A physical repulsion went through him. Sure, she was pretty enough. Didn’t matter. The thought of anyone else touching him,beingwith him, made him want to hurl. The girl batted her hazel eyes at him, waiting for a reply while his tail swished behind him.
“Magic,” he said gruffly.
“Righttt,” she said, moving to touch his arm before Felix sidestepped her, putting the punch table between them and walking away.
Still, the drunk girl’s irritating voice came through the trees. “I can’t believe he didn’t want me,” she whined.
“Don’t worry,” a familiar male voice said. The voice stopped him dead in his tracks. Felix melted into the shadows behind a tree and poked his head out. Julian fucking Ainsworth. Of course it was. “He’s fascinated by that magicless slut.”
A spark of rage lit in Felix’s chest as he gripped the cups, claws going right through them. The liquid stained his hands like the blood he was about to spill. Walk away, Felix. Walk the fuck away.
“I need to take a piss,” Julian announced.
Nope. This was just too perfect. Who was he to question the divine timing of the goddess? Felix stalked the witch as he walked deeper into the forest next to the shimmering black lake, fog rolling off it as if it were steaming. The sound of the partyfaded into the background the further they went. The way Julian stumbled told him the idiot was drunk already. He wouldn’t be able to kill him yet, not with everyone around to find him. Maybe he could make him piss himself a little?
Not even the twigs snapped as Felix followed behind him like a shadow, the thrill of the hunt filling the void that had been left there for so long since he came here. The only taste he had was his monster hunting Avery in the maze. How he wished he could remember it. This was what he was made for. What he lived for. At least he had, before Avery had come along. Even the slightest picture of the little witch in his mind had him misstepping onto a branch that snapped harshly under his feet.
Luckily, Julian was far too drunk to notice as he leaned a single hand against a gnarling oak far from the party. With his other hand, Julian unzipped his pants, and the sound of a stream hitting a tree filled the air, steam rising in the cool night.
Felix moved up behind him, towering above the disgusting excuse for a man.
He reached out, claws unsheathed. Socloseto impaling them through his neck. He had missed the sweet gurgling sound his victims made. But where was the fun in that? He had barely gotten started. All of his senses came alive, his monster sharpening his hunter senses. The worst was the stink of Julian’s god-awful cologne and sour breath. Felix slinked back behind the tree and sent out his shadows to pull his pants down to the ground.
Julian stumbled and caught himself against the tree. “The fuck?”
He tried to pull his pants up again to no avail. Felix’s shadows had pinned them. It was entirely immature, but Felix was only three in cat years, so it checked out. What is life without a little silly?
Without any sort of warning, Julian bent over and showed him where the sun didn’t shine. Ugh. Gross. Did that man even wash his ass? He was betting he didn’t. Time to go.
Crunching leaves made his head snap to the tree line. Quickly, he faded into the shadows as a familiar face walked out next to Julian as he zipped up his pants and jingled his belt.
What the fuck was she doing here?
Avery appeared through the trees, spotting Julian. “Oh shit, sorry,” she said, immediately averting her eyes. “I was looking for Felix.”
Ah, shit indeed, she followed the bond here.
Felix could have announced himself, but there was something that told him to hide in the shadows. They had been practicing her magic for long enough now that she could defend herself. She could handle Julian. He was sure of it. Putting down a dog like him was the confidence booster that she needed. His muscles coiled anyway, ready to move the second she needed him.
“It’s fine, nothing you haven’t seen before, sweetcakes.”
Bile rose in Felix’s throat as his lip curled, fangs lengthening. The nickname alone was enough to send a fresh hit of rage surging through his veins. Someone should recommend superglue as lip balm to him.
“Don’t call me that.” Avery’s voice came out flat. She seemed more bored with the conversation than anything.
“Why? Brings up too many memories?” Julian moved into her space, swaying slightly, but Avery didn’t even flinch. Such a feisty kitten. He liked this side of her.
“Traumatic ones, yes.”
“Oh, come on, don’t be like that, you used to like it when I?—”
“When you what? Couldn’t find the clit?” Avery quipped.
Burnnnn. You got this, little witch. Once again, Felix was begging that she kick someone in the balls. Did he need to send her anger into her again? No. She needed to do this on her own.
“Did Felix come this way or not?”
Julian’s face instantly dropped, the snide smirk turning sour. “You’re wasting your time with him. He’s no one.”
