Page 90 of Wrongfully Magicked
Porter shoots me an amused look, but I scowl and turn away from the fucker, pretending I didn’t see it. Thankfully, Porter takes over the conversation. “When did your powers emerge?”
“I’m not really sure.” Anita shrugs as she shoves a full slice of bacon into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out adorably, and I discreetly place another slice on her plate when she takes a sip of coffee. “I’ve always had some type of magic. When my parents discovered it, they started doing tests. Each year, they became more and more brutal, and it worked—each year, my powers grew.”
With her plate piled high, Anita turns and takes a seat across from Porter at the island. It’s only after she takes another bite that she notices the silence and peers up from under her eyebrows.
“What?” she asks with her mouth full.
I slowly slide a napkin toward her. I should be appalled by her manners, but when her tongue flicks out to clean her bottom lip, my cock doesn’t care.
“You’re a hybrid. A demon.” Porter sets his coffee down on the table, cupping his hands around the mug. Most do that to keep their hands warm, but Porter’s shadows are as cold as ice. He does it to fit in with others, but the way he’s clutching it right now, I suspect he’s also trying to resist the urge to touch Anita.
His control is slipping. He’s so focused on her, I’m not even sure he’s aware of the way his shadows slowly creep across the counter.
“Your parents probably don’t know anything about demon heritage. When they saw your powers, they must have assumed your abilities were manifesting and pushed you to harness your magic.” He rubs his jaw, his burnt orange eyes hardening. “Why settle for the powers of one demon when you can have two?”
My basilisk hisses at the torture she must have endured at the hands of her family, and the spicy burn of venom fills mymouth as I struggle to control the need to hunt those assholes down and remove every trace of their existence from the planet. I clench my fists as my scales ripple across my skin, the basilisk prepared to go to war.
It’s been decades since my basilisk reacted in such a way other than to protect me or the men on my team. My family was basically a den of vipers who wouldn’t blink to eat their young. I got out as soon as I could, but the damage had been done.
My basilisk is an antisocial asshole, even with the guys, who are the closest thing it considers family. Around Anita, my beastling is as tame as a pussycat, almost timid for fear of scaring her off.
His abilities seem muted when around her. At first, I thought it was the basilisk choosing to spare her, but I suspect it’s her heritage that allows her to look directly at me without being affected.
My dick aches at the thought of being able to touch her without fear that my poison will affect her, and I curl my hands into fists to resist the urge to test my theory.
Not yet.
I’m not ready.
Because if I’m wrong, it would destroy me.
No, I need to ease my presence into her life. Small touches, microdosing her with my poison so even if I slip up and touch her while I sleep or lose control when fucking her, she won’t be affected.
My cock throbs in protest at being forced to wait, my balls aching to fill her with my seed, but the torture will be worth it when I finally claim her for my own. I casually walk behind Anita, brushing my fingers against the back of her arm as I move past.
She shivers deliciously, her breath catching, and the dry sound of scales rubbing against each other fills my head asmy basilisk coils in my chest, just lying in wait for the perfect opportunity to claim our mate.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
PORTER
It’s hard to focus with Cassius circling Anita like she’s his next meal. His unblinking stare would unnerve even the strongest man, but not her. Despite spending all night with Stryker and Soren, her pupils flare in interest when he nears. She subconsciously leans toward him every time he passes, as if seeking his attention.
I tighten my grip around the cup to keep myself from yanking her away, wanting to protect her, but that wouldn’t be fair to either of them.
His fascination borders on obsession. For the first time since we met at MID, he’s finally opening up to someone. If she’s taken away now, he will never allow it to happen again.
I want us to have a future, something to look forward to after all the darkness we face hunting the worst of the worst. We need something to work toward.
None of us agreed upon anything…until now.
Until her.
A mate.
I bite my tongue, leaving his courtship to them, and focus on the best way to protect Anita. Because if we can’t save her, we’ll lose ourselves to the darkness and become the monsters everyone fears.
Anita grimaces at my comment about demons, then she nods and flashes me a wry grin. “That sounds like my family.”
