Tonight hadn't been her night.
At least that much Bella could conclude from the evening's events. She threw her shoes in a pile right next to the door to their apartment. Her borrowed leather jacket had the name "Bunny" stitched across it – and no, the irony wasn't lost on her, considering what she looked like right now. Her dress wrinkled and makeup smeared, she looked like someone who'd taken a tumble in the hay.
Or a dozen!
And got paid for it too!
Sighing, she used magic to locate her missing belongings – something modern science hadn't mastered yet - and they appeared in front of her. But she was too tired to pick it up and left it where it was. Hell, she even dropped the biker jacket on top of it and made a mental note to bring it back tomorrow.
The bikers had been nice enough, not commenting on her smell – the smell of used condoms and probably a dead body! They'd asked her about her relationship with the Marshal--- and she'd lied her ass off! A "lovers to enemies" sort of story, that they all ate up with glee.
And the truth wasn't even that far off…
She finally figured out who her mysterious Bear Shifter was. The one that starred in all of her wet dreams of late, ever since he crashed into her life six months ago. And of course, he couldn't be anyone other than her best friend mate's partner!
US Marshal and MBI agent, Bjorn Larson.
And how did she know it was him? Weirdly enough, she recognized their car. Sure, all of the police departments had the same type of car. But only one had a magical dent in the front, from when she used magic to stop it, so it didn't accidentally run her friend over when she made sure that the mates finally met…
Just her luck that the first guy that stirred her blood--- and he didn't just want to capture her and lock her up. He wanted to capture her, lock her up and throw away the key! From what Kat had told her, they were extremely pissed about her little escape number. Not only because that way Colten had more or less gotten away with everything he'd done, but they made her out to be the main villain in this story.
Which meant that there really wasn't any hope for her and the hot bear shifter…
Not that she was having any romantic thoughts about him. But damn, did she want to climb him like a three and see how many places she could rub herself off against him. And as if the thought alone stirred something primal inside of her, she suddenly remembered how he smelled.
Like warmth and sweetness.
She wished she could bottle it up at come to it every night when she was alone with her vibrator. Just thinking about it, made her core clench, and need dampening her bare thighs. The deep, raw purring of his voice tickled her ear and---
And why did it sound like snoring?!
Trying again, she let her imagination search for the sexy purr of the bear--- only for it to come up with a sound that sounded like a mix of a motorboat and low lazy growls.
What the---?!
Opening her eyes, she glanced around, wondering where the sound came from. She suspected that Kat had sent Magnus home long ago, considering that her time as a human was almost up. So she was rather surprised when she realized, that the sound was coming from her best friend's bedroom. And with every step she took in that direction, more and more dread gathered at the pit of her stomach.
No, Kat! Say you didn't!
She repeated the silent prayer over and over again, as she tiptoed to her bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, and she carefully pushed it just a little more--- and a breath of relief rushed out between her teeth when she saw that her best friend and wolf-mate were both fully dressed and asleep on the bed. The credit of some movie they'd watched rolled over the TV screen, and everything seemed to be in perfect order.
If it just wasn't for one small, little thing. Namely the sand that was slowly trickling down the hourglass pendant.
And it was almost all up…!
Shit!
"Kat!" she whispered yelled in a low hiss, hoping she didn't wake up the wolf shifter next to her. If she didn't get Kat out of there fast the Marshal was going to wake up next to his cat – and then she was left to explain things. And considering the night she'd just had, she wasn't in the mood…
Kat lazily stirred, but it was the wolf who instantly woke up. Of course, he did! Why wouldn't he? He was a shifter and an apex predator. Nothing could sneak up on him and most definitely not the witch who was trying to kidnap his mate away…
"KAT!" she hissed low again, trying to keep herself hidden in the dimly lit hallway. But she could feel the shifter's gaze sizing her up and determining if she was a threat or not. For Pete's sake! She didn't have time for---
Almost as if fate decided that she deserved a break from all the bad things that had happened tonight, Magnus gently shook Kat's shoulder, whispering something incoherent in her ear. Kat blinked lazily before her head finally snapped around and noticed Bella in the doorway.
"Bella?" she rasped; her voice heavy with sleep. "What are you---?"
"You need to get out here," she cut her off, the panic and haste obvious in her tone. "NOW!"
"Erm, sure," she mumbled and unwillingly went to detangle herself from her mate. "I'll be right back."
