"Your confidence in my abilities is overwhelming," I say dryly.
Her gaze locks on me, eyes narrowing in assessment. "You look... different. More solid somehow." Her eyes narrow as she steps closer, studying my face. "You're still glamoured, but there's something else..."
Before I can react, she reaches out and touches my neck, her fingers brushing against the bite marks. Her eyes widen.
"Holy shit," she breathes, a grin spreading across her face. "You crazy bitch. You actually did it."
Chapter 10
KILLIAN
I can't stopthe growl that rips from my throat when Sadie touches Regina's neck—our mate'sneck—where our marks are still fresh. The sound is instinctive, coming from somewhere so deep inside me that I couldn't control it if I tried.
"We're not ready for visitors," I bite out, my voice unintentionally rough. "The bond isn't solidified yet."
Sadie's hand drops from Regina's neck, but the witch just rolls her eyes at me, completely unfazed by my display. That's the problem with Micah's stepsister. She's known us too long to be properly intimidated.
"That's no way to treat the witch who helped you complete the ritual, dickhead," she fires back, crossing her arms. The countless bangles on her wrists jangle with the movement. "But fine. I just brought these."
She reaches into her oversized bag—seriously, what the fuck does she keep in there, a portal to another dimension?—andpulls out a small velvet pouch tied with silver thread. The magic buzzing around it is subtle but unmistakable.
"For you," she says, handing the bag to Regina. "Balancing stones. They'll help stabilize the energy exchange between you and these four overgrown puppies. Should make the transition smoother."
Regina accepts the pouch with a genuine smile that makes my heart do a handstand, and my possessive wolf relaxes a little. Only a fraction. "Thank you, Sadie. For this and for everything else. I couldn't have done this without your help."
And then something happens that makes all four of us freeze in shock. Regina steps forward and hugs Sadie. Actually hugs her.
And Sadie—prickly, touch-averse, would-rather-die-than-show-affection Sadie—doesn't recoil.
She shocks us all by hugging Regina back, albeit briefly and with a look on her face like she's going to wither and melt into a puddle of witch goop if it lasts a second longer.
"Sure," Sadie grumbles, stepping back and adjusting her chunky silver necklace like it's suddenly too tight. "When these idiots are done being overprotective cavemen about you, call me and we'll get that coffee." She shoots a pointed look at Micah. "The nerd can give you my number."
"I will," Regina promises, still smiling.
Sadie nods, then turns to leave, pausing only to flip me off one last time before she's out the door. At least some things haven't changed in the last twenty-four hours.
Now that it's just the pack, I let myself breathe. Maybe Sadie's right. My protective instincts are in overdrive. I thought I was bad enough before Regina was officially our mate.
I'm acutely aware of our witch standing there, her scent mingling with ours, the bond between us still new and raw and hungry. My wolf paces beneath my skin, impatient and possessive. The need to solidify our connection is an obsession, like an unscratched itch just under my skin.
But Regina needs strength after what she's been through. I force myself to focus on that, on taking care of her immediate needs rather than my own desperate hunger for her.
"Breakfast," I say, the word coming out gruffer than I intended. "You need to eat."
Regina looks at me, and I know she can feel what I'm feeling through our new bond. The corner of her mouth quirks up in a half-smile that does dangerous things to my self-control.
"I am hungry," she admits, moving toward the table where Rowan has already set out plates.
Sean returns to his pancakes with renewed focus, flipping them like he's auditioning for the fucking Food Network. "Coming right up, sexy witch. I made chocolate chip ones just for you. They're shaped like my package," he says, waggling his eyebrows.
"How incredibly appetizing," she says dryly, but I can feel her amusement.
We settle around the table, and I find myself sitting closer to Regina than necessary, my thigh pressed against hers. I can't help it. The wolf in me needs the contact, needs to be near her, tofeel her warmth and reassure itself that she's really here, really ours.
The others are no better. Micah keeps finding excuses to brush against her as he serves the eggs. Sean actually feeds her a bite of dick-shaped pancake from his own fork. She doesn't seem to notice the shape.
Rowan hasn't taken his eyes off her since she sat down. He's no better than the rest of us when it comes to our mate, even if he's better at pretending he's aloof.
