Free Falling for an Alpha by Vanessa Devereaux

dark glasses and looked at Mavis lying on a sun-lounger, enjoying
what looked like a mojito. No doubt she was funding this little getaway on
money she’d tricked out of some unsuspecting mortal.
    What
Sadie really wanted to do was blast her to the Realm and back, turning her into
a pile of ash. However, Sadie wasn’t that sort of witch, and she needed Mavis
all in one piece so she could reverse the spell on Gabriel. She took a deep
breath, willing herself not to lose her temper when she faced her.
    Stay calm, stay
calm, she repeated as she walked over to her. Sadie stood to the left side of the
chair, making sure she blocked the sun from Mavis. That would certainly get her
attention.
    “Do
you mind?” she asked, taking off her glasses and looking up at Sadie.
    “Well,
well, if it isn’t Sadie Sutton. I did hear your punishment was to deal with my
little mess. Taking a mortal to the Other Realm, tut, tut, tut,” she said,
waving her French-manicured index finger at Sadie.
    “And
it wasn’t that difficult finding you. I just followed the evil smell.”
    “Oh,
Sadie, you have to do better than that with your insults. Sticks
and stones, sticks and stones.”
    Sadie
pulled up one of the chairs that were close by and perched herself on the edge.
    “So
you’ve found me, now what? You drag me back to the Other Realm to stand trial?”
    “You
are banished from the Realm. We never want to see your face there again.”
    “Oh,
I’m so upset about that,” she said, shaking her body.
    “You
are a despicable witch.”
    “Oh,
and you’re so righteous, aren’t you, Sadie Sutton? Working
for the Department of Love. Oh, and what is your little business called? Perfect Pairing—darling, how sweet. I bet it took you
hours to think up that name.”
    “I
doubt you know the first thing about love, or even sweetness that matter.”
    “Do
these poor mortals know witchcraft has brought them together and that witchcraft
can easily break them apart?   I could
have them all heading for divorce lawyers with a blink of one of my eyes,” she
said, snapping her fingers.
    “You
dare do anything to my couples and I’ll…”
    “You’ll
what?”
    Sadie
took another deep breath . Stay calm, stay
calm .
    “I’m
here to ask you nicely about reversing a spell you placed on GabrielMiller.”
    “Gabriel…let
me think. No, the name doesn’t sound familiar.”
    “Wolf shifter.”
    “Ah,
yes, the young man who wanted his brother brought home safely.”
    “Why
did you do such an awful thing?”
    “He
knew the consequences.”
    “He’d
been drinking and he thought you were joking.”
    “Well,
I might have given him that impression. How’s he doing, by the way? Found a
pack yet, or do you think he’ll be a lone wolf?”
    “He’s
doing just fine, but I know he’d prefer to be back to normal.”
    “Normal,
can mortals be normal? Strange bunch, if you ask me.”
    “I’m
going to ask you nicely. Remove the spell from him. You’ve had your little
fun.”
    “And
if I don’t?”
    “Then
I’ll be forced to do something that isn’t in my nature.” Sadie hoped Mavis
understood what she meant by that.
    “And
after I’ve gone to all this trouble to lose weight, have my hair done, and my nails too. Come on now, Sadie, you’re not that
sort of witch. Everything with you is cupid and hearts, well, except for the
one time you hurt your neighbor. Whatever came over you? Oh, that’s right,
that’s how you were assigned to the Department of Love. Sort of full circle for
you, isn’t it?”
    “I’m
asking you in the nicest possible way.”
    “Oh,
all right. I suppose I do feel like changing the spell.”
    Mavis
waved her hands in the air and mumbled. “There, the spell has been changed.”
    “Thank
you.”
    Sadie
stood up to leave, hoping she never had to see this awful woman ever again.
    “I
do hope this Gabriel isn’t one of your clients at Perfect Pairing. I’m somehow
seeing that he is.”
    Sadie
turned around, sensing