Page 99
My muscles locked tight.
“... Lochran?” I said, my voice wary, my body still thrumming with the need to defend, to destroy.
A dramatic, exaggerated cough echoed from within the swirling shadows—distinctly feminine, distinctly sarcastic. The darkness dissipated instantly, revealing Lochran—grinning from ear to ear—with a beautiful russet-haired witch pinned protectively behind him.
She arched a brow, looking between Lochran and me with the air of someone barely restraining amusement. Then, a slow, knowing smile spread across her lips. “Devlin...” she mused, eyessparkling. “You mean the incubus that got run over three times in one day?”
I felt the air shift behind me. A second later, Jen’s warm hand pressed against my back, her presence hesitant as she peered over my shoulder.
The moment Jen stepped into view, the strange witch’s expression transformed. Her eyes widened in recognition. In shock.
Jen went still. I felt her body shrink slightly, as if bracing herself.
The witch took a step forward. “Jen? Is that you, Jen?”
I tensed, my shadows curling tighter around me, the sheer force of my protective instinct surging forward like a hurricane—
Only to find myself met with equal force.
Lochran’s shadows billowed out, meeting mine in a surge of power that sent a heavy pulse through the air.
The witch let out a genuine cough this time, waving a hand in front of her face. “Cut it out, Lochran!”
Lochran’s shadows immediately dropped away, revealing him once more—this time with a sheepish grin.
“Sorry,” he said to me with a shrug, completely unbothered by the near power clash we had just engaged in. “Might be a little protective over my new mate.” His grin shifted—less sheepish, more... cautious—as he added, “And with good reason.”
“That makes two of us,” I said, my voice caught somewhere between understanding and warning.
Lochran’s eyes flicked toward Jen again, his expression morphing into something close to awe. “She finally summoned you?”
I exhaled through my nose, the corners of my lips twitching. “Not exactly.”
Lochran arched a brow, the question clear in his gaze.
I let out a slow breath, reminding myself that Lochran was my best friend. Not a threat.
“You?” I asked.
His grin stretched. “Not quite. My mate”—he tilted his head toward the russet-haired witch—“accidentally summoned me.”
I felt my own lips quirk. “Mine accidentally vacationed with me.”
The witch let out an exasperated sigh, muttering something under her breath before impatiently tapping her foot against the wooden porch.
“C’mon, dudes. You literally saw each other last week. I haven’t seen Jen in almost a decade.”
Before I could react, she ducked under my arm, breezing past my protective stance like it was nothing, and yanked a very startled Jen into a tight embrace.
“Excuse me,” she said, practically squeezing the breath from my mate, “but I have a friend to catch up with.”
***
Lochran twisted the cap off a beer bottle with a sharptsssskh, the sound crisp in the cool night air. He handed it to me, the bottle slick with condensation, before cracking open one for himself. Lifting it to his lips, he took a long, lazy sip, sighing in satisfaction as he settled into his seat beside me.
We sat on the porch, our gazes fixed on the two witches curled up in front of the outdoor fire. The golden glow of the flames flickered across their faces, their cheeks flushed from warmth and wine. Wrapped in thick blankets, they leaned into one another, talking excitedly—as if nine years of separation had never happened.
I let out a slow breath, something unspoken pressing in my chest.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99 (Reading here)
- Page 100