She hugged my mom and ushered us inside. “Nope, you will always be my babies.”
My mom looked around the room a little sad but then smiled. Seeing the witches always reminded her of Sylvia, the old coven leader who sacrificed herself to save my mom. Her picture hung on the wall. She had long red hair and vibrant green eyes. My mom said she still visits her in her dreams.
My mom awkwardly cleared her throat. “We have an issue.”
Gretchen sat erect, eyes flashing silver. “Tell me.” Her tone was ominous. Scary.
“Jesus, Mom. Way to freak everyone out. It’s not an issue, per se, it’s a puzzle.” I tried to lighten the mood.
Jax pointed at me. “Anya has been dreaming of some hot guy who we think is her mate. Issue is, that he is human and she literally gets burning hot thinking about him. Today she had a vision while awake and he asked for help.”
‘You freaking traitor!’I shot at him.
‘I’m protecting you,’he reminded me.
Jesus! He couldn’t have worded that better?
Gretchen stood deadly still. Her eyes went silver as she began to pace the carpet. Silver meant she was in the witch zone and shit was about to go down.
“Are you sure he’s human?” Gretchen finally asked me. Her hazy silver eyes were hypnotic.
“Pretty sure. He is not a vampire, witch, or werewolf. I just know,” I confidently told her.
She nodded, accepting that. “Did he seem hot in any of the dreams? Temperature wise, not looks wise.” She grinned.
Oh my God, how embarrassing!
“Yes, he was dripping sweat in the last one.” My cheeks were red. Kill me now.
“You didn’t say that!” my mom scolded.
Gretchen rubbed her chin. “Interesting.”
Jax mirrored Gretchen with the chin rubbing. I might as well get my all-season pass to freakville now because something was definitely wrong with me.
“I have a theory,” Gretchen finally stated and we all leaned forward in our seats, rapt with attention.
She sighed and locked her silver eyes right on me. “First, that this boyisyour mate. Old legend says the Matefinder doesn’t begin to get a vision of other mated couples UNTIL she finds her mate.”
The air whooshed out of me. My mate? Hottie dream guy could be my mate? Holy shit, was I ready for that? I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. Mom caught me smiling and smiled as well. Jax, however, was scowling.
“Secondly,” Gretchen went on, “because of your close mate connection you are feeling what he feels. The heat. Something is wrong with him. He is in trouble.”
Well, shit. Add that to my plate, why don’t you? Could he really be my mate? I mean, my whole life my parents drilled into us how amazing and life-changing it was to meet your mate and how secure and loved up you felt, but now that Gretchen had said it, I was just nervous and didn’t want it to be true.
“How am I supposed to find this guy? And how the hell can a human be my mate?” I asked.
Gretchen’s eyes blazed silver then, her voice deadpan. “He will find you. Fate will lead him to you. Mates are meant to be, no matter what.”
Goosebumps broke out on my arms. Okay … like I said, shit just got real.
*
The entire ride home, I was quiet. Jax and my mom listened to the radio while I tried not to freak the hell out. I may have found my mate, and by the way, he was human and hotter than the sun … and in trouble and lost. Shit.
‘You okay?’
Our twin bond was going haywire. I knew Jax was picking up on my erratic feelings. Twenty years of nothing and then bam! Dreams, fevers, awake visions. I wasn’t used to this like my mom was.
