Spellbound

Chapter 4

“So, you're a witch." Carson asked plainly, not really looking for an answer. I looked over at him. “And you're a shifter." I replied, sipping my sparkling cider. We sat in the conservatory, a large, tiled room with floor to ceiling windows that sat adjacent to the main hall where people continued the dance and celebrate. But it was quiet in here, and Fiona had insisted that we take a few minutes to speak to one another.

“I prefer wolf. Shifter sounds so.... formal." He smirked twirling an empty beer bottle in his hands. He had downed and entire drink in about 30 seconds. I would have guessed he was nervous, or had a drinking problem, but neither was his style. “And you drink." I stated eyeing the bottle.

He let out an unexpected laugh “I like, the taste." I c****d my head to the side. “No one likes the taste of beer. People only drink it cause it's cheap and it gets the job done."

He turned toward me “Drank a lot of beers in your 17 years, have you?" he challenged with a cocky smile.

“No! I've just heard it tastes awful, and it's an easy way to get drunk."

“Well, it doesn't. Get me drunk, or any wolf actually. Something about our metabolism, we process it too fast for it to have any effect on us."

“Seriously?"

“Yea, we have all kinds of quirks like that."

“Like the heartbeat thing, and the smelling me thing. Could you really smell me?" I asked leaning in closer to him.

He nodded his head remembering the awkward conversation from earlier. “Ah, yea, sorry about that. We have a very sensitive sense of smell. And we can pretty much identify people just by their scent, so when it changes it kind of throws us off." That made sense. I had been wearing the same Rihanna perfume since freshman year. It was my signature, but then when Jessica St. James publicly claimed it as her own personal fragrance something about it began to give me a headache. And I haven't worn it since.

“So, what about you? Any weird witchy quirks I should know about?" he squinted. “What do you mean like do I ride around on a broom stick, cackling at the moon?" I joked. His nose scrunched up as he laughed under his breath. The same adorable nose wrinkle he had done earlier. It made my stomach flip. “Yea, basically." He nodded sarcastically.

“Not, really. I mean, I can levitate. Sometimes. I can't fully control it yet." I sighed sitting back against the wicker couch. I wished I had something cooler to say, like 'yea, I can move things with my mind, or I can trans-mutate objects'. But no, I only had half a power, and the whole pyrokinesis thing from earlier was too much of a fluke to be called anything real.

His eyes softened. “I get that. I've been having these episodes. Like shifting episodes. Where I can't really control the change, it just starts to happen. But I guess it's pretty normal, especially leading up to the first shift."

My eyes grew wide with surprise “Wait, you haven't gone through your first shift yet?" I was so intrigued.

He shook his head, his eyes fixated on the twirling bottle in his hands “Nope. It'll be during the next moon, so in 3 days. Lucky me." He smiled dryly.

My eyes narrowed. “Are you scared?"

“Naw, I can take it. I was built for it." I could tell he was less than excited. I mean the idea of having your entire body ripped apart, bones broken and bend, didn't really sound appealing. He repositioned himself in his chair as if searching for something to say.

“So, these episodes you've been having, do you know what's causing them?" I asked eager to fill the long pause of silence.

“Not really. It usually happens if I get angry, or...."

“Congratulations, man." A voice interrupted. I looked up to see Gavin standing over Carson with a hand placed on his shoulder.

“Aw, thanks man." Carson smiled shaking his friend's hand.

“And also, to you." Gavin smiled giving me an old fashion bow.

I laughed “Thank you." Returning the motion with a sitting version of a curtsey.

“So, how's it going?" he smirked glancing at me. Carson rolled his eyes.

“Get lost." He moaned, giving him a shove.

Gavin raised both arms as if surrendering “Alright, alright." He back away slowly, then immediately changed his attention to Iris walking past with a tray full of some delicious looking desserts. Struggling to grab one, he followed after her like a little kid trying to swipe a cookie off the kitchen counter without his mom noticing.

“He's a riot." I smiled my eyes following Gavin into the main hall.

“Yea, he's definitely something." Carson laughed. I noticed my mom walking toward us with a pleasant look on her face.

