Chapter 3: Magnus

Cyrus motioned me to stay while the pack was ordered to leave; Ghost was too volatile. The guy looked angry, freaked out, and confused—all at once. As one of the pack VPs, I reclaimed my seat at the bar to check in with my beauty. Cyrus was protective of the girl, we all are, but he mostly wanted me to do damage control. A mass exodus of a large group looks odd.

“How come you get to stay, Magnus?” Her bright eyes were filled with curiosity. She couldn’t quite understand our pack dynamics.

“Lucky, I guess. I’ll have a bourbon on the rocks, Princess.” She always smiled when I called her that. Her raven hair and icy blue eyes made her look ethereal, as if descended from the Romanoffs. There was something special about my girl, and everyone in the pack felt it.

I had staked my claim as soon as I set eyes on Esmerelda Cooper. Her beauty was only eclipsed by her kind nature. She had a bright smile and acted like she was fortunate to be alive, making serving drinks look virtuous.

My brothers in the Motorcycle Club took her friendly nature as a genuine interest. For the last month, they tried to secure a date, only to be shut down by her Uncle Harris. He was as protective as I was. We were silent partners in keeping Esmerelda away from the pack playboys. My noble actions were completely selfish. I was instantly in love with her, and my wolf agreed.

Ghost’s actions tonight were distressing. My heart was in torment when he found his true mate in Esmerelda. The Fates are honest but cruel. As a human, she could reject him. The magic of the mating bond was unbalanced unless you had enhanced blood—a shred of hope to me.

“Is there something going on tonight that you aren’t invited to?” 

“I’d rather spend time with you, pretty girl.”

“I’d rather spend time with her, too. How about your number?” One of the locals was brave now that he was drunk, and most MCs were gone.

“Take a hike, Brent. She’s too good for the likes of you.”

“Magnus, I…”

“Esmerelda!” Harris always interveined when any of us had too long of a conversation with her. “You can refill the ice chest if you have nothing to do.” She rolled her eyes, making me chuckle. She lifted the bucket from the bin and went through the back door.

Only a handful of regulars were left at this time of the night. Besides the redneck townies, the MCs and University students were the only other groups that came down Route 7 for a drink. Students wouldn’t be back on campus until next weekend. The summer holiday was a nice reprieve from them.

I finished my drink, so she would have to serve me again. Harris knew my game and never bothered with me anymore. A few minutes of her absence turned into five, making me head for the back door. Dumping a bin of water shouldn’t have taken this long.

A low snarl rumbled through my chest at the sight. A dirty hand covered Esmerelda’s mouth, keeping her hostage while two young, burly men were whispering in her ear. Her eyes were wide with fright, almost making my wolf burst through.

“You two have a death wish?”

“Leave us alone, dude. She’s ours.”

“Wrong. She’s mine.” I growled. My body coiled and sprang, dislodging both idiots at once. Esme stood stock still as the men rolled around the ground, clenching their abdomens. I picked the bigger one up first and smacked him around until he begged for his life. He collapsed in a heap while I worked over the other one. They were big, but I was bigger. They were dumb and slow; I was not. As the enforcer for my club and pack, I was second in strength and skill only to our Alpha. 

“Come on, Seb.” The smaller one spoke through his missing teeth. They crawled away, barely able to climb into their truck.

“You come here again or touch this girl; your life is over. Understand?” The cowards peeled out of the parking lot, unable to drive in a straight line.

“Magnus.” Her soft voice dispelled my rage.

“Princess.” I cupped her cheek as my thumbs wiped her tears. “You okay?” She nodded unconvincingly. “Do you know who they are?” She shook her head, hesitating, before reaching for me. My thick arms wrapped around her thin body. She relaxed into me immediately. I breathed in her scent, committing it to memory. After tonight, Ghost would try to kill me if her scent were on me.

Our tight friendship was void when there was a bond. I made the mistake last summer helping our Alpha’s mate, Jane, put up decorations for his surprise party when he became a partner in the law firm. Lifting her was enough for Cyrus to challenge me. His dominant wolf burst through inside our common room, and the party was ruined.

Emerelda shivered in the hot night air in shock from the trauma. “You’re okay now. Don’t go out here alone. I’ll tell Harris…”

“Please don’t tell Uncle Harris, Magnus. He won’t let me work here.” She purred in my chest, making my spine tingle. I was devoted to her and would blindly do anything she asked.

“That might not be a bad thing.” Keeping her safe was my priority.

“I need the money. I have to pay for school.” Fuck.

“You go up and take a nice, long, hot shower. I’ll tell Harris you got tired.”

“No! You can’t tell him that, either. He’ll think I’m having an episode. He almost sent me back with the last one!” Episode?

“What’s going on?” Harris startled us, and we flew apart. The loss I felt was severe.

“I tripped. We need a light out here.” She stepped away and picked up the bin. “Thank you, Magnus. I appreciate your help.”

“Anytime, Princess.”

Harris glared at me and followed her in. My vexation began to spiral. I had touched her skin and tasted her scent. I yearned for Esmerelda to be mine. The Fates chose Ghost, my friend, my brother. This would be the greatest trial of my life.