“Okay, here goes nothing,” I muttered before pulling on the black dress. It draped nicely over my hips but was too long and clung way too tight across my chest. Despite being short and petite, I had bigger boobs than Glynda.
“Congrats. You rock the slutty witch look.” Kenji gave me his version of a high-five, ignoring my glare.
“Great.” I guess I could look forward to an evening of hearing disgusting, misogynistic comments from all the wolf shifters at the ball. Hopefully, Maverick didn’t lose his temper and eviscerate any of them. As a member of the faculty, he was supposed to be on his best behavior.
Witch gossip in the common room also revealed Tiberius Vane was due to give a keynote speech, which meant weallneeded to be on our best behavior.
I heard a knock at my door and rushed over, expecting to see Glynda, but to my surprise, I found Zane.
My heart stuttered in my chest. The incubus had styled his usually messy hair. Instead of faded jeans and a tee, he wore tailored black pants and a black shirt with silver cufflinks.
It was impossible not to swoon; Zane exuded sex appeal. My body wanted to climb him like a tree, but I swallowed hard and forced myself to take a giant step back. Being too close to the incubus would end in tears. My tears.
I couldn’t afford to get distracted this evening. Not with Adam and Willow here, ready to whisk me away, allegedly for my own safety.
Yeah, not happening.
As much as I loved and respected Adam, he needed to let me make my own decisions. I was tired of being a sheep with no autonomy.
“Why are you here?” Two witches twittered behind him, both dressed in pretty pink dresses with lots of feathers and sparkles. The sort of dress I usually loved. Only I was stuck wearing black.
I forced a bright smile, determined to look on the bright side.
He held up a large box stamped with a brand symbol I vaguely recognized.
“A gift for you.”
I stepped aside, unsure what to make of this unexpected event. Zane and gifts seemed an unlikely oxymoron. Mostly he gave me a headache.
“Oooh, Yves Saint Laurent,” Kenji said excitedly. “Thank the goddess. Now I won’t have to cringe with embarrassment when the official photographs appear in tomorrow’s Magical Times.”
I scowled at the nosy witches cooing at the incubus and slammed the door in their faces. They weren’t my friends. I’d read the shit they said about me on the dorm group chat.Bitches.
“There are photos?” I didn’t like the sound of that.
“Possibly. I heard some witches talking about the first-years having photographs taken.” He shrugged. “Ask your friend. What am I? Witchipedia?”
“No, you’re my magical support partner, the familiar who’s supposed to help me!”
“File a complaint with Kitsune HQ. Laters!” He grabbed the protein bar I’d been saving for a late-night study snack and vanished.
“Having relationship drama with your familiar?” Zane asked with a smirk before placing the large box on my messy bed.
“Yes, he’s a pain in my butt.” I huffed in irritation, cross that Kenji had left me alone with the incubus. He knew how weak my self-control was. If Zane tried anything, I wasn’t sure I would turn him down. And that would be a bad idea for many reasons.
Reasons I was having a hard time remembering as Zane smoldered by my door.
“Kitsunes can be willful creatures,” Zane said, oblivious to my mental meltdown. “But he’ll always be there for you when you need him.”
“Assuming he’s not locked up in the magical penitentiary,” I muttered.
“Never mind the kitsune. Open the box.” Zane seemed curiously excited. My eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he just grinned and bounced on the spot.
The lid came off with ease, revealing soft pink tissue paper. Beneath the tissue paper lay a beautiful lilac dress made from delicate silk and embroidered with tiny jewels. The workmanship was exquisite. When I held it up, it sparkled as if a million stars had burst into life.
“It’s beautiful!” And clearly stupidly expensive.
My heart fell. I couldn’t accept such a gift. Gifts from an incubus came with strings attached. “It’s too much, Zane.” I reluctantly placed the stunning dress back in the box, but Zane stopped me, no longer grinning.
