Page 43 of The Wolf

“She’s well, thank you. Just busy bein’ the best student of her year.”

The exchange seems completely normal between them, like old friends catching up—which is pure irony, considering Clara’s strict Christian upbringing. Then again, she’s been here for over half a century. She raised her children in the Veil.

“Good for her.” He nods approvingly. “As long as she’s still practicing… is she?”

“Of course. She knows her place in the coven.”

Magic. They’re talking about magic—or rather witchcraft. I’ve learned that Willow, as Edwin’s daughter and Alex’s niece, comes from one of the oldest and most powerful witch bloodlines. Dahlia, after all, was a pretty big deal among supernatural beings.

How in the hell am I supposed to take her place as Queen?

Satan’s stare flickers back to me, his voice smoother and deeper as he greets me. “Julia. Looking gorgeous as always.”

I hear Alex’s growl from a distance, and Satan laughs cockily.

I giggle after him. “Don’t antagonize him.”

Finally, his gaze settles on Meg, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. “And who do we have here?”

Being her bold self, she twirls her ponytail flirtatiously over her shoulder. “Meg,” she says, her voice dropping seductively into a raspy whisper. She leans forward just slightly, pushing out her perfect cleavage. “So… does it work?”

I choke on the air. My eyes widen, and I try to signal her to stop with an awkward shake of my head, but it’s too late.

Satan’s smirk sharpens. “Would you like to find out?” he teases, leaning closer. Meg’s cheeks flush, but she doesn’t back away. She gives him a coy smile instead, batting her eyelashes.

His nose almost brushes the top of her head and he inhales deeply, scenting her hair. “Fate has a mate for you,” he says, his voice almost gentle. “Be patient.”

Meg blinks, momentarily stunned into silence. Then, with a sheepish laugh, she pulls back, clearly caught off guard by his words.

Satan straightens, casting one last amused glance between us. “Carry on, ladies.” And with that, his attention shifts elsewhere, like a storm moving on to its next target. But the weight of his presence lingers, even as the fire crackles back to life and the sounds of the celebration slowly resume around us.

“Well, that was…intense,” Meg mutters, her voice a mix of awe and disbelief.

I nod wordlessly, my heart still hammering in my chest. Alex’s eyes meet mine, burning with both protectiveness and warning.

Seriously?I shake my head at him, smiling.

Then I turn my stare to Meg. “He might be right, though.”

She purses her lips. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh, will you stop that already!” Clara scoffs, and it’s evident she’s holding out stronger words.

I roll my eyes and leave them to it, heading toward Alex to tease him a little. But Penny stops me on my way, yanking me to the nearest empty log.

“Finally! I’ve been trying to catch a moment with you the entire evening.” Her terrifying eyes twinkle, and the words start spilling out so quickly that I can barely keep up. “Actually, it’s long overdue. I know we didn’t get a chance to talk ever since you got here. But I promise we’ll have a sister bonding session after we return from Nevada.”

I need a second before replying, “Yeah, that sounds great.” I don’t recognize my voice. I was so stressed out she would keep me at a distance—a ridiculous kind of worry since she’s always been so warm to me, just busy like the rest of the family.

“How are you enjoying yourself?” she asks, her voice lighter, and there’s something softer in her gaze as she looks at me.

“Surprisingly, I’m having a lot of fun, though it’s unlike any Halloween party I’ve ever been to.” I joke, glancing around at the gathering. Everyone seems so at ease, the night full of life, despite the emotions running so high regarding tomorrow. I look back at Penny, my curiosity piqued. “Is this the only holiday you guys celebrate?”

She laughs gently, her fangs gleaming in the firelight. “Not at all, we have so many. Yule is our biggest celebration.”

I furrow. “Like, Christmas?”

“Right.” She nods, chuckling still. “The Roman Empire turned Saturnalia into something it’s not, and with time, even more pagan traditions were added to form what the mortals nowrecognize asChristmas. But what it really is,” she pauses, her voice dropping slightly, “is Satan’s birthday.”

---