My arms tightened around her before grabbing her hand and leading her into the kitchen. She leaned against the counter, and I grabbed the still-hot mug from the microwave.

  She accepted it, dunking the tea bag a few times before taking a sip. “Thank you.”

  “Of course. Are you feeling better?” I asked.

  You already know the answer to that question, my wolf said.

  I know that, but I’d rather have her tell me herself.

  Between my wolf senses and the bond only getting stronger between Andie and me, sensing her emotions was becoming second nature. It was how I’d returned to the pack house before the other wolves. I’d felt her panic, and there was nothing to stop me from racing back to her.

  “I am. I don’t understand what happened, but I’m glad Benjamin is okay and my skin isn’t trying to melt off anymore,” she said, then she took a big gulp of the tea and yawned. “I didn’t realize how tired I was until I got out of the shower.”

  “We had a long day with the pack and, thanks to everything afterward, it’s almost midnight now.” I stepped closer to her, set the mug on the counter, and picked her up before grabbing the tea again and letting her hold it while I walked. “Let’s go lay in bed.”

  Her head nestled against my chest, and her eyes fluttered closed. I wanted to explore the changes in our bond, but that wasn’t happening tonight. A wave of frustration rolled through me at the thought that we couldn’t have a normal bonding, but I ignored the feeling, because, more than that, I was grateful to have my mate in my arms. Everything else would happen when it was meant to. Andie had taught me that over the last month.

  She looked up at me, her lips pressed into a tight grimace, and she gave her head a slight shake.

  “I don’t feel like I did a moment ago, and I don’t know why,” she admitted.

  She’s feeling you already, my wolf said.

  His words made my steps falter, and I took a steadying breath. I didn’t know why I would have thought differently. Witches’ heightened senses might have been different from wolves’, but they were still enhanced abilities.

  I forced a wall up within my mind, hiding my emotions. Andie shuddered within my hold. “What was that?”

  I pushed open her bedroom door and set her on the bed. “You don’t feel better now?”

  She frowned, still holding tight to her warm drink. “I feel empty.”

  Shit. That wasn’t what was supposed to happen. “I’m sorry. I was trying to make you feel better.”

  Andie reached for me, tugging my hand until I sat with her on the bed. “You have nothing to be sorry for, but an explanation would be nice.”

  I took a seat next to her and pulled her into my lap. The cup of hot tea almost spilled from the movement. Andie took another long drink before setting it down on the nightstand and turning to look up at me.

  “What is it?” she asked, placing her hands over my fidgeting arms.

  “Do you remember me telling you about how the bond for us would likely be different?” I asked, and she nodded. “Well, normally, we shouldn’t be able to feel each other’s emotions until we’ve, um, consummated the bond, except I knew tonight when you were scared, and you knew just now when I closed off the connection.”

  Andie bit the inside of her cheek and stared at the wall for a moment before looking back up at me. “But before you closed the connection, there was something else. Frustration or disappointment, maybe?”

  Damn her for being so intuitive when she’d already been through so much.

  “That was nothing other than being stressed about what happened tonight,” I lied, because there was no way in hell that I would pressure Andie into taking our bond to the next level. We’d know when the time was right. Just because she had magic now didn’t mean we had to rush.

  “Are you sure?” She raised a brow.

  I nodded. “Absolutely. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  She fought off another yawn as her palm pressed over my chest. “What about the changes in our bond? The connection we shared tonight—not once, but twice. That means something.”

  I placed my hand over hers. “It does, but we have time for that, Andie. I won’t rush anything between us, not for any reason. You’ve had one hell of an evening, and what I want more than anything is to make sure you get all the rest you need before tomorrow morning. Something tells me it’s going to be eventful. Plus, Charlie mentioned you have lunch with her parents tomorrow.”

  Charlie’s parents, who I’d learned were named William and Marlene, had gone to the Supernatural Council right after the Spell House attack. I hadn’t been able to meet them myself, and when Andie had been stuck in bed for several days, I’d hoped they’d visit before learning they’d had to leave.

