She gives me a look that's half exasperation, half fondness. "Let me see what else you grabbed. If there are any cone bras or fishnets, it's a pass."
Probably a wise decision, because I'm going to want to fuck her in everything she puts on. Or takes off.
"One day, you'll recognize my vision."
We end up buying nearly everything I selected—even if she doesn't want the skintight hot pink T-shirt that says "STACKED" on the front for some reason—plus a few more things Regina picks out herself. By the time we head to the register, we've accumulated enough clothes to fill her closet.
It's still not as much as I want her to get. There's no amount of Killian's money that's too much for our mate.
The attendant rings everything up without comment, but her eyebrows do rise slightly at the total.
"Your boyfriend must really love you," she remarks as I hand over the black card without blinking at the four-digit sum. She does a double-take as if she just noticed Regina's mating mark, but I can see her human brain immediately dismiss the silver scars as a strange tattoo.
Regina's face turns beet red, and she mumbles something I can't make out. Something that leaves me preening anyway. I gather up the bags once the transaction is finished, waving away Regina's attempts to help.
"I got it," I insist as soon as we're out of earshot of the cashier. "Wolf strength, remember? This is nothing."
"My hero," she says dryly.
I know she's being sarcastic, but my ego swells all the same.
Chapter 22
REGINA
The dark lightsof the Cauldron turn Sadie's blue-black hair into an iridescent halo as she leans forward, watching me with undisguised fascination. The coffee shop is bustling, students hunched over laptops, professors grading papers, and the occasional supernatural being trying and mostly failing to blend in with the humans.
"Do it again," Sadie demands, her heavily-lined eyes wide with excitement. "I've been trying to get that spell right for months."
I grin. It's nice to impress someone with my actual skills rather than just my rare classification. Especially someone as hard to impress as Sadie.
She and my sister, who has been notably aloof since finding out I'm sharing a pack house with four himbo wolf shifters, woulddefinitelyget along.
"Fine, but this is the last time," I say, glancing around to make sure no one's watching too closely.
I extend my hand over the table, palm down, and draw on the well of energy that now lives inside me. That steady, pulsing connection to four alpha wolves that never seems to dim.
The power rises eagerly, almost playfully, responding to my call with an enthusiasm that still catches me off guard. It's nothing like the carefully rationed trickle of power Kyle allowed me.
With a subtle flick of my fingers, I pull at the air molecules above the table, compressing and cooling them until tiny ice crystals form. They dance and swirl in a miniature vortex before arranging themselves into a perfect crystalline lotus flower that hovers an inch above the wooden surface.
"Holy shit," Sadie breathes, reaching out but stopping just short of touching it. "That's elemental manipulation without a focus object. Do you have any idea how advanced that is?"
I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant even as pride blooms in my chest. "It's just basic thermodynamics with a magical push."
"Basic my ass," Sadie snorts, still staring at the ice flower. "So far, the best I've managed is a sad little slush puddle that ruined my grimoire."
With another gesture, I let the flower dissolve back into vapor. No evidence left behind. A habit from years of practicing magic in places where I wasn't supposed to.
"You're really fucking good," Sadie says, leaning back in her chair. "Like, scary good. And your control is insane. Is that from the bond?"
I take a sip of my latte, considering. "Partly. The steady energy flow helps with accuracy and Villeneuve's been helping me learn ways to channel it more efficiently." I trace the rim of my mugwith my finger. "It also helps not to constantly worry about running out of power. When you've spent years rationing every drop of magic, you learn to be efficient."
Sadie's expression darkens. "That walking bag of dicks really did a number on you, didn't he?"
"That's one way to put it." I don't elaborate. I don't need to. Sadie understands the magical community's politics better than most.
"Well, his loss is my gain. You have to show me how you're manipulating the crystalline structure without fracturing it." She leans forward again, eyes gleaming with academic interest. "And then maybe you can help me with this banishing spell I've been working on. The matrix keeps collapsing."