"I'll be right here," he whispered back with a lazy, love-daze gaze that just--- set fire to the last of Bella's patience! She didn't have time for them to make lovey-dovey eyes with each other. Kat's time was almost up, and she didn't even realize it. And instead of throwing the guy out the window, she was giggling like a schoolgirl and smudging kisses all over his face.
Arg! Just--- ARG!!!
Hurry up! Her insides were screaming as she started tripping from one foot to the next. The second Kat was within reach, she grabbed her and hauled her cute little ass into the kitchen, where she hoped they'd get some privately.
"Bella?" Kat exclaimed, now sounding really worried. "What---?"
Bella didn't let her finish. Instead, she grabbed the pendant and held it up to her best friend's face. The last droplets of sand already running out. Kat's face paled when she finally realized, what had her best friend in a twist.
"Oh shit!" she gasped, her eyes wide with horror and realization.
Time was up!
"No shit, "oh, shit"!" Bella hissed low, letting go of the pendant, and started to pace the small kitchen. "You're out of time! What---?"
She spun around to face Kat again--- and came face to face with a big, back bobcat. The cat glanced down at itself, sitting on top of what had been Kat's outfit earlier that evening, and then glanced back up at the witch. Now with a matching horrified expressions.
"Oh, shit!" she grumbled at the same time as the cat did.
Tonight, wasn't her night!
"Kat?"
They both whirled around as footsteps closed in on them. Magnus had apparently heard their panicked conversation and decided he needed to check on them.
Not good…!
Thinking fast, Bella grabbed everything off the floor – including the cat! – and threw all of it into the dishwasher machine. The cat hissed at her for the rough treatment, but panicked people rarely think more than just the next step ahead. So, ignoring her friend's protests, she slammed the door shut, just as the huge wolf shifter showed up in the doorframe…
"Kat?" he called out, but only seeing the out of breath, blushing blond in the kitchen, he quickly figured out that this had to be Bella, the roommate. "Where did---?" he began asking, but just then realized that the blond trickled some memory, that he just couldn't really place. "You… Look familiar---?"
OH! SHIT!
Gulping Bella raked her brain for a possible excuse. There was after all a reason why she and Kat had decided to keep Magnus and Bella apart. In case he realized who she was and was going to arrest her. Bella didn't need that. All she needed was a little time so she could go back to her own time and finish her mission. And while Kat couldn't help her get more magic, she didn't want the witch to rot in jail for something she didn't do…
"SAY YOU DO COMMERCIALS!" Sounded from the dishwasher, earing strange glances from Magnus. Because all he could hear was something that sounded like someone was trying to kill a cat in there. But before he could comment, Bella quickly blurted:
"I do a lot of commercials," she answered his question, knowing that she was the only one who could understand Kat in her cat form. "And sorry about the dishwasher. It's broken!" She added, considering that Magnus was looking at the machine with suspicion in his eyes. So, just for good measures, she kicked it--- and accidentally turned it on.
SHIT!
Yeah, tonight, wasn't the witch's night!
Bella scrambled to stop the machine, but no matter what she did, the dumb bastard wasn't about to cooperate!
"Oh," he breathed, apparently accepting her explanation, before looking around one more time. "Where's Kat?"
"Cat?" she questioned, desperate to turn the machine off again while also having a small heart attack thinking he knew that his bobcat was in her washing machine. How---?! And then she realized: "Oh, Kat! Kat with a 'K'!" She laughed nervously--- and tried to kick the machine again. Now it really sounded broken considering that a bobcat was going amok in there. Turn off you annoying piece of shit, she inwardly hissed. But since the furniture mostly played dead while there were humans around, the thing refused to comply. "I-I thought you meant---well never mind! And she… erm--- she's…"
She quickly glanced around, hoping inspiration would strike.
Only it didn't!
"Not here!"
Way to go, Miss Obvious!
Tonight, wasn't her night, she mentally groaned again, growing more and more desperate to save her friend from drowning in a dishwasher! As if finally taking pity on her, Magnus leaned over and with a single push of a button, the machine turned off. Glancing at it, as if he was the one with magic in his veins, she let out a relieved sigh. Now all that was left to do was to pray that Kat was still alive and---
And that's when she noticed him glaring at her again. Arms folded and everything reminded her, why he was the alpha of the pack.
Fuck…!
Straightening slowly, she tried to exclude as much confidence as he did but failed miserably. Not only did she smell like a dumpster, but her hair was also disheveled, her makeup ruined and her dress had motor oil all over it.