  Her lips lifted into a smile. “Hopefully. I can’t believe their trip took so long. It worries me that something might have gone wrong. Beatrix told me I had no reason to be concerned, but that didn’t help.”

  I pressed my lips to her forehead. “I’ll make sure your lunch with them happens, no matter what. And Beatrix is right. If there’s something else to be concerned with, we’ll know. Until then, just try to relax and rest.”

  I’d been trying to give Beatrix the benefit of the doubt for Andie’s sake, but that was getting harder with every passing day.

  “Thank you.” She nestled closer to me and hummed. “Can you open the connection again? I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep without feeling you now that I know what it’s like.”

  I stood up from the bed with her still in my arms, then laid her head against her pillow. “Of course.”

  She grabbed my hand before I could walk to the other side. “Promise me that no matter what you’re feeling or what happens, you won’t hide from me like that again. If we’re supposed to be bonded, then that means we need to work through things together. Even the hard and uncomfortable things.”

  Fuck, it was like she knew I’d lied to her. I was tempted to tell her the truth of my earlier feelings, but she yawned, and I smiled instead. “I promise, from here on, I won’t shut you out again unless you ask me to.”

  My words were a promise I intended to keep until my last breath.

  5

  ANDIE

  Everything ached when I rolled over to see the sun peeking into my bedroom. My arms, legs, head—hell, even my toes—protested when I stretched across the bed.

  Foster’s warm body was still pressed against me. He was a stomach sleeper. For the first few nights we’d stayed together, I’d worried he would suffocate, but he assured me several times over that he hadn’t died yet from sleeping and likely wouldn’t anytime in the future. Even so, some mornings, when he was really still, I’d stick my finger under his nose until I confirmed he was breathing.

  Freaking weird stomach sleepers.

  I slipped out of bed, trying my best to be quiet, but instead, I tripped over the jeans I’d tossed on the ground the night before and nearly face-planted into the hardwood floor. My ass was up in the air—thankfully covered by the yoga pants I’d never changed out of—but Foster’s shirt was several sizes too big and quickly slipped forward, putting my boobs on display.

  When I got back up and peeked at Foster, he was on his knees and leaning over the bed, grinning while his body shook.

  I raised a brow at him while I fixed the shirt. “Not even going to ask if I’m okay?”

  His silent laughter turned into audible chuckles. “You’re not cursing the ground or crying, so I figured I already had my answer.”

  I huffed. “Right. Well, good morning.”

  Foster reached out and snagged my hand when I tried to walk toward the attached bathroom. Before I could even protest, I was lying on the bed with my feet dangling over the edge and Foster leaning over me. All irritation from my fall was gone in an instant as he stared so intently at me that I swore he could see inside my soul.

  His blue eyes darkened, and he licked his lips before dipping his head closer, but at much too slow of a pace.

  I grabbed on to his arms and pulled myself up, kissing him first, nipping at his bottom lip. Half his weight settled onto me, pressing me down onto the mattress, and his tongue snaked into my mouth, owning every inch.

  My back arched, and one of my hands slid around his head, grabbing a fistful of hair. His chest rumbled in response.

  “We should get ready to meet Beatrix and the others,” he murmured between kisses.

  “That’s what I was trying to do before you forced me back into bed.”

  He smirked. “Forced, huh?”

  I nodded and shoved at him. “Yep. Now, excuse me while I go use all the hot water.”

  Foster growled from the bed, and I ran into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me while I laughed.

  What I assumed to be a pillow thudded against the door, and I could hear Foster’s footfalls leaving the room. “I’ll just use the guest bathroom. Better hope you get the hot water before I do.”

