“My, what a big sexual appetite you have.”
He tugs at the hair at the base of my skull, forcing my back to arch some. Looking into my eyes, his irises glow. “All the better to eat you with, my dear.”
Then he snakes down my body and shows me exactly how bottomless his hunger is for me.
Epilogue
BREXLEY
“It’s a Hobbit hole.”
“It is not a Hobbit hole,” I argue.
Granted my west coast cabin has an overabundance of wood beams and possesses a lot of stonework to create a rustic, cozy feel. But the doors aren’t round, which any bookworm would know is a defining feature of any hobbit hole. Also, I’d rather eat my own tongue than admit I designed my favorite home from Tolkien’s framework.
Red juts out her chin. “It is, and as long as we are here, we need to make sure we have second breakfast every single day.”
“And it should be accompanied by champagne and orange juice,” Goldie chimes in, returning from the room she set her bags in.
After the spring semester concluded, Red insisted she get to see my primary home in Washington State. It’s also only an hour drive to Jameson’s tavern, so she can visit the bar named after her mother and spend more time with her father. Our relationship is still gruff, but I feel we finally allowed the natural progression that we halted all those years ago. It’s like having a father for the first time, since my own was such a massive alphahole. I have no desire to ever see him again.
The physical distance between Red and her father hasn’t been as much of a confining or painful factor, and I wonder if that has either to do with the fact that he has been on his own for so long, or perhaps because she is only half werewolf. Either way, I haven’t been willing to risk the extra space, but Red doesn’t seem to mind. We’ve happily cohabitated in my condo. We even use Tom to get around. He’s a good kid and enjoys having us as regulars. And especially loves when Red’s hot friends come along for the ride.
This home is the heart of me, and while we are finding a place to live closer to Boston University so Red can finish her degree, I refuse to give this place up.
Well, that’s not entirely true. My heart belongs to the girl rifling through my things. Red is in the sitting room, going through my near bursting bookshelf by the stone fireplace.
“Brunch, we’re describing brunch, right?” Cinder asks, having emerged from her room as well.
I scrub a hand over my face.
Gigi – who insists I call her that – claps her hands together. “Perfect, I’ll make scones.”
Cinder and Goldie look at each other like they’ve hit the jackpot, and I can’t deny that my mouth is already watering at the prospect of eating her food.
“Any news on that miracle cookie you created?” I ask Gigi, referring to the very recipe that unleashed Red’s magic potential. Red refused to return to FFA to train, but promised never to use her magic again. A lot of mages let out a collective sigh of relief when they discovered all she desires is to work in finance.
Gigi’s mouth quirks to the side. “The FDA rejected it. They said the product is too volatile.”
I knew better than to agree, but unlocking powers in humans could result in a sharp tumble into chaos.
“The FDA is nothing but a bunch of Nazis,” Gigi mutters while opening a window. The fresh spring breeze sweeps in through the room. I appreciate it, since her magic scent still slightly nauseates me.
Gigi is a woman possessed when presented with a problem or challenge. She swears she will concoct a recipe that will help my senses because she can’t abide the idea that she smells bad.
“Any new developments on what powers you’ve manifested?” I ask Goldie and Cinder.
If you told me six months ago my pack consisted of three girls, an old woman, and Jameson, I would have died laughing. But the truth is, I feel at home being near them as well. I am invested in their happiness, and they are invested in mine.
Both girls frown. “Nope,” Goldie says popping her ‘p.’
“But we’ll likely find out,” Cinder says, her violet eyes flashing with intrigue. There is a lot under the surface of her quiet demeanor, and I still haven’t quite figured it out.
Both Goldie and Cinder occasionally glow or say they feel strange, but nothing concretely magical has manifested . . . yet. They are considering attending FFA in the fall, to help them with whatever powers Gigi unlocked in them.
I told them I don’t recommend it.
“Aha!” Red cries out in triumph, holding a massive leather-bound volume. “You love the Hobbit. Look at this special edition. There are two more like it down here.”
