The same thing goes for Gwen, and to deflect, I turn to her and take her hand.
“I'd love to see what spells you know,” I tell her. “Maybe you can show me your tricks, and I'll show you some of mine when we're back in Scarborough.”
Gwen's eyes twinkle with wonder as she smiles. “Really? I'd love that! Oh my God! That trick you did when you stopped me from using my powers was really cool!”
Chuckling, I nod slowly. “That's a spell that'll take time to use; it takes a lot of practice. But I'll show you how I did mine.”
“Thanks, Delilah,” Gwen sighs as she leans back into the sofa, staring at the ceiling with glittering eyes and looking more comfortable than ever. “I think I like being with other witches. Being a sister and all.”
“I'm glad,” I smile just as Cecelia tells us that Dominic's mother, Delphine, is calling us for dinner.
We make our way to her house, but not before meeting up with the boys, who'd been chilling outside and having beers in the garden.
“Hey, D…” Hunter drawls as he comes toward me, prompting the girls to giggle as they walk away to give us privacy. Lowering my gaze, I timidly tuck my hair behind my ear, becoming giddy for no apparent reason.
Calling a truce with Hunter wasn't what I expected it to be, and I've been feeling like a little girl around him ever since he opened up to me. Perhaps because his truth is out in the open, I've been feeling safer with him, knowing I can trust him and be as open as he's been with me.
“Hey, Hunter…” I whisper shyly, noticing how different things feel between us. “Enjoying your evening?”
“Yeah, I'm glad we came to Nightmist today. But I am starving now,” he chuckles, rubbing his tummy in circles that lift the hem of his T-shirt, allowing me to catch a glimpse of the dark hairs forming a trail into the waistband of his sweatpants.
Gulping as I look away, we continue our stroll toward Delphine's house, and I enjoy the comfortable silence between us. Gwen enters the house alongside Emily, and I'm glad the two have been getting along.
“I'm really glad we brought Gwen with us. She seems to be enjoying the company of our friends.”
Hunter slows down, turning to me. “What did you see when you looked into her past? It must have been something that made you feel guilty.”
“It's not so much what Isaw,” I say as I shrug. “Ifeltthe sadness of her being alone for most of her life. Her father abandoned them, and her mother died when she was twelve. She has been living on her own since then, without anyone to guide her powers.”
Hunter nods thoughtfully as he proceeds toward the porch. “I guess I know what that feels like,” he shivers as if a chill is running through him. “I was alone for most of my life, until Bloodclaw discovered me on their borders.”
“Why didn't you feel like you belonged with them?” I ask curiously, and Hunter turns to me when he's at the door, sighing despondently.
“It had nothing to do with them, and everything to do with me,” he admits. “I was so used to being alone that I'd become resistant to allowing myself the freedom of belonging. Until I was sent to black ops, and I met you guys. It was impossible not to feel welcomed.”
“Well, I'm glad you joined black ops and felt that way.”
Hunter smirks. “I'm glad I metyouspecifically. I guess it was fate.”
Feeling heat creep up my cheeks, I look down sheepishly again. “Yeah, I guess you can say that.”
“Come on,” Hunter says with light amusement in his tone. “I'm starving.”
Hunter holds the door open for me, and I wait for him to close it before entering Delphine's dining room. The others have already taken their seats at the table, and Hunter pulls out a chair, nodding at me to take it.
I thank him softly for the sweet gesture, highly aware that the girls know there's something more than a fake marriage going on between us. But they say nothing, even as Hunter takes the seat beside me, only glancing discreetly at us and giggling under their breath.
I roll my eyes at them, and we proceed with having dinner, enjoying the different entrees Delphine prepared for us. Chatter echoes through the room as Dominic and Sean speak about the alliance their two packs are signing in the coming week, and Nicholas and Donna chat about her studies. Cecelia and Arianna continue asking Gwen questions about her life prior to being found by us in Oakland, and Emily questions why we would have been led to her at all, suspecting that it was perhaps fate that led us to her as a way to give her friends and a group that could do her some good.
Gwen seems to agree with Emily and throws me a quick smile that warms my heart.
Just then, Hunter leans in and whispers in my ear, “This is nice, isn't it? Being away from Scarborough and having dinner…”
“It is nice,” I concede with a nod.
“What if we did this again, but just the two of us?”
I frown as I turn to him. “What? Dinner?” I whisper, and Hunter smiles.
