“Playful is good.” She rested her chin on her hands as she propped herself on the table with her elbow. “And Kian?”
“Kian is relatable, and he makes me feel comforted. He makes me feel like he needs me as much as I need him.”
“And Rhett?”
My body heated up at the mention of Rhett, and I sucked in a breath. “Rhett makes me curious about a lot of things. I think... I want to protect him.”
“Now tell me about Thorn,” she whispered with a knowing glint in her eye. “Tell me how you’ve felt about him for years.”
My gaze dropped to the table as I sighed. “Thorn is playful, protective, gentle, and tricky. He makes me feel at home.”
“Why is it that you get six fine ass men, and I’m just now getting interested in one?” She pouted, tossing her straw wrapper at me playfully.
I caught it and shrugged. “I wouldn’t say that I have them, just that I’ve started having feelings for them.” She shot me an ‘are you kidding me’ look, and I held up my hands in defense. “So, who is it you’re interested in?”
She ran a finger down the table as she smiled. “Nate. The fire fae we were talking to a couple of days ago.”
“The one Thorn doesn’t like?”
“Oh, come on. Everyone has problems. Not everyone likes everyone.” She pouted. “Besides, Nate apologized for thatdisagreementhe and Thorn had.”
I pursed my lips. “I get that, but Thorn has never hated someone for no reason.”
Her smile dropped, and she leaned back in the seat, letting her hands fall to her lap. “Wren, I get that you’re concerned. I was concerned about Damien, but you proved me wrong about that one. Can you just give me the chance to prove you wrong about Nate?”
Sitting back, I noticed the seriousness in her expression and her stance. I’d never seen Trixie so equally upset and determined before. “You’re right,” I stated, frowning. “I’m sorry. You’re just the first girlfriend I’ve ever had, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”
She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “I understand. Again, remember what I said about Damien?” She smirked, making me giggle.
“That’s true, but still. I’ll try to be more supportive from here on out. But if he hurts you, I’ll have Damien torture him.”
Her face went blank for a second before she started cackling. “Oh, Kalista! That man has changed you already.”
“Changed?” I tilted my head.
Waving her hand back and forth, she sobered up from laughing. “Not in a bad way. It’s almost like you’re becoming your true self. That’s all.”
I smiled, glancing at my lap. “Yeah, it feels like I’m finding myself.”
An extra loud, forced laugh resounded from Mirella as she and Grayson came in holding hands and sat down at the table next to us.
The bond zapped through the air and shot through my chest as our gazes met, and I bared my teeth at him.
“Babe, deep breath,” Trixie murmured, patting the back of my hand. “It’s not surprising that his presence bothers you.”
“It’s more than that,” I gritted out, forcing myself to turn my head from him. “The bond is getting worse. More painful.” I gasped as it felt like my rib broke and punctured my heart, although I knew that wasn’t what had happened.
The bond was a punishment I wasn’t sure what I had done to deserve, but I would scream my forgiveness to the sky if it would help.
She nibbled on her bottom lip before glancing at them. Turning back around, she hesitated. “I know a spell that could break a matebond, but only if both parties have rejected it.”
My frantic heart jumped to my throat. “We have.”
She grabbed a piece of paper and pen and jotted something down before sliding it to me.
It’s dark magic. It’s dangerous, and it could hurt both you and Grayson.
I looked up and nodded, pain shaking my bones. “Please. The bond hurts worse than anything the magic could do to me.”
