Seventy

DAVID

Coffee was not even my forte but I had waited for him three miles away from.his pack grounds. He had asked me to wait. He had promised that he would come and while I had my doubts, I obliged. What else was there to do? I would rather have a sexy as fuck man stand me up on the date he proposed than further dig into the messed up stuff my sister had preoccupied herself with while she was alive. As I glanced out through the forest grounds again, I caught a glossy black motorcycle roll to a stop in front of where I sat. Suddenly, the nerves I had been trying to suppress in my stomach flared. All of a sudden, I felt shaky, my skin got clammy, and I thought I might pass out. He pulled off his helmet and held it in place on his thigh with one hand while another ran through his moist hair. I straightened my shoulder and put on a smile when he looked my way.

"Well, hello," he said, lowering his arm and giving me a megawatt smile. It took me a good five seconds of staring before I could manage a response because Satake Crow in casual dark jeans and a burgundy Henley was the most mouth-watering thing I’d ever laid eyes on.

"Hey."

"Shall we go?" He asked when I had finished my perusal and met his eyes again. His eyes were darker than usual, his pupils dilated, and I could tell excitement danced on them.

"Of course," I replied, standing from the bench and walking up to his parked motorcycle. I hopped in and Satake started the engine. As the engine screamed to life, Satake tilted his head in my direction. I deeply inhaled. His cologne lingered in the air, and it smelled of citrus and wood—an intoxicating combination.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded which earned me another smile. He immediately put the motorcycle onto drive and the world went from zero to fifty before I could even blink.

"Oh shit," I said, grabbing him aptly so I wouldn't fall just as he took his foot off the gas and we slowed back down to Wentworth's speed limit. The buzz from witnessing the bike in action had my pulse jumping, and as Satake looked over at me, waiting for my reaction, a smile turned up my lips.

“Well?” he asked.

"That…was incredible. I would like to do that again."

Satake chuckled as we slowed to a four-way stop. "You should see how Swifty handles on the open road. You'll feel like you’re flying."

If I’m lucky, I told myself. Maybe he would show me sometime.

"Maybe I’ll show you sometime," Satake said, and my eyes widened before I nodded.

I was convinced he could read minds now. Did relics like Kitsunes also share a mind link with their mates? Hecate, I cringed hearing myself. Hopefully, he didn't hear that.

He didn’t seem to hear that, thank God. The empty road seemed to disappear and as Satake turned into a small parking lot and shut down his motorcycle, I was surprised to see how quickly the ride had passed. Guess that was what happened when you didn’t have to concentrate on the road.

"You like their coffee right??” Satake asked when I didn’t stop gawking at him.

"What..." I stuttered, blushing beet red.

Satake's eyes drifted to the building behind me and my eyes followed. Looking up at the sign that read, Absolute Monaku.

I almost breathed a sigh of relief. I had been here before. Probably not to enjoy their many tea flavors. The one time I visited the four walls of the tea shop, it had been to gather herbs for a particular spell but I had to admit that their banana oat bread was something to kill for. It made Satake more of an interesting persona and there were a lot of things I didn't know about this enigma of a man.

"Yeah," I said. " Their oat bread is to die for."

"Really? I will have to try it."

With that, Satake led me into the cafe and we found an empty booth to sit in. He picked the menu and made sure to pass me one. I accepted the menu but I could barely keep my eyes down to make an order. Satake must have noticed because his eyes shot up a minute later leaving me in shock. I clenched on to the menu as his eyebrows arched.

"Is something wrong, David?" Satake asked, suppressing a smirk.

"What?" I completely went blank. The tinge of red on my cheek burned bright turning into welts I couldn't blame on allergies or a stressful night. "No...there is nothing wrong. W–hat makes you think so?"

"Because of the way you keep looking at me."

"Oh... Sorry. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable."  I apologized, facing the menu in my hands squarely while internally cursing my lack of patience.

"Oh, I don't mind you looking at me."Satake continued. It was like he wanted a reaction and it worked. I choked on my saliva as my eyes drifted back to him.

"What..." I stammered.

"I said, I don't mind you looking at me." He repeated. This time with a smirk on his face.

I lost power over my lower jaw. Satake Crow in an obnoxious and shallow way just made it known that he liked when he was looked at. I was stunned.

  "Good evening, Mr. Satake." A woman came by to take our order.  What can I get for you both today?"

The way she smiled at him made it clear that he was a regular. Now I felt like the oddball. The woman would barely remember someone that came ages ago to pick a box of oolong tea leaves.

"I would like a matcha latte and a banana bread toast. I hear they are to die for." Satake answered. Looking my way, he gave me a knowing look. Again, I had been too frozen adoring his looks that I forgot social cues. It wasn't until his eyes were on me that I even realized that the woman was flicking her pen just aching to take my order.

"Sorry, I zoned out. I will have whatever he is taking."

"Sure thing, give me a moment."The waitress said, giving me the same smile she gave  Satake before turning and walking away, leaving the two of us alone again.

"I ordered matcha. Something tells me you are a sweet tooth kind of guy. Are you sure you can handle green and slightly bitter?"

I felt like he was alluding to something. The devious smile he had on his face as he waited for my reply echoed it in volumes.

"I'm a warlock Satake. Even a love potion tastes like shit. So trust me, matcha has got nothing on me."

