Ozzie reached into his backpack. He offered me a pink cupcake in a plastic bag, and said, “It’s gluten-free, vegan, and has no preservatives. Wait until you see the surprise!”
Thank the gods, I could finally eat something someone had handed me. I unwrapped the cupcake and bit into it. Once I did, I tasted fresh strawberries. The garden transformed into a lovely strawberry field that spanned underneath a clear blue sky. I felt the heat of the sun as summer unfolded around me, and I smelled the scent of the fresh berries blooming in the air.
The illusion was brilliant. Once I finished the cupcake, the illusion faded away, and the gardens came back into view once again.
“You have a talent, Ozzie,” I said. “That was a strong illusion.”
“I’m only good with food.” He scowled. “If you can’t taste my illusions, I’m useless at any other spells.”
Ozzie nudged Jasper. “Not like Jas. He’s a great illusionist.”
Jasper shrugged. “My parents forced me to come here. I would’ve just concentrated on skating, but you and I know that’s not a stable career. I break my ankle and it’s all over. I picked Sports Management because it’s easy.”
“We can open up a gym slash bakery, won’t we, Jas?” Ozzie asked. “People will get fat off my cupcakes, then need your gym, then want a cupcake and get fat again, and we’ll make millions!”
I laughed. Okay, Ozzie was kind of dumb, but he made up for it by being totally adorable.
Jasper ruffled Ozzie’s hair. “I’m sure that’sexactlywhat the future will look like.”
“So where’s your famous man?” Finlay took a sip of lemonade and gave me some side-eye. “You’re rarely around campus without the prince.”
He was trying to find out if I was single. I didn’t know if I liked that or not. “I… uh… don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it didn’t work out.”
“That’s a shame.” Arthur frowned and looked at Vara. “I couldn’t imagine leaving my mate, but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”
Finlay didn’t look likehethought it was a shame. He leaned closer to me and said, “My apologies. It must be heartbreaking, but do know there are better options.”
Vara rolled her eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice.” The words came out unexpectedly. I didn’t want to share my feelings with these random strangers, but right then, I felt like I had to tell someone. With the demon, and what Ethan and I had shared before, it was hard to know if giving up on us was the best choice I could make. You only got one true mate— one soulmate. A fae could love again, but they’d never have that kind of special connection with anyone else. I knew if Ethan and I were done for good, that was it. Our magic would be undone, and I’d never bond with another shifter. Could I really let that go?
Vara’s voice was kind. “Whatever choice you made will lead you on the best path for yourself,” she said. “Trust that whatever happened in the past, it’ll bring you to the future you need. Even if it’s not the one you wanted.”
Her words brought me some comfort. I was so relieved they weren’t judging me for breaking up with Ethan. Any other Arcanea would be appalled.
I wasn’t very good at making friends, but I’d fallen into this group easily. They couldn’t replace my main group, but having people in my life who weren’t involved in thissave-the-worldnonsense was honestly a getaway from it all. It made me feel like a normal college girl.
Finlay gave a boorish noise. “Well, I don’t expect you to be lonely too long,” he said. “You’re a pretty lass. Any wolf in his right mind would hurry to gobble you up.”
“Thanks.” I played with the cupcake wrapper. “Though I’m kind of an outcast. It’s weird to think another wolf would want to be saddled with me.”
“Nonsense. The prince was insane to let you go,” Finlay continued, and he puffed out his chest. “I’d make sure to appreciate a girl like you.”
Arthur gave a skeptical noise. “You’re laying it on a bit thick.”
“Options, Arthur.” Finlay gave another roguish smile, and it was so charming my panties nearly came off by themselves.
Finlay was so different from Ethan. He was loud, cocky, and outgoing. Everything my mate wasn’t.
Maybe that’s why it was easy to attach myself to him. He didn’t remind me of my former prince charming. The last thing I wanted was a rebound relationship, but at the same time, I was lonely. I didn’t know if Ethan was ever coming back… or if I could rescue him from the demon that haunted his soul.
Finlay wasn’t exactly my second option, or a distraction, but he was a friend. A friend who was nice to look at. It might be interesting to explore what he had to offer.
Maybe he could help me forget about what I’d lost.
Chapter Three
Ethan
