When she saw me, the witch hopped down off the bear’s lap. He grumbled but reluctantly let her go.
She padded over toward me with her damp hair in a thick braid hanging over one shoulder. “Are you alright, Kai?”
I kept my eyes fixed on her face, even though I so desperately wanted to soak in every inch of her delicious body. Every dip and curve.
The incubus grinned at me and winked, leaving me in no doubt he’d picked up on my lust, but I pretended not to notice.
“I am well, thank you for asking.” A scoff from the fireplace made the witch spin around in annoyance.
“Don’t be a dick!”
“Can’t help it, pet. Fish boy talks like a Regency smut novel. It’s hilarious.”
“What’s a Regency smut novel?” Raven asked. With her attention on the incubus, I slid away and headed into the kitchen area. As the mage had promised, two fat salmon sat on a plate. They looked like they’d been in the freezer for a while, but I didn’t care. I needed sustenance, and the lake had been devoid of fish.
“Regency smut romances are set in 1800s England, my pet.”
“Ooh, like that human series,Bridgerton?”
“Yes, pet. Have you watched it?” The incubus leaned in, apparently very invested in the witch’s reply. Not having any interest in human television drama, I had no clue why.
“I watched a few episodes, yes.” She flushed and looked down. “I quite enjoyed them.”
The bear snorted. “I bet you did, little mate.”
“Pure filth dressed up as high-brow drama,” the mage explained as he filled the sink with water and then scowled when he realized there was no hot water left.
“Fucking bear,” he muttered. “I fucking hate cold showers.”
I shifted uncomfortably at the thought of the witch watching humans having sex on screen. Did she enjoy watching? If so, she’d fit right in with the merpeople. Like with shifters, group sex was a popular activity, and most mermaids had multiple mates.
I’d always steered clear of the underwater parties, but if we mated, which we couldn’t as I quickly reminded myself, my mother would expect Raven to participate in a group celebration of our union.
“The plot was…interesting,” she hedged after a long pause. The incubus laughed out loud.
“Plot, eh? Which series was it and what happened?”
“Um…I can’t remember.” Her cheeks reddened.
He laughed some more while I wondered what had changed. When we left the hotel this morning, he’d been closed off, but now his flirtation mode was fully engaged once again.
I sighed. It was the reason I avoided spending time with other magicals. Trying to read their moods and motivations wore me out. I much preferred being alone or with someone like Hulder who talked very little.
“Stop teasing me!” Raven raised her hand to slap the incubus, but he grabbed her wrist before she got anywhere close to his face.
“I believe my pet wanted to practice a vital skill.” His eyes glittered, and I heard Raven inhale sharply. The sweet scent of her arousal filled the cabin, almost sending me to my knees. The bear groaned.
I had to get out of here before my mating frenzy kicked in. I took the plate of salmon and shot out the door, not caring that a blizzard raged and temperatures had sunk well into the minus figures.
Outside, the cold air cleared the witch’s scent from my nose and cooled my blood. I could finally breathe once again.
I sat on the porch swing and chewed a piece of salmon. The flavorless flesh tasted dry and hadn’t fully defrosted in the middle, but I didn’t care.
Once the danger passed, I would head home and forget about the witch until the start of the next semester.
26
Raven
