Claiming His Witch Read Online Free PDF Page A

but the place might as well have been a haunted house for the anxiety rushing through my blood. I’d only just arrived, yet I felt as if I’d already failed.  
    “Looks like they got here a little earlier than planned.” Beast nodded toward the stack of firewood against the shed on the far side of the property. Easily five feet high and fifteen feet long, the pile would’ve taken Rebel hours to chop. I should’ve been there to help him—just another failure to add to my list.
    I grunted, swinging open the door and stepping out of Beast’s truck. The two men had a thing for big, burly utility vehicles. Most of the guys from our den had one or two cars available for when the weather turned too cold to ride the bikes. Trucks, SUVs, muscle cars—when the days grew short and the wind turned wicked, they’d line the curb outside the denhouse. I rode my bike until the cold forced me to put it in storage, but I didn’t own another vehicle. I couldn’t see spending the money on a car I would hate to drive when I only needed it for a few months out of the year. Besides, no matter how much money I earned, an extra vehicle seemed extravagant. My feet or paws could get me to most of the places I needed to go if I couldn’t take my bobber or hitch a ride with one of the guys from my den.
    “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in.”
    Rebel stood on the porch of the second cabin wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and his black leather jacket. He looked…tired. Not in a good way, not like he’d been banging his mate all night and hadn’t spared a single second to rest. More like something was weighing on his mind.  
    “Keep your pussy to yourself, old man.” Beast bounded up the stairs and gave Rebel a rough slap on the back. “Congrats on your mating. I look forward to meeting her.”
    A muscle in Rebel’s jaw tightened. “Yeah, I’m sure Charlotte will be out here any minute. C’mon, let’s get closer to the fire. The temperature’s dropping fast.”
    He glanced at me, eyes dark and face serious. I didn’t duck my head, but I tilted it in a sign of submission. It must have been enough for the irritated shifter because he gave me a nod before heading for the fire pit.  
    As he walked away, I asked, “Where’s Julian?”
    My question stopped Rebel in his tracks. He turned slowly, eyes burning with Alpha power as he looked my way. The weariness I’d noticed a few moments before was gone, replaced with a stoic façade the likes of which could rival even Gates.  
    “He’s with friends for the week. Charlotte and I have a lot of things to talk about, and I figured the time alone would be good.”
    I nodded, my eyes darting to the door as the woman in question walked out. Tall, blond, with killer curves and sharp eyes, she’d make any man drop to his knees and beg for a little attention. But she was also smart and had a sarcastic sense of humor. Though there was no sign of her usual bright smile today. In fact, the woman looked like someone on the way to the gallows.  
    She eyed Beast from the porch, the scent of her adrenaline meeting my nose as her fear increased. Charlotte hadn’t gotten the best introduction to wolf shifters, so I could understand her fear for the most part. But she knew me, and her mate was standing only a few feet away. Rebel would die to protect her, so there wasn’t anything to be afraid of. And yet, her human heart raced to a beat I worried would send her into some kind of attack.
    “Kitten.” Rebel held out his hand. Charlotte eyed it then looked back over at Beast before refocusing on Rebel. She was terrified; I could smell it, sense it. I just wasn’t sure why. But as she grew more frightened, and as her eyes darted from Rebel to Beast, I began to understand. Unfortunately, so did Beast.
    “I’m not as ugly on the inside as I am on the outside, conejita . You can settle down.” Beast glowered at the woman until Rebel stepped between the two. The tension rose as they