Page 27 of Seven is Swell

“I… needed to do it alone?” It definitely comes out more as a question than a statement.

“Here’s a fun fact for you,” Jackson says. He’s getting closer to catching her and pinning against the counter.

Jackson gives me a head nod and then goes right back to the beautiful woman. “You told us we had to go across campus because you needed a rubbing of a statue there for one of your classes. Do you want to hear something so interesting? It’s on the other side of our dorm. All we had to do was go out the back access doors and walk around the corner and we would have run into it.”

She laughs nervously “It was? That’s… my bad.”

“So, we had to ask around,” August says, getting closer to Delaney now, too, “and after several people confirmed the statue’sactuallocation, we ran into something very curious. Wouldn’t you say it’s curious brother?” August looks to Jackson.

“Curious indeed,” Jackson replies, eyes gleaming. “We ran into a demon. On our campus. Yep.”

“He had your name in his mouth,” August supplies helpfully. “When were you going to tell us?”

Delaney looks at them, blank faced. “Tell you… what? That Wilder finally did something about our bond? It literally just happened. He’s probably regretting it about now though, to be honest.”

“No, not that,” August says. “Should I congratulate you?”

Delaney waves him off. “If not the Wilder thing, then what is it I’m supposed to have told you?”

“That you’re apparently affianced to this guy?”

“To Wilder? We’re already mated, I just said that. That’s not new information though, he claimed me a while ago. Are you guys feeling alright?”

“Wait,” I interject, realizing that there’s some sort of miscommunication going on here. “You’re not talking about Wilder. You think there’s something about the demon you saw that she’s supposed to have told you?”

They fold their arms across their chests and stare her down.

“I don’t get it,” Delaney finally says when she can’t handle the silence anymore.

“We talked to him,” Jackson informs us.

Delaney tries to encourage them to continue. What is it with these people and giving the shortest answers possible? “And?” she finally prompts.

“And when were you going to tell us you were fucking engaged to him?” Jackson questions. “From the way he was talking, it seemslike a pretty damn done deal. And yet we haven’t heard about him.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Delaney says. “Go back. What the hell are you talking about?”

“Hell, indeed,” August says. “Are you saying you’renotengaged to him?”

“I don’t even know whohimis! Don’t you think my hands are already full with you two, and these two I’m trying to court, and that stone guy out there I mated and barely get to talk to, and the fucking lion shifter that I can’t seem to make happy,andthe maybe naga mate I have that won't talk to me? Do you really think I would be going around collecting more? Are you out of your mind?”

“Is this a bad time?”

We all whip our heads around to see Wilford standing in the open doorway. “Sorry, I knocked, but I don’t think you heard it. I could tell you guys were inside so… candy twinkles. I shouldn’t have just walked in, should I? I am so sorry. Let me go outside. We’ll try that again.”

The dude takes a few steps back, gives Delaney a little wave and a smile, and then he shuts the door. He waits two seconds and then there’s a knock.

None of us say anything because we’re all very confused. “Did he just—" August finally says when the knock sounds again.

“I’ve got it,” Delaney says, heading over to open the door.

“Hey Delaney,” Wilford beams. “How’s it hanging? Wait no that’s— that’s not what I meant to say. I was just talking to somebody who’s in our class, who heard from somebody else that's in another class —"

“Just get to the point,” Delaney interrupts, trying to fight a smile. She always smiles around this guy. It’s nice.

“Rumor is there’s a pop quiz tomorrow on how well we know our ‘mates’” he says with finger quotes. “I just wanted to drop by my information and see if I could get some from you? You know, so we could study?”

She tugs him inside the room and shuts the door behind him. “How’s your day going, Wilford?”

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