Page 17 of Enchanting the Alpha (Mystic Hollow #1)
SEVENTEEN
“ H e asked you out?” Clover squealed later that evening, nearly dropping her slice of pizza. They sat cross-legged on cushions in Romi’s living room, surrounded by floating candles and half a dozen outfit options hovering in the air.
“For a whole day,” Romi confirmed, trying to sound casual and failing miserably. “Starting with breakfast.”
“That’s so romantic!” Clover sighed, then narrowed her eyes at Romi’s expression. “But you’re worried.”
“Not worried exactly.” Romi absently stroked Whiskers curled up in her lap. “Just... cautious. You know how my last relationship ended.”
“Xabir isn’t Barrett.”
“No, he’s not.” Romi smiled despite herself, remembering the way Xabir’s eyes had softened when he smiled at her. “He’s... different. In a good way. But that’s what scares me. I thought Barrett was different too.”
Clover reached over to squeeze her hand. “Want to know what I think?”
“Always.”
“I think you’re already half in love with him.” She held up a hand to stop Romi’s protest. “And that’s okay. It’s okay to be scared and excited at the same time. It’s okay to want to take things slow. But don’t let fear of what might go wrong stop you from discovering what might go right.”
“When did you get so wise?” Romi threw a piece of crust at her cousin.
“I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books.” Clover grinned. “Plus, watching you two dance around each other has been better than any romance novel. The way he looks at you when he thinks no one’s watching...”
“How does he look at me?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.
“Like you’re magic itself.” Clover’s voice softened. “Like you’re everything he never knew he was looking for.”
Romi’s heart fluttered. “That’s... intense.”
“He’s an alpha. Intense is kind of their thing.” Clover gestured to the floating outfits. “Now, about tomorrow - please tell me you’re not wearing that horrible sweater with the enchanted pom-poms.”
“That sweater is adorable!”
“That sweater makes you look like you’ve been attacked by a tribe of drunken pixies.” She stood to examine the other options. “You need something that says ‘I’m a powerful witch who could charm you senseless but chooses not to because I’m classy like that.’“
Romi laughed, some of her nervousness easing. “Is that a common fashion category?”
“It is now.” Clover pulled a flowing sundress from the array. “This one. The color brings out your eyes, and the magical shimmer effect is subtle enough to be intriguing without being overwhelming.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“Hardly.” Clover flopped back onto her cushion. “The most exciting thing in my love life is that new delivery guy from The Arcane Brewpub who always spells my name wrong on the receipts. I’m living vicariously through you and your sexy alpha.”
“He’s not my alpha.”
“Yet.” Clover wiggled her eyebrows. “Give it time.”
After Clover left, Romi stood at her bedroom window watching magical lanterns dance above the darkened streets. Her coffee cup tattoo hummed softly.
“What do you think?” she asked Whiskers, who had claimed his favorite spot on her pillow. “Am I being too cautious or not cautious enough?”
He responded by puffing another heart-shaped smoke ring, this one trailing sparkles that formed the word “Yes.”
“That’s not helpful.” But she smiled, reaching out to scratch behind his ears. “Though I suppose some questions don’t have simple answers.”
She thought of Xabir’s almost-smiles, the way his alpha energy made her magic sing, how he managed to be both intimidating and oddly sweet at the same time. Maybe Clover was right. Maybe it was okay to be both scared and excited, to want to be careful but also want to see where this could lead.
Tomorrow would be interesting, to say the least.
Whiskers sneezed in his sleep, accidentally setting her curtains on fire.
“A metaphor for my love life,” Romi muttered as she extinguished the flames. “Potentially destructive but somehow still endearing.”
She went to bed dreaming of hazel eyes and almost-smiles, her magic humming contentedly beneath her skin like it knew something she didn’t.