Page 51 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
"Well, we uh, found some stuff on how siphons feed," Sean says, his cheeks reddening slightly.
"What do you mean?" Micah asks, already leaning over the couch to try to take the book from me. I hold it just out of reach.
Sean hesitates, then raises his hands and starts ramming his index finger into a circle he's made with his left thumb and forefinger.
"Very mature, asshat," Rowan says, smacking the back of his head.
“I’m being serious!” Sean protests, throwing his hands in the air. “Fucking. Siphons can feed byfucking. Gods, you’re such Puritans. I don’t know how I ended up in this pack of absolute bores.”
“Beats me,” I mutter. "What about the mate bond?"
"Couldn't find anything on a siphon ever being bonded to a wolf pack, let alone a mate bond," Rowan admits.
"We've got plenty of energy, though," Sean cuts in. "She needs sex energy for magic, and we're always horny. It's a perfect exchange. Quid pro boner or whatever."
"Quo, idiot," Micah mutters under his breath.
"He has a point. It's why we need a Bonded to stabilize us," Rowan adds. "Our energy needs an outlet. Someone who can channel it constructively."
"So Regina could take our excess energy and convert it to magic," I say slowly, the pieces falling into place. "And we could provide her with a steady source of power without draining ourselves."
“Ifshe can get past the fact that we're wolves," Rowan chimes in.
Yeah, that's a big fuckingif.
"So what's our strategy?" Sean asks, surprisingly serious for once. "For tonight, I mean. We can't fuck this up."
"We need to be careful," Micah says, digging another piece of forest debris out of his hair and scraping his fingers through it to get it back into place. "She's scared of us, and for good reason."
"We don't push," Rowan agrees. "We explain the situation clearly, answer her questions honestly, and respect whatever decision she makes."
"Even if that decision is to tell us to go to hell?" Sean asks, frowning.
I clench my jaw. The thought of Regina rejecting us again makes my wolf howl in anguish, but this has to be her choice. Forcing her would make us no better than Kyle and his coven.
"Even then," I confirm grimly. "But we need to make sure she understands the whole picture. The bond she must feel. What it means. How we can help her break ties with that asshole witch permanently."
"Without hurting her," Micah emphasizes.
"Without hurting her," I agree.
Though I can't make the same promise about Piss Pants if he shows his face again.
"We should bring her something," Sean suggests unexpectedly.
We all turn to stare at him.
"What?" He shrugs defensively. "My mom always says never show up empty-handed."
"What did you have in mind? Flowers?" I ask dryly.
"Not flowers," Sean argues. "Something useful. Something that shows we get her situation."
"Like what?" Micah asks. "We barely know her."
“The grimoires in the attic, maybe,” I offer. “The ones from my great-grandmother's collection. The ones Sadie's always trying to steal. They must be good if she wants them. She hates everything else in the damn house.”
Micah looks sheepish on his sister's behalf.
