Page 68 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
“Potentialmate,” Regina corrects him.
Killian rolls his eyes so hard I’m surprised they don’t get stuck that way. "Ignore him," he tells Regina, adding his number.
I take her phone next, since I'm closest, and send myself a text so I have her number. "Done. I'll add you to the chat later."
"Thanks." She takes her phone back, our fingers brushing ever so slightly. The contact sends a jolt through me that I try my best to hide. From the way her eyes widen slightly, I think she felt it too.
An awkward silence falls, charged with everything none of us want to address directly.
Well, the four of us might want to, but we know better. She needs time and space to process everything. We might suck at “time and space,” but we need totry.
Finally, Killian clears his throat.
"So, about breaking your coven bond," he begins carefully. "When did you want to try that?”
Regina's expression tightens slightly. "Soon," she says. "But I have a little time. Villeneuve gave me an elixir that helps replenish my energy temporarily."
"You took a magic drink from the sketchiest guy on campus?" Rowan blurts out, sounding even more judgmental than usual, which is… saying something.
"He means that in the most inoffensive way possible," I say, hoping to soften it.
She blinks, surprised. “Villeneuve? He isn’t sketchy. He was nothing but helpful to me.”
Killian makes a sound that's half snort, half growl. "He has ulterior motives."
"What do you actually know about him?" Regina challenges, her gaze direct now.
We all exchange glances.
"Well, he claims to be a vampire-shifter hybrid," I begin.
"Which is bullshit," Killian interjects. "Bastard walks around in the sun without any enchanted jewelry or ink, as far as I've seen."
"He doesn't smell like anything identifiable, either," Rowan adds. "Which is... unusual."
"He's also got a fetish for busting our balls," Sean grumbles.
“And he has wards around his house powerful enough to physically repel wolves, specifically,” I finish. "Which isn't exactly standard professor equipment."
Regina arches an eyebrow. “That's it? That's your evidence that he's 'sketchy'? That you don’t know what he is?”
"He just is," Killian insists. "My senses have never been wrong about this shit."
I can't help rolling my eyes. "Killian just has a vendetta against him because Villeneuve failed his midterm paper sophomore year."
"That isn’t why!" Killian looks genuinely offended. "And that paper deserved at least a B minus.”
"It really didn't," Rowan murmurs under his breath. "Rolling Stoneis not an academic source."
Regina looks between us, amusement tugging at her lips again. “Well, whatever your history with him is, he gave me sanctuary when I needed it, information when I asked for it, and didn't pressure me about anything.”
"Fair enough," I say, holding my palms up. I don’t trust Villeneuve as far as I can throw him, but I can't argue with herexperience. Hell, for all I know, he only has issues with wolf shifters and doesn’t care about witches. "Just be careful."
"I will," she promises, then stifles a yawn. "Speaking of which, I should probably get some rest. Thank you for the pizza—and the beer."
"Of course," Killian says instantly. "And if you need anything?—"
"Just yell," she finishes for him with a small smile. "I know. Thanks."
