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“Except you, Aly Kat!” Jay shouts from the kitchen. As a wolf shifter, he can be extremely protective over his territory, but Aly is exempt from that as his mate.
“And I didn’t offer.” Aly winks.
She grabs my hand, pulling me into the living room with her. She makes Kiran leave his spot on the couch so we can sit together. He moves to the floor right by her feet.
Aly’s mates are wholly devoted to her, and sometimes being around them makes my chest ache. I know they went through hell to get here, but they’re so happy now. I want that for myself- the happy part. I’m not so sure about the mate factor.
My ex-boyfriend ruined that for me.
I wave to Nic and Ajax who are lounging in the room on armchairs. Ajax, who goes by Jax, is Kiran’s twin. They’re a bit different from other twins born of magic. While they share a mate, Jax is a light fae, and Kiran is a dark fae.
Nic is a mage with light brown hair like Aly’s and styled spiky in the front.
“So, how has the job search been going?” Aly asks.
The guys are all listening too. I can feel a small drop of sweat slide down my back. Lying to humans is easy. Lying to a room full of supernaturals is not.
I can’t lie, but I can bend the truth.
“Not good, but I’m not here to talk about that. Tell me about your latest trip!”
Good, I’m changing the subject and getting someone else to talk.
Aly’s eyebrows pinch together as she stares at me, but Kiran launches into a story from their latest trip. They had a little time off before the summer semester started, so they took a trip to Italy.
“Food is ready!” Jay announces.
We all get up to head into the kitchen, but someone tugs on my arm. I turn to find Nic’s stare as he motions for us to stay behind.
“Listen, Anna. I know the transition was something you never expected. If I can help at all, let me know. There are lots of jobs out there for people like us and even mixed into human roles. My parents might know someone in publishing. If you want me to reach out, I would be happy to,” Nic offers.
It’s incredibly kind, and the old Anna would have taken him up on it in a heartbeat. A way into a publishing house would be a dream, but then everyone would know I don’t have my degree. I’m not ready to handle that yet.
I need a little more time to adjust to my new life and accept my reality. I can decide where I want to go from there. I’m not the same Anna who dreamed of being an editor.
I wouldn’t hate knowing what my options are in the supernatural community. I imagine the requirements are less about grades and more about your specific abilities.
I’ll admit, I’m not sure I’m ready to dive head first into that world. What will they think of me? A year ago, I was just a little human with no knowledge of the supernatural presence in the world.
Aly didn’t know anything until her mates showed up, but at least she had them to guide her through it. I’m sure they would help me too, but I can never bring myself to ask. They’ve helped me so much already; demanding they take more time out of their lives to help me feels rude.
I realize I’ve been in my head for too long as Nic stares patiently at me with a sympathetic smile. Nic is incredibly nice, and I shouldn’t worry about being judged by him for being clueless. He knows what I went through.
“Thanks, Nic. I would love to hear about those jobs whenever you have the time.”
His smile widens. “Of course! Maybe after dinner? Jay will come looking for us if we don’t get in there soon.”
I nod, and we move into the kitchen together. The group is all seated at the table, but no one has touched their food. As we walk in, Jay’s anxious stare develops into a childlike grin. He untwists the kitchen rag from his hands and slings it over his shoulder before gesturing proudly to the spread of food on the table.
Kiran is on one side of Aly, and Jay drops into the seat next to her. I’m not exactly sure where I’m supposed to sit. I haven’t fully grasped the whole group dynamic and how it works. The seat across from Aly is open, but surely Nic wants to sit close to his mate.
Aly nudges the seat with her foot, pushing it out from the table. “Sit.”
I grin and follow her command, appreciating the help. Nic sits next to Jay at the head of the table. Jeremy and Jax are on either side of me. It’s cozy, and I love it.
Jay serves us all two huge pieces of lasagna, filling the rest of our plates with garlic bread and green beans.
I don’t need food the same way I need blood, but I still get hungry. I enjoy good food, and Jay’s is always incredible.
