Page 98 of Wishing for a Werewolf
Skye turns red again, but she giggles, a hint of her spicy side glinting in her eyes. “We’re not here to talk about my love life or lack thereof. Get back to you and Rune.”
“Well…” I nibble on my donut, drawing out the tension until I can’t hold it in anymore. “We’re not just in love—we’re also fated mates!”
“Freaking yeah!” Hannah whoops, throwing her arms around me as Skye swoops in from the other side.
When they finally let me go, Hannah widens her eyes at me. “So the knot… am I right, or am Iright?”
“Oh, god, the knot is next level!” My thighs clench just thinking about it. “We were locked together all night.”
Skye lets out a dreamy sigh. “It’s so romantic.”
“You know what’s really romantic? The mate bond.” I rub at the center of my chest. “I can feel Rune here, all the time. We’re connected heart to heart.”
And it’s the most amazing feeling in all the worlds.
I burst through the door of I Touch My Shelf and lift my canvas totes high, making the bottles inside clink and my bangles chime. “Hello, Witch Bitches! Sorry I’m late.” Your Bubbly Charm opened four days ago, and everything’s been a whirl as I try to work out how to juggle my responsibilities at the farm with the new shop and spending as much time with Rune as possible.
The gang’s all here, and Babybelle races around the room, shouting, “Me! Me! Me! You want to pet me!”
I laugh as Violeta and the others coo over my familiar, who prances like the little attention hog she is.
Then Naomi puts her hands on her hips. “You’re the one who tore up all the toilet paper.” Babybelle slides to a halt and gives her the full-on innocent-eye act, and my friend melts. “Oh, who can stay mad at you, you little cutie?”
“I know,” the mini-goat baas. “I’m effing adorable!”
“Since when do you say ‘effing’?” I shoot her a startled glance. “It’s not really a bad word, but it’s kind of… uh…” I lose momentum, not wanting to tell her what it stands for.
She stomps a little hoof. “You say it all the time.”
“She’s got you there,” Hannah says, coming over to the sideboard to help me.
“If she said effing, she’s definitely your familiar.” Skye giggles as she joins us.
There’s a scratching at the door, and Kayla gets up to let in Finn.
Hannah startles. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t like girl talk.”
He yips at her, his bushy tail swishing, and she laughs. “Someonewanted everyone to remember who the first familiar is.”
Grinning his fox grin, Finn runs around the room, demanding pets. He wiggles with delight as everyone scratches around his ears or rubs his belly, laughing in a cackle that almost sounds like a hyena. Finally, he reaches where Babybelle sits. They come nose to nose, sniffing each other, and I tense, as does Hannah beside me.
Then my familiar says in a bubbly voice, “Do you want to play?”
Finn must read her tone, because he yips and drops his chest to the ground, his butt and tail staying high. Then he springs upward and races for the bookshelves. Babybelle gives a happy bleat and goes dashing after him.
Hannah shares a relieved smile with me, and we return to helping Skye with snack prep. In no time at all, the three of us have cupcakes and cocktails ready for everyone, andHannah lifts her cup in a toast. “I call this Witch Bitch Spicy Book Club meeting to order.”
“Hear, hear!” I clink my paper cup to hers and take a swig, the spicy sweetness of the pumpkin spice latte cocktail rolling over my tongue.
We’ve been texting up a storm in the group chat, but everyone still asks for details, so I go over all the things I’ve learned about my magic, ending with, “So it was our heart wishes that caused the wish swap, not my magic. It’s a relief to know it’s not as prone to mishaps as I thought, but I still have to be careful when I grant wishes.”
“In what ways?” Kayla asks. Her slogan T-shirt reads:I know I said hi, but that doesn’t mean I actually want to talk to you.
“I have to worry about wishes taking someone else’s possessions. Like when Madison wished for money. The wish didn’t conjure a twenty dollar bill from thin air—it took it from Destiny’s wallet. So I’m trying to find safe things my magic can do.” Ticking them off on my fingers, I say, “One, I can fix accidents, like a smashed jack-o’-lantern or spilled coffee. Two, I can bring you something you already own, which means I can find lost things, like missing library books.”
“Oh, that’s brilliant!” Jasmine holds out a hand. “I wish I had my favorite silk scrunchie.” A tingle of magic zips through me, and an extra-large turquoise scrunchie appears on her palm.
“What are you going to do when people wish for things that violate your rules?” Kayla asks.