“Hi, honey." She greeted. Stopping just short of us.

“Hey, mom." I replied tossing my hair over my shoulder. “It's getting pretty late, you thinking of heading home soon? Don't forget you have your first training session early tomorrow morning.... actually, you both do." She corrected herself gesturing toward Carson.

I shifted on the couch smoothing out my dress. “Uh, yea, are you and dad leaving now?" I asked searching the hall behind her. But I didn't see him.

“Not yet, we are going to have a brandy with a few coven and pack members. But I'm sure Sage can take you." She offered looking behind her for my sister. Little did she know Sage and Lucas had left right after the bonding ceremony. Something about a party on campus she had already committed to going to.

“Uh, yea, maybe." I lied covering for her. I knew if I let it slip that she had already ghosted it would just cause another argument between them. Carson instantly looked at me as if he could tell I was lying.

“I can take her." He smiled looking up at my mom.

“Really? You don't mind?" she gushed clutching her amethyst necklace. His smile grew wider. He was definitely turning on the charm. “Not at all. I would be honored." He rose from his chair beckoning me to follow his lead. I quickly stood placing the empty glass I had been holding the entire time on the wooden coffee table in front of me.

“Well, I guess I'll see you at home." I smirked.

“Don't wait up!" she called as we made our way through the large arched doorway and back into, the main hall. A few wolves and witches nodded and smiled at us as we left. While the majority were too preoccupied partying to notice.

We walked out into the crisp night air and through the large field in silence. Only the sound of the hardened snow crunching under our feet and the distant sound of early 90's music could be heard wafting in the distance.

“Thanks for offering to drop me off, I could have just asked my sister." I stated my breath filling the empty space between us. He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “No, you couldn't have." He grinned. “She left a while ago."

My mouth fell open “How did, you...."

“Did you know that when you lie, your heart skips a beat and a half?" he teased me.

“Seriously? You can tell when people lie?" I scoffed folding my arms around my waist.

“Only if I listen closely." He smiled towering over me. He looked down at my arms. “You're cold." He stated, already knowing the answer.

“I forgot my coat…" I gestured back toward the hall. Before I could turn around, he had taken off his dark navy military field jacket and was draping it around my shoulders.

“Well, now you're gonna freeze." I argued gripping the jacket to remove it. He placed his hand over mine, stopping me.

“I'm fine, it's more for fashion anyway. I run so hot that the cold doesn't really bother me." His eyes glimmered under the night sky shining a bright silver.

“Your eyes..." I began. His gaze didn't move. He stared at me deeply.

“It's the moon." He replied still focused on me. I looked up and saw overhead the waxing moon peaking out from behind a cluster of slow-moving clouds.

“Does that always happen?" I asked looking back at him.

“Sometimes."

We stood in silence for a moment locked on one another. I could feel his breath on my face. My heart began to race. And I knew that he knew it.

“Let's get you home." He motioned toward the car.

We drove the entire way home in silence. But it wasn't awkward this time. It was that kind comfortable voicelessness you only gain when your relaxed enough with someone, that you don't need words. He eased the black Land Rover up the driveway and parked it in front of the closed garage. The large white craftsman loomed over us, with its darkened windows and black shutters it gave off a spooky aura without any lights from inside to bring it life. We sat for another moment.

“Well, thanks again for the ride." I finally uttered undoing my seat belt. He placed both hands atop the steering wheel and leaned forward in his seat.

“Anytime. It's not like I could let you hitchhike or something." He tilted his head toward me. It was hard to see his expression in the darkness of the car. But I could sense the sarcasm in his voice.

I laughed “True, there are some weirdos out there." I joked back glancing at the empty house.

“Yea but you don't have to worry about that now."

Mocking him I smiled “Yea? You'll protect me?"

His tone dropped and every trace of irony left his voice “I'll never let anything happen to you." I paused trying to make out his eyes in the darkness.

“Right, cause of the whole spellbound for life thing." I suggested leaning forward to catch a better glimpse of his face.

“Yea… that too."