  Damn him. I rushed to the shower, then remembered I had more access to my magic now. Maybe I didn’t need to worry about not having hot water anymore. Maybe I could make my own…

  I turned the water on lukewarm just in case my plan didn’t work, then got undressed before stepping into the charcoal-tiled shower. Shutting the glass door behind me, I shivered and pressed my hands together.

  Until yesterday, my use of magic had been rather lackluster. Nobody had shown or told me much about spells. Regardless, I acted on instinct and thought hard about what I wanted.

  But I must have thought too hard because I yelped and slammed my back onto the freezing tile. Maybe hot water wasn’t the right thing to think.

  A light-purple hue grew around my fingers, extending up my arm. I reached my hand toward the showerhead and closed my eyes. Sparks of energy tingled over my skin, and I took a step under the water. It wasn’t scalding any longer, just steamy enough to relax my tense muscles.

  My shoulders shuddered, and I began to clean myself up. Just as I was finishing, Foster banged on the bathroom door that was still locked.

  I turned off the water and opened the glass door to grab my towel when I heard the door pop open with a loud crack.

  Foster strode in, his own towel wrapped around his waist, catching the beads of the water that fell from his long, wet hair and down his chiseled chest.

  I raised a brow at him. “Can I help you?”

  He wasn’t staring at my face. Instead, he was taking in my still-wet and very naked body. A rumble built in his chest that was heaving up and down while his fingers were stretched out at his sides, nearly turning to claws.

  I’d never seen him so out of control. Not even when I’d almost died.

  “Foster? What happened?” I asked softly, wrapping my towel around me and stepping forward with extra care so I didn’t slip on the hardwood floor.

  He finally looked up, and his eyes were nearly black, just like the wolf that had attacked me the night before.

  My steps faltered and I shuffled back. “Foster, talk to me.”

  “Are…you…okay?” he asked, but the words were clipped and overly growly.

  I nodded. “Are you?”

  Foster closed the distance between us. His hands were like lava over my skin as they hovered over my arms, moving up and down slowly. He took several deep breaths before speaking more normally.

  “My wolf heard you yelp. I told him you were fine, reminding him that we couldn’t sense any panic coming from you, but he started to recall last night and how it could have been so much worse. Then his thoughts made mine return to the night I lost my family and pack… I can’t lose you, Andie.”

  I wrapped my arms around him and held on as tightly as I could while tears pricked at my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Foster. I’m really okay. I was just playing with magic when I shouldn’t have been. Everything is fine.”

  His hands cupped around my ribs, and he picked me up with ease until our faces were level. “I’m sorry I overreacted.”

  My palms cupped his cheeks. “You never have to apologize for your feelings. Not ever with me. What you’ve been through, that doesn’t just go away once you start living again. You’ll have moments of grief that sweep your feet right out from under you, that take all the air from your lungs and make you believe that nothing will ever be okay again. But I promise it will be. We’re going to find a way to make sure that happens. Together.”

  Foster closed the remaining distance between our lips, and I wrapped my legs around his waist while his tongue demanded entry into my mouth. It was only when I locked my ankles around his back that I realized I was butt-ass naked in his arms.

  Sure, we’d done plenty of sexual things over the last month, but this was more intimate than anything else with our emotions flying high.

  Foster moved a hand down my back and cupped my ass, seeming to realize the same thing I had, just a moment later. He pulled back and pressed his forehead to mine. “Thank you for not pushing me away when I lose control like this. I’m trying to be better.”

  My fingers gripped his hair, and I tugged until he looked directly at me. There was so much pain within his cobalt eyes. The heavy emotions had my chest constricting for this man. I was beginning to love him so deeply that the feeling caused me physical pain. Only, it wasn’t the kind I wanted to run away from. It was the kind that I wanted to jump right into the flames for.

  “You are better. There’s nothing wrong with the man you are, Foster Kline.” I pressed my lips to his again, then loosened my hold. “But we really should finish getting ready or we’re going to be late.”

  He finally smirked. “You’re naked.”

  I feigned a gasp. “Am I? I had no idea.”