So--- This was getting awkward…
"Where is she?" he asked and while his voice was calm, the ice in it was enough to cut diamonds.
"S-she-she had to-had to--- go," she somehow managed to get across her tangled tongue. And by the gods, she was really scraping rock bottom of poor excuses! Thinking as fast as she could she quickly added: "There--- was an--- erm…"
And apparently, her fastest was at a snail's pace tonight.
She didn't know how, but she was blaming that bear shifter. If she hadn't run into him again, she would have thought of at least five different excuses by now. But no! All she could think about was his hard body, dark eyes, and the wicked promise he'd left her with. A promise that made her whole entire skin tingle with anticipation and---
"What happened?" Magnus suddenly broke into her musings, and this time he sounded genuinely worried. "Is she ok? Where is she?"
See?!
It was all that bear's fault!
"I promise there's a perfectly logical explanation for this," she quickly rushed, hoping to reassure him. She just needed to think of one.
Fast!
"S-she--- she has-has a bad case of---of, erm…" Fuck! She was coming up blank. "Bed hair."
What?!
"What?" Magnus echoed and she could have sworn that the washing machine was having the same sentiments only in a cat's voice. And just as the words left her lips Bella knew it was the shittiest of shitty excuses. But it was too late to turn around now. It was sink or swim!
And Bellatrix Phips didn't do sinking!
"Ok, listen up, buddy," she replied, putting every ounce of confidence she had into her voice, and standing as tall as her 5"5 frame would allow her. "It might not occur to you men, since you obviously roll out of bed looking hot as hell and with perfect hair and shit. But some of us have to work for it!" Now she even dared to take a step forward – and grinned when he took one back. "Now leave so we can get on with our beautifying routines. Kat will see you tomorrow. Yes, that's a date, and she loves to dance. Anything where she gets to have her paws--- I mean hands all over your cute ass. Your jacket, good sir." And with that, she'd somehow managed to get him into the darker interior of the shop. One easy spell later and the next step he took backward was out the front door.
"Thanks for staying over and watching over my friend. Bye!" She showed the rest of his belongings into his hands and ushered him out the door. He tried to talk but was met with the front door the second he turned around. Confused he glared at his surrounding, not understanding how he got here.
What the hell had just happened?!
Inside Bella breathed a sigh of relief, before rushing back to the dishwasher and letting out an angry Kat, that hissed at her best friend.
"The dishwasher! Seriously?!" she spat, shaking out her fur and simply refusing to smell herself until after she'd had a bath. Everything ached, but luckily the magical device did have the decency not to heat the water before trying to drown her.
"Hey, I got you another date with alpha hot-stuff," Bella harumphed, sliding down to sit on the floor since her legs refused to work anymore. Fuck, what a night! "Be grateful! I'm awesome."
That seemed to get the cat's attention.
"A date?" she asked hopefully.
"He's taking you dancing," Bella confirmed and nodded. "I didn't…"
And as if fate needed to rub it in Bella's face, that tonight wasn't her night, she now had a wet smelling cat plastered all over her body and face.
Tonight, wasn't her night – AT ALL!
"Oh my god!" Kat exclaimed with joy and gave her a cat-like hug, that rubbed her wet snout all over Bella's already mascara-smeared face. "You're the best! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!"
*Sigh!*
"You're welcome," Bella mumbled--- and then smiled. Because no matter how tired she was or how bad tonight had been, seeing her friend this happy, was totally worth the trouble. Smelly dumpster, dirty biker, heart attack and all.
Feeling more human and more in touch with all that she was, Bella hugged the shifter back, feeling emotions weld up in her that made her feel more powerful and happier than she'd ever been at the strongest as a witch. And it felt---
Magical…!
"But seriously, you need a bath. You stink," she continued, laughing at her train of thoughts, and leaned back to look at the cat in her lap. "What's in that thing?"
They both leaned forward and glanced into the dishwasher. At the bottom of the machine, something green and gooey was bubbling up from the drain, as if it hadn't quite decided if it was going up or down yet. And it smelled worse than a dozen wet dogs…
"You washed the magic bowls in the dishwasher again, didn't you?" Kat said with a frown and glared at the witch. Who just scoffed, and rolled her eyes at her.
"You really want to go there, miss "clogging up the bathtub", pussy cat?" she challenged her friend right back and if cats could blush the black bobcat would be pink now. Sighing, Bella got to her feet, taking the soaked bobcat with her. "Let's get you into the shower. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day!"