He let his head fall back and groaned. “Always.”
Testing how slick he was with my fingers, I groaned. “You used more oil this morning, did you not?”
He nodded. “I needed more of you, Sev. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”
I groaned, those words doing things to me. “Well, I cannot leave you wanting. What kind of bonded would I be, then?”
His smile was blinding.
So, we spent the morning with me claiming my fated all over again.
I hoped every morning would start like this.
Chapter 27
Felix
It had been a few days since Sev had fully claimed me, and I’d spent the time creating potions with Giro and then enjoyed Sev claiming me all over again. With my new strength, I’d accidentally ruined a few potions, but since Giro had broken more than me with his new strength, I guessed it could’ve been worse.
Our resting time was coming to a close. Today the werewolf pack would visit, and since Dina had no idea how many of them would be here, we’d gotten every available room ready for guests. We’d even—or Dina—had even ordered more beds to be delivered, turning former empty rooms into guestrooms. We didn’t really care what the rooms were used for anyway, and Sev seemed pleased that we could house this many guests if needed.
Peter and Giro had their own rooms. Like Sev and me, they had the end of a wing with several rooms that belonged to them, kind of like an apartment within the castle. Astrea and Claire shared a suite with connecting rooms, so not as big of an area as ours, but still maybe half an apartment. Then there was Dina and Joel, who unbeknownst to us, had moved into one big room. Joel had flushed so badly when we’d caught them moving his things into Dina’s room, I’d feared he would faint from embarrassment. Dina had only waved us off and requested privacy for the rest of the day. We’d ended up ordering pizza from town, letting Joel have the night off to do whatever he and Dina wanted behind closed doors.
With those rooms occupied, we still had room for fifteen guests and even more if they were okay with sharing a bed. Every room hada double bed, and a small attached bathroom. All except two rooms that shared one bathroom between them.
I was currently going over some papers Peter wanted me to sign. The decision to sell the shop and the apartment above it hadn’t been easy, but it was the right call. Now with all this paperwork, it finally sank in what I was giving up; but I was gaining so much more by doing it. Astrea had already signed everything she needed to sell the house, leaving Peter in charge of the rest. They were only waiting for me now.
The store had been emptied out and so had Astrea’s house. Most things we had decided to donate, which the werewolf movers dealt with, having us on a video call as they moved around the house and in my shop. Peter advised me to leave the furniture in the store and add that as a part of the sale, giving it more value to a future owner. So, I did. Astrea had only wanted her most treasured possessions, and with her being asleep for five years, much of it she felt she needed to let go of. She simply wanted to buy herself new stuff for her new future. I got that. I didn’t want much of my stuff either, mostly just my books.
“Finished?” Peter asked, closing the door behind him to Sev’s study. I leaned back in my chair and nodded. It wasweird letting go of what I’d thought to be my future. Owning that store had been what I’d imagined I’d do forever. I had been happy thinking that. Funny how life could change so quickly. Now all I wanted was to be here.
“Good. Then let us go downstairs. I know my brother would never admit this, but he needs you close when the pack comes. His protective instincts are likely to cause him unease if you are apart.”
“How do you know?” I questioned, then smirked. “Are you speaking from experience?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I might feel a tad bit murderous myself. I intend on finding my witch and keeping him in my arms until they leave.”
I grinned. Giro had told me Peter had been insufferable this morning so he’d needed some fresh air outside. It seemed Peter wasn’t quite okay with that.
“Now that I have you alone,” I said, stopping him from leaving the room. “The burial.”
Peter sighed. “I think he regrets it.”
I nodded. “I feared as much. He talked about Brent yesterday while we made potions. It was my dream potion and he began telling me a story about when he was little and the thunder would wake him up, how his grandpa had given him a potion that helped him sleep. Hehad this fond smile on his face, like he was right back in that moment with him. Then he turned sad and no matter how much I tried to make him smile after that, I failed.” Giro had decided not to go to the burial, too hurt by what his grandpa had done to him and Astrea. But feelings were hard, and now he was working through his emotions.
Peter’s blue eyes held a sadness to them as he spoke. “I do not believe he regrets not going. I think he is struggling with Brent’s absence. He told me he had lived with Brent for years. Realizing he will never speak to him ever again is likely what he is struggling with. But know that making potions with you brightens his day.” That made me smile. “He is always in a good mood when he returns to me.”
“I enjoy it, too. Giro and I are more alike than I’d thought. It’s nice having a friend like him. I never had witch friends growing up, and even though we are family now, he’s still a friend to me.”
“Is there a difference to you?”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
“You say he is a friend to you even though he is family. Can he not be both?”
“Oh,” I said, realizing Peter with his long lifespan likely saw it differently than me. “To me family doesn’t always mean you have tolike one another. But a friend you do. So, me calling Giro my friend means I like him, not because I’m forced to because we’re family, but because I like him, forhim.” I hoped it made sense, and from the nod of approval he gave me, it seemed so.
“Thank you for giving my Giro your friendship. I know he treasures it. Severin and I have had different people over the years we had considered family, but it is not until now it feels right.”
