Loxley laughs and pulls me in for another sweet kiss. Rubbing my face, he says, “Best. Familiar. Ever.”
“Aww, you two finally figured it out!” Anika walks in, holding a massive tray with a teapot.
“This calls for some celebratory pre-supper tea and snacks,” Lisbeth says.
“I heard tea and snacks,” Shugo says, walking in from the basement. He’s beaming while holding his pet chicken.
“Uh-uh!” Lisbeth points at Shugo as Anika pours the tea. “You know the rules. Keep that thing out of the living room.”
Loxley and I chortle, but Shugo frowns. “But look how sad Cluckboy is! He almost cried when I tried to leave him in the outdoor coop just now.” Holding up the animal, the chicken indeed looks distraught. So much human emotion in that bird.
“I don’t care. No familiars in here.” Lisbeth sips her tea, and I send her a curious look. “Not you. Familiars with opposable thumbs don’t count.”
We all laugh, but Shugo continues to coddle his chicken. “I can relate, little clucker,” I say, pointing to the bird. “I don’t particularly wanna be away from this guy, either.”
I squeeze Loxley’s thigh, and he beams at me. “Move in,” he says.
My brow furrows. I glance over to where Lisbeth and Shugo are still bickering. “There might be too many witches in this house,” I whisper.
He titters, then says, “I’ll move in with you.”
The very thought sets my soul ablaze. I’d get to hold Loxley in my bed every night? We have plenty of room at our house, and it would certainly free up space in Boysen House. I smile and nod, letting him know I am so down.
Life is coming at us fast, with changes left and right. I want to keep Loxley healthy in case his curse never gets lifted. But my folks always taught me that’s what being a part of the magical community is all about?helping each other. So, I intend to start with the guy to my right, my boyfriend, and possibly, my forever partner.
CHAPTER 25- LOXLEY
GORDY HITS HIShead on the table. “I don’t wanna study anymore,” he whines. Patting his head, I smile fondly at him. We have been at it most of the day, so I sympathize. The kitchen of the Jade Lion house has become our prime study zone for the competency exam. “Why do we even need to take the competency exam?” He sits up, and his tail wags behind him. “I’m the Ruby Turtle of legend, and you’re my fated mate. Don’t we have enough magic?”
His adorable frustration makes me snigger. It’s been a week since I moved in, and three weeks since I’ve been cursed with occasional fangs. I’ve long since gotten used to feeding off of Gordy daily. I always try to be gentle so as to not hurt him and only take enough to top me off. He keeps insisting I can take more, and I keep replying that the less time I spend biting into his wrist, the more comfortable we both will be. But when that’s over, we both go to work, play video games at night, and share meals with our roommates.
Kai and Seb have been completely welcoming. But they insist we join the Union.
“Break?” I ask.
“Yes, please.” He abruptly stands up and yawns. When he stretches, I gaze at his sexy shell. I never thought I’d build my life around a giant turtle man, but I can’t imagine another mate. Or another familiar, for that matter. I’m so gone for Gordy Lee, and I’m blessed to know the feeling is mutual.
A naughty idea strikes me, so I stand up and take his hand. “Bed?”
“Yes,” he hisses. “Let’s go play video games.” I shake my head as we walk, and he quirks an eyebrow. “What? Do you need to feed?”
He raises his wrist, but I shake my head. “Are you hearing too many voices?”
“No.” Since I got the curse, I haven’t been overwhelmed by my empath powers; I consider it a nice little side effect.
“Then what, a nap? It’s pretty late.”
“Mmm…a massage.”
“Oh, okay!” He grins, and I lock the door. When he sits on the bed, I quickly get on my knees on the mattress behind him.
“Wait, let me shift. You can probably get my muscles better if my shell isn’t in the way.” He turns into his human guise, and I frown. This isn’t ideal, but I have no choice but to comply. When I begin to knead his big, muscular traps, he lets out a soft moan. Success!
Gordy turns to putty as I work him with my fingers. His satisfied sounds make the room feel warmer. A hundred naughty thoughts burn through the mind. We’ve barely gotten off together since the whole kidnapping fiasco, but that changes tonight. After all, what better way to study than letting off some steam?
And I have one particular spell I’ve been practicing that I want to show him.
“Shift,” I whisper.