Shifting in my seat a little, I decided it was time for me to ask the one question that was probably the most important. After all, how was I going to know if I didn’t ask? First and foremost, I threw the biggest one of all. "Did you check out the pictures you took?"

"The one about relic?" He asked to which I nodded in symphony. "No. I had to be careful deciphering that thing. The first witch I gave almost had a heart attack reading the content. She badly wanted to know why I wanted to know about relics. I think she feared Jason and his brother wanted to do something diabolical with any information she might give."

"That's unfortunate," I muttered. It barely sounded like I thought so. I saw this rather as a very sumptuous opportunity rather. "If you don't mind, I'm free on Fridays. I don't mind helping you decipher the book."

"Well, I did find something while skimming through the pictures," Satake said, garnering my attention.

"What might that be?"

"Names were scribbled on a page. Chase and Tora. Those were the names of my parents. Do you think..."

God no. I knew where this was going. I had almost forgotten the names were in the book. Of course, he would have a billion questions. Questions I had no answers to. I found my throat constrict as Satake continued to speak. I hated this. For once, I had thought this was going to be a normal interaction with another man. A typical coffee date but like many times, I was wrong. The only difference this time is that my date was not asking me if I was a twisted demented persona like my sister.

"Yes. She probably did it." I cut in before Satake finished. That was why you called me, right? To get answers and closure."

"Of course not." Satake rebuffed with a voice of steel. "I just–"

"Want an explanation? If I has one, I would give it to you but I don't know any Satake. What happened to your parents was sad and unfortunate but asking questions would not change a thing. You've mourned them before and for the same reasons. Just because you know they were relics now doesn't change anything." My finishing sentence was evil. A crease formed around my forehead as my lash out replayed in my head. I hurriedly looked into his eyes and there it was. The look of trauma. "I didn't mean that."

"You did," Satake replied. "It's like you witches don't know the damage you do before you act on impulse."

Now it was my turn to get offended. That witchphobic nature of him was back and I hated it. I shifted back in my seat too stunned to speak. "You witches?" I repeated. "Is that how you see all practitioners of magic? Rabid impulsive creatures, who kill everything that lay their hands on?"

"That's..."

"Why am I here then?" I cut in. "You said before that it wasn't to squeeze out closure for yourself. So tell me what a rabid creature like me is doing here if not being exploited."

C'mon, you're different."

Different? That was his answer. "No, I am not different Satake. Being a witch is part of my identity. I do like you but I can't allow myself to be the defining factor to how you perceive witches."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Satake queried as the waitress brought our order.

I looked at the plate then back at me. I waited for the waitress to leave before continuing. "That this was a mistake." I immediately got to my feet. "I'll be leaving."

Satake straightened out his back. My response bothered him. Most of all, the fact that I has cut the date short made him confused. He tried to say it with a straight face but his sad eyes seemed to unmask whatever filter he put on. "Sit and eat. I'll drive you home."

I was going to blatantly refuse but as my eyes fell on him, I noticed a bright arc raised high and aiming for his back. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what that blue silvery glow was. I had seen it before. The moon scythe. Capable of draining its victim of mana. I muttered a spell in my head and felt the atmosphere turn warm. A golden haze covered the shop and just as I had suspected, someone was wielding the scythe. A woman to be precise. She had cloaked herself with an invisibility spell. Whoever she was, she was waiting for me to leave so she could attack. Now the moon scythe wasn't a weapon that would end its victim's life unless that was the intention in the first place. The scythe merely drained mana which alluded to the life force of a supernatural. A cloaked witch equipped with a weapon that would render Satake powerless for hours to come did not sit right with me. Her attention was entirely on Satake for the time I stared at her but as I had not replied Satake for a span of minutes. The cloaked witch eyes darted in my direction. Our eyes met and it all went to hell. I knew the woman. Yasmin, a member of the Primrose coven. The same coven I would be re-initiated into in a matter of days.

"Yasmin Maplewood?" I gulped.

Her eyes widened in surprise and before I knew it, the arc twisted trajectory. The blade of blue light slammed into my chest. I gasped and staggered back, pulling away from her assault. I looked in Satake's way and muttered witch. He seemed to get my message swiftly as he made an attempt to jump out of his seat but the witch was quicker. What did you have to worry about when you had a dagger that took someone's life force. The hook sunk into his back. As she removed it, I saw that there was no wound. There was no blood. In place of the cut was a flash of blue. Satake screamed as the blue glow spread into his blood. It was like fire. I would know because the same feeling was beginning to set in. The searing heat made me collapse to the floor. The world was beginning to spin. I looked around for any human who could help but they were in no place to do so. The waitress had slumped to the floor. Likewise many others. I suspected it was a sleep spell. My dizzied line of sight fell back on Satake. He was now unconscious. I heard Yasmin call on someone. As my world turned dark, I saw Satake being hoisted into a man's arms.

AUTHOR NOTE: FORGIVE ME BUT THE INCOME I AM MAKING ON THIS BOOK IS REPULSIVE. NOW THIS IS NOT READER BASED. IT IS THIS APP. SO ALPHA CAPTIVE IS TAKING A SHORT BREAK ON MOBO. YOU CAN READ NEW CHAPTERS ON RADISH FICTION, GOODNOVEL, NOVELCAT. HAVE A GREAT DAY.