Page 64 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
I think of Kyle's dismembered arm lying in the grass, vines already beginning to reclaim it. “Um. Sort of…?”
"You need me to come get you?" Cadence asks. "I can be on the next flight. You can stay with me until we figure this out."
"No, it's okay. I've already found a... solution. Maybe."
"A solution to what? The Kyle problem? The coven bond?"
"Both, hopefully." I close my eyes, trying to figure out how to explain my current living situation without sounding completely insane.
"Okay, I'll bite. What's the solution? You found another coven that fast?" She isn’t even bothering to hide her suspicion, and I know why. Because she knows the odds of me finding people that will put up with my “situation” are fucking low, siphon or not. I’m still bonded to the coven, and I look like a freak. A freak who uses sex magic. A winning combo.
I don’t know what to say, so I don’t say anything at all, caught between the urge to lie and knowing my sister will see right through it.
"Regina." Cadence's voice shifts into big-sister mode. "What coven?"
"It's not a coven," I admit quietly.
“Then what is it?” She groans. “Don't tell me it's vampires.”
“It's not vampires.”
"Then what... oh my gods.” She falls silent for a beat, then bursts into laughter. "Very funny, Regina. For a second I thought you were going to say shifters."
I don't respond.
Her laughter cuts off abruptly. "Regina. Tell me you're not serious."
“It's shifters.”
"Regina!" Her voice lifts an octave. A second later, she takes a deep breath. "Okay, I've collected myself. What kind of shifters? Cats? Bears? Fuckingbeavers? Because Iknowyou’re not shacking up with?—”
“Wolves,” I confirm flatly. "Temporarily."
Her silence says more than words could. But I know she still has plenty of those left.
"Have you lost your fuckingmind?" Cadence shrieks suddenly. "After what happened to you? After what a werewolf did to yourface?"
I cringe, holding the blaring phone away from my ear. "These are shifters, not werewolves," I correct automatically even though it's a distinction that doesn't mean all that much to me. "And yes, I'm well aware of the irony."
"Irony? IRONY? You're living withwolves, Regina! The same kind of monsters that nearly killed you!"
"Different kind," I reiterate. “Werewolves are cursed. These guys are born shifters. They have control over their transformations.”
"Oh, well that makes it totally fine then!" Cadence's voice drips with sarcasm. "I'm sure they're perfect gentlemen who would never,everrip your throat out and eat you while you’re still twitching.”
"They..." I pause, considering my next words carefully. "They say I'm their mate."
Dead silence on the other end of the line. I can practically hear Cadence's brain short-circuiting.
"Theirwhatnow?" she finally croaks.
“Mate. As in, magically destined partner or whatever.” I sound as skeptical as I feel, which is saying something.
She groans. “You can't be serious.”
"Trust me, I'm finding it hard to believe myself."
"How many of them are there?"
