Page 40 of The Soulmate Bakery

She picked it up and pressed a kiss to my cheek, before mouthing ‘I love you’ back. I watched as she left and let myself feel the rage of emotions whirlpooling through me: happiness that we’d had a nice morning together, annoyed that it had to be so short, and frustration most of all. Then, I boxed them up and pushed them away, turning on my heel to enter the library.

I found Rowan Hale standing in the centre, commanding the books to move with quick, quiet murmurs. As I approached, his spellcasting paused, and he turned around to look at me.

‘Hi,’ I said, tentatively, grateful that I was holding a box of brownies in my hands.

Rowan’s gaze fell to the box, and then back to me. ‘Bribery, kid? I like your style.’

‘They’re not for free; I come with questions,’ I said, honestly. ‘Sorry.’

‘Come on.’ Rowan beckoned me, and we found ourselves in the self-help section of the library. Before I could say anything, he held out his hands for the dessert, and I handed it over.

I watched as he opened the box, and his nostrils flared with the scent.

‘Charmed?’

‘Just plain old brownies, actually.’

Rowan took one of the squares and bit into it. Watching someone eat something you made, silently, was its own kind of torture. He gestured with the half-eaten brownie still in his hand. ‘All right, hit me with the questions.’

‘I’m going over to study at a werewolf household. I’ve never actually been invited into one before.’

‘Not friends with many werewolves?’ Rowan asked.

I shook my head and added defensively, ‘To be fair, we only have like two packs here. The Stars and the Moons.’

His expression clouded ever so slightly, and I wanted to smack myself; why would I inadvertently mention that Rowan was pack-less? He’d always been pack-less, a story that I’d never been able to unravel. It was just him and his grandfather.

‘You probably know the general stuff,’ Rowan said, finally. ‘Pack meals every night. Everyone has a seat. The Moons have an alpha, but that’s it – no betas or omegas. Other than that, if you’re not going on the night of a full moon, or the night before, they should function like a normal family.’

‘Normal,’ I echoed, hoping it was true. ‘What about the stuff I wouldn’t know?’

‘Just don’t wear anything too scented,’ Rowan said, and then gestured to his head. ‘It could mess with their senses. On top of that, they will know when your emotional scents change – so if you’re stressed, they can tell.’

‘Thank you,’ I said, grateful for the knowledge he was sharing – even if I’d had to bribe him for it. And then something hit me. ‘Wait – how did you know I was talking about the Moon family?’

The werewolf’s mouth curled into a smile, making the scar on his lips stretch. He looked sinister and wicked, and I could see why some of the girls at school were obsessed with him. ‘You know the good thing about being the town outcast, little witch? I see everything. I hear everything.’

‘Was that supposed to be threatening?’ I said, only half pretending I wasn’t a little bit nervous.

‘Nope,’ Rowan retorted, with a pop of his lips.

‘I told my sister you said hi, by the way.’ If he thought he’d get under my skin, then we could go tit for tat.

His eyes widened, and his smile dropped.

‘And what did she say?’ Rowan asked, tone too casual.

‘She said hello back.’ And then, because I couldn’t resist, I added, ‘She also called you a jerk.’

His smile came back, full wattage. ‘Not the worst thing she’s called me.’

‘What else has she called you?’

Rowan stepped neatly around me, snagging another brownie from the box. ‘Question time is done, little witch. Have fun with your werewolf.’

The Moon house was near the Firewood Forest and was larger than our house. It had to be to fit the entire family. I’d never been inside, because there was never a reason to be.

Not until now.