Page 55 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
Micah adjusts his glasses, looking slightly uncomfortable. "My stepsister’s a witch. Not the friendliest witch, especially to wolves, but she agreed to help us find our Bonded because the university deadline was coming up."
"Deadline?" I repeat.
"All supernatural groups on campus have to have a magical counterbalance by the time they graduate," Killian explains. "For stability. We've been searching for two years with no luck."
"Doesn't that still leave you with two years to find one?" I ask warily.
The pack goes silent and I can tell from their awkward expressions there's more to the story.
"They… kind of upped the timeline for us," Rowan says carefully. "There was an incident last semester."
I arch an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.
"Just a little tousle with some vampires," Killian continues, flashing me a grin that's clearly meant to be disarming. And it probably would be, if it weren’t for the pointed wolf fangs on either side of it. "No big deal."
"Uh-huh," I say slowly, unable to hide my doubt.
“And then Sadie's spell led us straight to you,” Micah explains. “We didn't expect a mate bond, though. That's different.”
"Different how?" I ask, genuinely curious despite my reservations. I know how mate bonds work in general, butthey're rare. Rare enough that some people think they're nothing more than a fairy tale. When it comes to shifters specifically, my knowledge is intentionally vague.
Until last night, I never thought I'd have anything to do with wolves.
"A normal Bonded is a magical practitioner who balances the pack's energy," Rowan explains in his measured way. Yeah. Definitely the least himbo-coded of the wolves. "It's a practical arrangement, beneficial to both sides. A mate bond is... deeper. It's not just about energy exchange. It's about connection. Completion."
"And it's mutual," Killian adds, watching me carefully. “You feel it, too, right? You have to. Maybe even when you were in our house.”
I want to deny it, but what's the point? "Yes," I admit reluctantly. "Your scents... affected me. But that could just be the siphon in me responding to potential energy sources."
"It's more than that," Killian insists gently. "You know it is."
I look away, unwilling to concede the point further. "Let's say,hypothetically, that I believed you. And we're mates. What exactly would you expect from me?"
"Nothing you're not willing to give," Killian says immediately. "We want to help you. You can break your bond with that asshole and his coven. We could give you a safe place. Beyond that, it's up to you."
"We'd never force anything," Micah adds, his voice thick with what appears to be genuine fear I’m going to say no.
"And what wouldyouget out of this arrangement?" I ask skeptically.
Sean opens his mouth, then shuts it. Whatever he was about to say, he seems to think better of it, rubbing the back of his head and looking uncharacteristically serious for once.
“A potential mate, if we’re being honest,” Rowan adds carefully. “If you're ever interested in exploring that possibility. That’s a big if. We know. Especially after everything you've been through.”
I stiffen. "Which part of what I've been through are you referring to?"
Four sets of eyes flick briefly to where my scar lies beneath the glamour, then quickly drop again when I flinch.
“All of it,” Killian says solemnly. “The werewolf attack. That dickhead's coven treating you like a battery instead of a person. Being hunted and on the run.”
“You know about the battery thing,” I say, latching onto the opportunity to change the subject. “How much do you know about siphons?”
"We did some research," Micah says, perking up at the question. "You can't generate your own magic, so you have to draw it from external sources."
"Yeah, like fucking," Sean chimes in.
The rest of the pack glares. Micah turns beet red.
So do I, for that matter.
