Free Charmed by the Werewolf by Sandra Sookoo Page A

in his filing cabinet. “I heard about your little disagreement with the other Gatekeeper.” What would he do if he knew what she harbored in her small apartment? As a Gatekeeper, one of her jobs was to prevent the Portals from being used as a free-for-all interstate between worlds, especially for those without clearance. There had to be a constant balance between Realms, which was why the post of Portal Master existed.
    “Not that it’s any of your business, but I told Selma to bring me the vampire she tailed. Somehow , she lost the paranormal. Gave me an empty excuse as to why such an error occurred.” He broke a wooden pencil with one hand then tossed the pieces to the floor with a negligent shrug. “I looked forward to interviewing the vampire. They are extremely hard to come by these days.”
    Sophia’s birthmark flared to life under her sleeve. “Not as hard as you’d think. ”
    She mumbled the words as she recalled the strange man at Xavier’s dinner party. “You just have to know where to look. ”
    “Selma will pay. I’ll have her replaced eventually. ” Sterling pinned her with a dark gaze. “You half-mortals are easy to swap.” He rolled up his black shirtsleeves and flexed his fingers, causing the tattoo of a cobra to twitch and dance across his forearm. “Is there a point to your intrusive presence or would you rather stick around and collect the same punishment as Selma?”
    “Well, seeing as how we’ve never excelled at small talk, I’ll come right out with what I need. ” Curls of alarm and dread twisted her gut with invisible hands.
    Gatekeepers reported directly to Sterling or to his equivalent in each specific realm. Each demi-god of Sterling’s rank also had a handful of other demi-beings—half mortals—in his employ and there was a constant turnover, especially in Sterling’s court.
    It amazed her at how long she’d managed to keep her job, but suspected it had something to do with her dependence on the medication he dispensed on a regular basis.
    “I’m waiting. ” His black eyebrows knit together as annoyance tinged his deep voice.
    “Uh… ” As much as she wanted to fumble in her bag for an antacid, Sophia forced her hands to remain steady. “How would a person go about freeing a gypsy-cursed werewolf?” She gritted her teeth, steeled for his wrath.
    Sterling’s eyes glowed red with interest before returning to their usual black color. “Do you know the whereabouts of a werewolf, Miss Raines? ” He leaned back in his chair, his lean body sliding against the leather as he propped his booted feet on the desktop. “I feel I must remind you that withholding a paranormal being from me could result in a steep penalty.”
    “Of course not! ” She forced down the panic that threatened to choke her then pasted on a smile, willing her face into a blank mask. “Haven’t I shown you complete and utter loyalty over the years?” She mentally counted to ten.
    “Yes, your fidelity to me has been tried time and again. ” He took up a metal letter opener, twirled it between his thumb and forefinger. “But I’m interested to know why you ask such a question of me when that knowledge could surely be obtained elsewhere.”
    “No reason. ” Sophia shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance, hoping Sterling hadn’t adopted the ability to read minds. “I happened to come across an old book at a garage sale the other day about curses and well, you know me. Always curious.”
    Uncomfortable in Sterling’s utilitarian office of chrome and black leather, she suspected he kept the furnishings simple so he could appear the focal point.
    A black eyebrow crawled up in surprise. “You’re perhaps the least curious person I know. If you weren’t so efficient at your job, you’d be stripped of your title tomorrow and placed under suspicion of treason.”
    “But, I— ” Sophia almost puked into her purse as fear kept her in a stranglehold.
    “Although it would give me great pleasure