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“No, you’re fine. It’s okay. I know you’re teasing, but I think I’m going to need a big fucking drink soon.”
“Yeah, I think we’re all going to need a drink,” Lucien agreed, then walked over to the door. He unlocked it from their side and pulled it open, revealing Baer and Wiley’s room. It was roughly the same as theirs, except they had a king-sized bed. Oh, and the plethora of magic-related items spread around the room.
Gio followed Lucien into the room, his semi forgotten for now as he slowly approached the coffee table where Wiley had a map of Charleston spread out. The edges of the map were ringed with candles of different colors, crystals, and even a little bit of dirt.
Now this was what he’d imagined magic would look like. What Lucien and Calder could do from sheer force of will was astounding and mind-blowing. But what Wiley was preparing to do with crystals, candles, and other spell ingredients seemed almost more logical to him. It was what he saw in movies and read about in books.
And Wiley was a mate. He wasn’t a Weaver. Could he do this because of his bond with Baer?
And if he mated with Calder and Lucien, did that mean he could learn magic too?
“Is it okay if I sit here? Should I back up?” Gio asked, motioning toward a spot opposite Wiley with the table between them.
“Oh, no. Go ahead,” Wiley replied with a wave of his hand. He looked down at the old leather-bound book at his side, checking something before he reached out and moved one of the crystals on the map.
“Have you always been into magic?”
Wiley’s expression scrunched up; then he laughed. “I draw comic books, so I’ve always been into characters with superpowers. I just never thought I’d have any of my own.”
“I always thought you were super adorable,” Baer said, earning a groan from Lucien. Wiley didn’t care. He smiled up at his mate as if he’d handed him the moon with a giant red bow on it.
“But we found these old spell books around the time that Baer and I bonded. I got the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of animals from him, but I can’t shift,” Wiley explained when he could finally tear his eyes from his mate. “From him, I sort of got access to this energy that can be directed into spells. I’m still learning lots, though.”
“Are you the only one who can do these spells?”
“Oh, no! Well, I mean the Weavers can, of course. They’re the ones who wrote down the spells. But this generation hasn’t studied them much. They’re more focused on the gifts they already have; trying to figure those things out is quite a steep learning curve.”
Gio cleared his throat, fully aware that Lucien and Calder could hear him. “But the other mates…”
“I don’t know. Probably so. Dane has focused more on the books that have any kind of notes on healing because that’s the focus of his powers and we need all the healing help we can get. Cort hasn’t tried these spells yet. He’s had his powers only a couple of months, and he’s been studying a lot under Grey. His power seems to be focused on mental and emotional shielding. Grey is also trying to teach Cort how to remove the mind-control spell.”
“If he can do that, it would be huge for us,” Lucien murmured.
“I’ve been largely tinkering with seeking spells and protection spells for the guys as well as the house.” Wiley leaned forward, a huge smile spreading across his lips. “If you bond with Calder and Lucien, you can learn to do spells with me.”
“Wiley,” Baer said in warning.
“What? You know he’s thinking it. But Gio is a smart guy. He’s not gonna bond with them just for magic. Bonding is forever.”
There was a scary thought. Forever.
Except hearing Lucien’s laugh forever didn’t seem like such a bad thing. Or looking up and seeing Calder’s warm, earnest gaze.
“What power would I get if I was bonded?” Gio inquired, ignoring the flutter in his chest and the feeling of two sets of eyes staring at the back of his head.
Wiley’s wide smile grew a little tense. “No clue.”
“It’s a crapshoot,” Baer added.
“Really?” Gio twisted so he could see Calder and Lucien.
Calder shrugged. “We’ve never had mates before. We didn’t know anything about mates until Clay found Dane this time. It was sheer luck that they discovered that Dane could heal.”
“Damn lucky,” Baer muttered under his breath.
“But you’d be bonded to two Weavers; you could end up with powers that make you like Superman!” Wiley exclaimed.
Gio snorted. “Or I could end up with something useless and lame.”
“It doesn’t matter what powers you end up with. The important thing would be that you were ours,” Lucien said in a dark voice. Gio nearly shivered. It was like he could feel their arms closing around him as Lucien spoke. The unyielding possessive need in his voice touched a part of him that longed for a place to belong, a place that was only his.
