Page 31 of Glitched Fates & Stolen Mates

I dropped to my knees, assessing the damage. Miracle of miracles, the quiche had landed right-side up, still nestled in its paper tray, the filling only slightly disturbed along one edge.

“I’ve never seen you in glasses,” I said, trying to sound casual as I picked up the dish. “Are they new?”

Felix’s hand flew to his face, touching the frames like he’d forgotten he was wearing them.

“Oh.” He gave me a lopsided smile that stole what little breath I still had. “They’re blue light glasses. A Christmas present from Seb I first thought—but turns out it was Priya. To be honest, I think the blue light danger stuff is all bullshit, but Priya told me the tea leaves said I need to wear them.”

My heart stopped.

“Did she now? Right.” I straightened slowly, quiche clutched in my hands.

“I should probably just ignore her,” Felix said with a forced laugh.

“No!” I snapped too quickly. “I… I think you should keep wearing them. Just in case.”

Because they make you look even more delicious, and clearly I’m a glutton for punishment.

“Well, here’s this, uh, quiche Priya has kindly brought in for us.” I held up the dish like evidence in a court case. “I’ll heat it up and bring it to you?”

“Oh! No, no, I’ll come back up and get it.” Felix was already backing towards the door, looking like a scared rabbit who’d spotted a fox. “Just shout for me through the intercom.”

And with that, he fled.

I stared at the empty doorway for a long moment, then trudged to the range cooker and twisted the dial to one-eighty. The hulking cream-coloured beast wheezed to life, its pilot light flickering like a dying candle.

Really, I really should have come up with a better gameplan for this than accidentally touching Felix’s fingers when I passed him the quiche. Priya would want a full debrief on this mission when she returned. She’d probably say I’d wasted her hard work, say she was up late last night baking this “leftover quiche” for me to utilise.

Oh well. I’d never asked her to do this. In fact, I’d explicitly told her not to meddle.

I spent the twenty minutes moodily staring out the kitchen window, watching rain splatter against the glass in fat droplets. Probably a sign from the universe that I should give up entirely.

Bloody hell, when had I become such a grump?

Not when I’d first started working here, that’s for sure. Back then, everything had felt possible. I’d escaped Greywatch—finally broken free from hell on earth. London had been a revelation. Anonymity. Freedom. The chance to be just Kit, not future alpha of the Thorne pack, or Subject 47, or Asset Delta-Nine.

Seb had offered me purpose without chains. Work that mattered without the constant threat of dissection if I stepped out of line. For the first time in years, I’d felt like I could breathe.

I’d been optimistic then. Stupidly, embarrassingly hopeful about the future.

Now look at me. Thirty-two years old and pining after a man who jumped every time I entered a room.

I knew Rory was really worried about me. I could see it in his eyes every time he came round for dinner, especially when our father inevitably got brought up. The way he’d study my face when he thought I wasn’t looking, like he was checking for cracks in a dam that might burst at any moment.

The worry had got worse since he’d announced he was moving in with Theo. I’d pretended to be delighted, of course. Cracking jokes about finally having a tidy flat, how I wouldn’t have to cook for him every night anymore.

But really, my throat had closed up like someone was strangling me. My heart rate had spiked as I thought about how lonely I’d be. Wolves were pack animals. We needed company, conversation, the sound of another heartbeat in the same space. The flat would be horribly empty without him.

Rory had sensed something was wrong through our bond, naturally. Started telling me he’d come round every other day for dinner because he’d miss my cooking too much.

And he did, more or less. Thank God.

It helped that he still stored tonnes of his clothes there, because apparently Theo had limited him to half their dresser space and half only. He’d often bring Theo with him, and it had been nice to get to know him properly, even if their mate bond reminded me of everything I’d never have.

Fuck, I really needed to start dating. Or at least shagging someone.

This wasn’t healthy.

I hadn’t had sex with anyone since the day I’d locked eyes on Felix. I’d tried a couple of times—went to bars in Soho where more than a few men had thrown themselves at me. Let a flirty female jogger give me her number once.