  His hand smacked against my wet ass, then he lowered me to the ground. “I can’t wait to make you mine in every way.” His voice was deep as he whispered against my ear.

  I had to grab on to his arm to prevent myself from falling over, thanks to the impact his words had. The bond between us had me fully invested, and I was more than ready to complete this connection with him now that I had magic pulsing inside me.

  Except, not like this. Not when we had somewhere to be. Not when people would come looking for us if we didn’t show up. When we claimed each other, I wanted no chance in hell that we’d be interrupted.

  Once I had my wits about me again, Foster picked up my towel from the floor and wrapped it around me, tucking the fabric tight under my armpit. “I’d say I was sorry for that, but…”

  “You wouldn’t actually mean it,” I finished for him, then shook my head as a grin spread on my face.

  He winked. “Look at us. Already finishing each other’s sentences.”

  The darkness was gone from his eyes, and I was glad. We both needed to be fully focused on the meeting we were about to have. Beatrix had kept us mostly out of her research. I was okay with that, knowing I wasn’t capable of properly defending myself, but with this new energy pulsing inside me, there were no other reasons for us to wait.

  Whatever I’d inherited from Aunt Junie was more powerful than I’d expected, and with every passing moment, I felt like the magic was only growing stronger.

  Foster left the bathroom, and I dried myself off before getting ready. Within five minutes, I was dressed and had magically dried hair. This whole you’re-a-witch thing wasn’t so bad now that I could use my power.

  When I entered the room, Foster’s hair was still dripping at the ends and leaving dark spots on his grey shirt. I placed one hand on the back of his head and smiled.

  He looked down at me, then felt his hair. “New trick?”

  I nodded. “I’m sure I’ll have several of them as soon as I get back to practicing with Charlie.”

  Foster looped his arm around my waist and brought me flush against his chest. “As long as you don’t try to turn me into a toad, I’m happy to be your test subject anytime you need one.”

  I patted his pecs with both hands. “Good to know. Now come on before—”

  “I hope nobody’s naked because I’m coming in,” Charlie’s voice shouted from the doorway.

  Foster growled. “We’re going to need to set some better boundaries.”

  “Or we can spend our nights at the pack,” I said with a smirk.

  A rumble vibrated beneath my hands on his chest. “Yes.”

  Charlie knocked on the hallway wall as she continued closer. “Seriously, don’t be naked, please.”

  “We’re not naked, but you’re going to lose door access privileges if you barge in whenever you want,” I said when I turned toward our bedroom door.

  Charlie scoffed when she leaned against the frame. “As if I want to see you two going at it like rabbits. I’ll knock next time. Unless it’s urgent. Then, maybe not. Anyway, you two lovebirds ready?”

  Foster sighed and grabbed my hand. Charlie moved out of the way, and we followed her down the hallway.

  She headed toward the door, and I went to the kitchen. I needed breakfast before the meeting or I was bound to get hangry at some point.

  I grabbed a cinnamon roll. Foster stuffed a few granola bars into his pocket and grabbed two bottles of water.

  Once we were outside, Charlie looped her arm through mine. “So, how are you feeling now?”

  “Better than I have in years if I’m being honest,” I said between bites.

  Charlie grinned. “Great. We’ll resume practice tomorrow since we have lunch with my parents today. You didn’t forget, right?”

  “Of course not,” I said with a mouth full of gooey deliciousness.

  She pinched off a piece of my cinnamon roll and popped it into her mouth while ignoring my glare. “Good. Mom and Dad are really looking forward to it.” Charlie glanced behind us. “You’re coming too, Foster.”

  He stepped beside me and glanced down. “Are you okay with that? You’ve been talking about seeing them for weeks. I don’t want to intrude.”

  Charlie leaned forward, answering Foster before I could. “Andie doesn’t get a choice. Mom said you had to be there. No idea why. She just said to make sure you knew your attendance wasn’t optional.”