“Ah, damn!”
I stiffen and turn, heat rising up my neck. Seth is standing next to me, rubbing his head where my tail caught him, his expression more amused than annoyed.
I grab my tail and pull it behind me, holding the traitorous thing firmly. “Sorry about that.” My ears flatten against my head, another tell I can’t control.
Seth rubs his head, then looks at me. “You haven’t been here in a while. Looking for Aaron? He doesn’t come in here much.”
“No,” I say.
I look back to the doors of the Conjuring Hall. Seth’s nose twitches as he catches my scent, reading my anxiety as clearly as if I’d spoken it aloud.
“Debating if talking to my mom is worth it?”
I pout my lips at him, unable to form a response that isn’t a lie.
He grins. “Don’t show her any weakness. My mom will trample right over you if she sees so much as a sign of it.”
I frown at that, knowing he’s right. But I need answers, and the fear of what Eric might be planning outweighs my fear of Aaron’s mother.
“Why does she have such a hard exterior?” I ask.
He smiles at me, something softening in his expression. “Growing up, I could tell early on how the dynamic was different with me versus Aaron and my sisters.”
“Ohhh.”
“I can tell you, it was different for me. I have my mother and father. My other siblings always felt like there was part of them that was missing.” His voice drops. “It was annoying as hell, that scent lingered in our cabin at House of Zorah so bad I thought it was a permanent stench.”
Seth runs a hand over his face. “Do you want to go inside?”
My ears twitch. “I have no magic,” I murmur. “They won’t be happy with me in there.”
Seth laughs. “Trust me, I get it. I’m a wolf shifter with magic and they can’t fucking stand me whenever I enter. Except my mom and sisters.”
He grabs my arm, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Come on, I’ll take you. Would be nice for them to have something different to snub their noses at.”
I tense. My tail twitches against my grip, trying to break free and betray my feelings. Seth stops, his nose twitching, tracking the movement. My lion is pushing against me, urging me to speak.
“Something is wrong,” Seth says, his voice dropping. “Is everything alright with my brother?”
My tail sways anyway, traitorous. “He’s fine. I want to speak with Tiana.”
“Ohhh, woman stuff.” He smiles, though he doesn’t entirely believe me. “Well, come on.”
As he pulls me toward the doors, anxiety climbs up my throat. What if I’m making a terrible mistake? What if Aaron finds out? What if Tiana refuses to help me?
“You have to be tough with Tiana too,” Seth adds. “She’s mostly like my mom. Kind of a hard exterior, but she lets up when she’s comfortable.”
“That’s comforting,” I say, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
Seth reaches the double doors, and I look around the library, half-expecting Aaron to appear through a portal and stop me.
“You think they’ll let me in?” I ask, hating how small my voice sounds.
Seth laughs lightly. “You are Aaron Blackwood’s mate. You can go wherever you want.”
The words settle strangely in me. Both comforting and troubling. Is that all I am? Aaron’s mate?
He waves a hand over the doors. Magic spills from his fingertips, blue-gold light that I recognize. The doors open softly, revealing a world I’ve never been allowed to enter. He steps inside and I look around once more, gathering my courage, then follow him.
