Page 58 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
I’mcertainlynot used to being looked at like I hung the damn moon in the sky.
But they're still wolves.
Still dangerously close to the creature that left me scarred inside and out.
And no matter how convincing the puppy eyes are, I know better than to let my guard down.
Chapter
Sixteen
REGINA
Villeneuve's study door feels impossibly heavy as I push it open. Or maybe that's just the weight of the decision I've made settling across my shoulders. He glances up from a leather-bound volume, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp, assessing.
"I've decided to go with them," I say, not bothering with preamble. "On a trial basis."
He marks his place with a thin ribbon and closes the book. "I see."
I eye him warily. "You don't seem surprised."
"I'm rarely surprised, little witch." His lips quirk into the ghost of a smile. "Though I must admit, the Underwood pack has a way of upending all expectations."
I shift my weight, unsure how to read his reaction. I'd expected resistance, perhaps even an argument. Villeneuve strikes me assomeone who doesn't like to lose, and somehow, I feel like a chess piece moving to another player's square.
He also seems… sad?
Why?
"Do you think I'm making a mistake?" I ask warily.
He considers that for what feels like a small eternity, hands steepled beneath his chin. "I think you are making a choice. Whether it proves to be a mistake depends entirely on what you do with it." He stands, moving to a cabinet near the window. "Are you certain this is what you want?"
“Certain? No.” I let out a short, humorless laugh. “But it seems like the most practical option right now. They need a magical counterbalance. I need a new bond to break the old one. Hell, I was considering vampires, and they wereassholevampires. Asshole vampires that acted like they were going to puke into their stupid golden toilets when they saw my face.”
He doesn’t react to that. Doesn’t even blink or twitch his jaw. Okay, so maybe he isn’t a vampire, then? This guy really gives me absolutely nothing to work with when it comes to figuring out what he is.
“And they…” I continue, but I hesitate, unsure how to articulate the pull I feel toward them without sounding like I’ve lost my mind.
Maybe I have.
"They call to something in you," he finishes for me, his back still turned as he rummages through the cabinet. "The universe has its own logic, Regina. Sometimes the most unexpected path is the one we're meant to follow."
"That sounds suspiciously like destiny," I say dryly. "I'm not much of a believer."
“And yet here you are, considering a bond with four wolves who found you through a spell and claim you as their mate.” He turns, holding a small crystal vial filled with the same golden liquid he gave me the night before. “Curious behavior for a non-believer, isn’t it?”
I don't have a good response to that.
He's right, though.
"Should you find the pack unsuitable," Villeneuve continues, extending the vial toward me, "or should they prove... difficult to manage, my door remains open to you."
I take the vial, surprised by the gesture. "You made more?"
"I made it for you," he corrects. "A parting gift. When your energy levels deplete, it will sustain you temporarily. Not a permanent solution, but it may buy you a bit of time, should you need it."
"Thank you," I say, kind of awkwardly, tucking the vial carefully into my pocket. "For everything. The sanctuary, the information..."
