Page 11 of Bad Witch

“He tried to make her feel bad because she’s curvy,” Willow said.

I scowled. I still didn’t get it. “Why?” It came out more growl than anything else.

“He obviously prefers thinner females and made sure she knew it.” Willow looked pissed. “He’s an asshole, and Mags let him have it.”

“Tempest’s beautiful,” Brick said, and the pup looked as confused as I felt. “Why wouldn’t he want to be with a female like Temp? I’d jump at the chance to spend time with her, maybe I’ll go see her and⁠—”

“Nope,” I growled. “You won’t go anywhere near her, pup.”

“Not even if I⁠—”

“No,” I growled again.

Brick shut up, but he didn’t look happy. Tough shit.

My brothers were right, though. Hounds didn’t think that way. We liked all females. Yeah, we had types, but curves or no curves, they were all beautiful in their own way.

What I wanted to do was tear out of here, find Raiden, and make that fucker sorry he opened his mouth, then go find Tempest and make sure she knew just how gorgeous she was. Instead, I forced myself to stay where I was. My head was so messed up about her; I didn’t trust what I was feeling. She’s not yours. Fucking up some other male because he hurt her feelings isn’t your job. I really wanted to, though. “You got anything more on these weapons?” I said to Wills, changing the subject back to why I was here. If we kept talking about Raiden and Tempest, there’d be no stopping me from hunting the prick down. “Any idea where to start?”

“I have some books for you. I’ll drop them off at your quarters once I get Violet down for her nap.”

“I’ll leave the door unlocked,” I said, because who was I kidding? I couldn’t just sit here on my hands. I’d promised Wills I wouldn’t go beat the shit out of Raiden just yet, but I at least needed to know Temp had gotten home safe. I wouldn’t be able to rest until I did. “I need to head back out for a bit.”

“Okay,” she said, and her eyes narrowed. Was she onto me? “You have any questions, just let me know,” she said, instead of calling me out.

“Will do.” Then headed back out to find Temp. Hopefully, home, and tucked up safe and sound in her bed.

What the fuck was she up to?

I’d gone to her place, but her scent had been old, at least eight hours. She hadn’t been home since she left for work that morning. Her apartment was, well, weird. There were two doors behind All the Herbs. The single-story building was not very big, and the store was only open a couple times a week, or it had been before the virus. I’d gone inside while it was open, and I couldn’t work out where Tempest’s apartment could be. Unless the door led to a hall and took her into the building beside it.

Taking out my phone, I hit her number and got her voicemail, asking me to leave a message. I’d called four times, and every time I got the same. An uneasy feeling gripped me. I needed to know where she was. The easiest way to track her would be with an item of hers, but I didn’t have anything. I got back on my bike. My only option was to follow her bus route and figure out where she got off.

I rode to the next stop, then the next, checking for her scent. At the fifth stop, I finally caught it. She’d traveled on foot, gone to several stores, one was a grocery store, another sold toys. Then she’d gotten back on the bus, hit a fucking car yard, then left again on foot.

I parked my bike and, ignoring the stabbing pain in my leg, jogged along the street…until I finally caught up with her. I stood back, watching from a distance as she walked up to a house on a normal, suburban street.

What are you doing here, Temp? I scented the air. She’d plastered a wide smile on her face as she approached the door, but from experience I knew she used that smile to hide behind.

She knocked on the door, and it opened a few seconds later. A rough-looking male stood there, a witch by his scent. She held up a couple bags. The male looked down at her, a weird expression on his face that I did not fucking like. She said something, holding up the bags again. Finally, he stepped back and let her in, closing the door behind them.

The male had given me a bad vibe. The beast rumbled in my throat and wasn’t stopping.

Pacing, I listened hard, constantly scenting the air. Would Tempest be pissed if I walked in there? Maybe, but what if she was in trouble?

What kind of trouble could she possibly be in?

I was overthinking this. She was fine.

But what if she wasn’t.

Fuck this. I started for the door, but before I could reach it, someone shouted. Bursting into action, I sprinted up the path as fast as I could, ignoring the pain jolting through my leg, and slammed my shoulder into the door, busting it in.

Adrenaline pumped through me as I spun, searching the room. Nothing. No sign of Tempest or the male who’d let her in the house. “Tempest!” I stormed down the hall, following her scent, then stopped at the bathroom door. Her scent was strong here, then it just…disappeared.

“Tempest!” I yelled again.

Nothing, not a sound.