Page 77 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
She needsus.
But she has to choose us first. And that's the fucking torture of it all.
Rowan opens the front door before we reach it. "I'll get water," he says. "Some electrolytes would help."
"I'll grab blankets," Sean adds, taking off.
I carry Regina straight to the sunken conversation pit in the living room, lined with cushions and pillows. It’s the perfect nest, though we've never used it that way before. My wolf rumbles with approval as I lower her gently onto the soft surface.
"Comfortable?" I ask, reluctantly releasing her.
"You didn't have to carry me," she says with an irritated arch of her eyebrow. “I’m not some helpless damsel in distress.”
“Never said you were. But you scared the shit out of us.” I gesture to where Sean is piling blankets beside her. Rowan is already returning with a glass of water sizzling from the electrolytes tablet he dropped in it. "Let us take care of you. Just for now."
Something flickers across her face that looks dangerously like confusion and disbelief. It hits me then that she's not used to this. Not used to being cared for without strings attached. The thought makes me want to hunt down every person who's ever failed her, starting with that one-armed piss-pants fucker who's still taking breaths he doesn't deserve. A cosmic imbalance I intend to fix as soon as I get the chance.
"What do you need?" I ask, crouching beside her. "Anything at all."
"Nothing, really," she says, then hesitates. She touches her face, fingers skimming the glamour that hides her scars. "Actually… I should probably drop this. It's draining too much energy. So, um, maybe some privacy? Or I could go upstairs."
My heart sinks. She really thinks she has to keep that damn thing on around us.
I exchange a glance with Sean and Rowan, their distress as obvious as mine. We all want to argue, to insist she doesn't need to wear a mask around us, magical or otherwise, but we all know how that's gonna go.
She doesn't trust us enough to be vulnerable. Not yet. And I can only imagine what that dickhead said and did to her to make her feel that way.
He won't be so cocky when I peel all the skin off his face and wave it in front of him like a fucking slice of ham.
"Stay here," I add more gently. "You're comfortable, and it's easier for us to bring you things. We'll give you space."
She looks between us, clearly debating. "You don't have to leave your own living room. I can manage?—"
"Regina," Rowan interrupts, handing her the sports drink. "Stay hydrated. And stop arguing with three alphas who are all in protective overdrive right now. It's not a battle you're going to win."
A reluctant smile tugs at her lips. "Fine. But just for a bit."
"We'll be in the kitchen," I promise, gesturing for the others to follow me. “Just… call if you need anything, okay?”
As we head toward the kitchen, I catch Sean stealing glances back at Regina. I can practically hear his wolf whining.
My sentiments exactly.
Leaving her feels wrong, like we're abandoning her. But I know pushing too hard will only drive her away. She's skittish and independent and so goddamn stubborn. All qualities I admire, even though they’re frustrate me to hell right now.
"She's not used to anyone taking care of her," Sean mutters once we're out of earshot. "She acts like electrolyte mix and tampons are a virgin fucking sacrifice or something."
"Male witches are fucking useless," I growl, pacing the kitchen floor. "What's the point if they don't even take care of their women?"
Sean leans against the counter, still uncharacteristically serious. That’s what’s really scaring me. Whatever happened out there, it was clearly enough to completely rob him of the ability to joke around. “I know the assholes who hunt witches are usually the bad guys, but maybe just this one coven,” he grits out, lip curling into the beginning of a growl. “As a treat?”
“Focus,” Rowan interjects. “Regina needs energy. The glamour is depleting her, but she feels like she needs it. What are we going to do about it?”
I rake a hand through my hair, torn between what my wolf wants and what Regina needs. "Well, we can't pressure her. She has to come to us on her own terms."
"And if she doesn't?" Sean mutters.
"She will," I say with more conviction than I feel. "The bond works both ways. She feels it too. She just needs space to listen to her instincts."
