Tish POV
I can't let the fight with the twins set on my mind for too long. If Raven wouldn't help me find a witch I would go to the one place where I knew I could possibly find one. There has to be someone at Cedric's Bar who can help me.
I pull into the parking lot and it is full as usual. I smile, knowing that putting Jason in charge was the right move. Not only has he taken care of the soup kitchen during the day, he runs the bar flawlessly at night. He is a whiz with numbers and is managing to even turn a profit, something that Cedric was never able to do.
Wiping the tear from my eye at the thought of Cedric, I put on my brave face and walk into the bar. Jason smiles at me brightly from behind the bar, and everyone turns to greet me. It doesn't matter how many times I step in here, it always feels like coming home. I may be a Luna and a mother now, but I am a barmaid at heart.
I slide onto a barstool and tap my fingers nervously on the bar. Jason eyes me suspiciously before sliding my favorite drink in front of me. I swirl the whisky in the glass and pout. "I can't drink this."
"Of course you can," Jason laughs. "You are the Luna. You can do whatever you want."
I sip my whisky sour through a tiny straw and wince. It has been a long time since I have had one, but I am 99% sure this is more whiskey than sour. Jason throws his head back and laughs at me. "Lightweight."
"I am a mother," I snap at him.
"Why are you here?" He asks. "You only show up here when you are fighting with the twins. Which one fucked up this time?"
"It's not them," I whisper. "I need help."
Jason cocks his head to the side and studies me carefully. "I don't want to know."
He walks down the bar, and I call after him, but he ignores me. I watch him as he speaks to several customers and avoids making eye contact with me. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I groan. He isn't going to help me.
I spin around in the stool and survey the bar. It is full of the usuals and a few newcomers that I have never seen before. There is a strange old woman sitting in the corner by herself. She is watching me carefully out of the corner of her eye, but she doesn't think I notice.
Sliding out of my seat, I begin to make my way across the bar to her, but Jason steps in front of me. "Where are you going?"
"Over there," I point to the woman.
He grabs me by the shoulders and tries to steer me back toward the bar. "Nope."
"If you won't help me, I will find someone else." I try to slip out of his hold but he isn't letting me go.
"You can't talk to her," he whispers next to my ear.
"Why not?" I pout, crossing my arms over my chest.
"She is not one of us," he says in a low voice.
"We," I say pointing between us, "are not the same thing. I am a familiar, and you are a werewolf."
He rolls his eyes. "You are still on that self-loathing bullshit, aren't you?"
"You try being the only human in the pack," I hiss at him through my teeth.
I glance over my shoulder at where the woman was sitting, and she is gone. I stomp my foot in frustration. She may have been my only clue to finding a witch within South Pack territory. Jason growls angrily and leads me into the back room.
"What the fuck are you trying to do?" He snaps at me.
"In case you have forgotten," I yell at him. "I am your Luna."
"What did you want with the old hag?" He asks.
"I need a witch," I tell Jason quietly.
"Why the fuck would you need a witch?" He demands to know.
"None of your fucking business," I whisper.
"You can tell me, or I can call the twins," he says, pulling out his phone.
I grab the phone out of his hand and toss it on the table. Jason is waiting for an answer, and I don't know what to say to him. The truth makes me sound childish and sad, but I can't think of a lie that makes me sound any better.
"I think if I find the right witch, they might be able to turn me into a werewolf," I tell Jason.
"Why would you want to do that?" He wrinkles his eyebrows in confusion.
"So, I can mark my mates," I mutter.
Jason covers his mouth with his hand, trying to hide his laugh. "That is the dumbest fucking excuse I have ever heard."
"You know what," I raise my voice. "Forget I was even here. I will go home to the twins and live unhappily ever after."
I push my way through the bar, and I expect Jason to come after me, but he doesn't. He lets me leave. He knows I will go home to the twins and deal with my painfully ordinary existence. No one is going to help me.
"Were you looking for me?" A haggard voice yells for me as I step outside.
I turn and see the old hag from the bar leaning against the corner of the bar. Just looking into her lime green eyes makes me feel uncomfortable, but I have come this far. I am not turning back.
I square my shoulders and step in her direction. "I am looking for a witch."
She lights a cigarette with a snap of her fingers and offers me a toothless smile. "Today is your lucky day. But what would a nice girl like you want someone like me for?"
I look her up and down. She doesn't look like anything special. If it weren't for her black fingertips and lime green eyes, she wouldn't appear so different from me.
"I need to be one of them," I choke on the words as they come out of my mouth.
"What can you offer me in return?" She laughs.
I swallow the anxiety growing in my chest. I never considered there would be payment. "What do you want?"
"Your immortal soul," she croons.
I step away from her. I might not be religious, but I am not sure I want to gamble away my soul for a chance to mark my mates.
Then she starts to cackle and slaps her knee. "I am just kidding. We don't all make deals with the devil. I am sure we can think of something along the way."
"Along the way?" I ask.
She starts to walk toward my car. "My cabin isn't too far. You are driving."