his words and not the way his large muscular body felt pressed against mine. 

“Donuts.”

I barely got the words out but managed to say them and step back slightly to put distance between us. His green and gold eyes, surrounded by dark long lashes, seemed to flash with something predatory as he watched the action before offering me a lazy, sexy smile. I swear the man knew exactly what he did to me. 

“For the meeting later? I didn’t realize you were going.” Mateo sounded far too pleased about that, which spelled trouble for me.  

“I’m not,” I pointed out, “just bringing the donuts. I’m not pack or shadow.” Considering the meeting was an effort to bring together the local wolf and jaguar shifters under the guidance of Anna’s coven, there was no reason for me to be there. 

Even if it was in my own backyard. Literally. 

“You could be,” He offered seriously as my face flushed. “All you have to do is say the word.” 

If only it was that easy… because I was well aware of what he meant and while it sounded extremely appealing, I knew it wasn’t possible. My hands tightened in my quilted coat’s pockets as I tried to resist the urge to reach out and run a hand through his soft oil-colored hair that was styled nearly, matching his effortless relaxed style of a Henley, jeans, and boots. I swear, the man never had a hair out of place. 

It made me want to nuzzle into his chest and nip his shadowed jawline. Which would be bad. Well, good… and then very bad, because he would die. I liked him far too much for him to fall to that fate. 

Instead of asking the question I knew he wanted me to, I just offered a small smile, “I think I have enough on my plate right now.”  

Mateo’s other hand came up to my jaw as he brushed a thumb over my bottom lip causing my knees to go weak as I swallowed hard. Jumpin’ jacks, this was bad. 

A small smirk grew on his sculpted lips, “I really think you could handle more.”

Handle him. He meant I could handle him. I wasn’t positive that it was an accurate statement.   

“Mateo!” A boyish voice called out, drawing his attention. I didn’t know the kid's name standing on the sidewalk a few shops down, but he was clearly a younger member of Mateo’s shadow so he was staring at him with a level of hero worship that I found adorable. Nothing more attractive than a sexy man who was also loved by the people he led out of captivity before coming here.

You see the problem with being near him, right? 

“Tonight, I want to see you,” He stepped back and winked, before turning to walk down the sidewalk with a saunter that made him look like a dangerous jungle predator… because he was. 

Inhaling sharply, I shook my head and walked towards Crescent Moon Cookies. Now I needed donuts, it wasn’t an option, it was a requirement.