Chapter 14
1105 Words
Lisa
Sydney finally lost her battle against laughter, the sound bursting out of her as she doubled over slightly clutching her stomach.
I glared at her.
“You are a horrible friend.”
“That,” she said between laughs, “is absolutely not true. This is just the funniest possible way for this to happen.”
Another knock sounded at the door.
“Lisa?” Lacey called again, suspicion clear in her voice now. “Why can I hear Sydney cackling through the door?”
My panic only worsened.
“Oh my goddess she knows.”
“She does not know,” Sydney promised quickly, though the smile still tugged at her lips. “Lacey just notices everything.”
Which honestly did not make me feel better.
Rowan looked entirely too pleased with himself standing beside me while I spiraled. The bond practically hummed between us now that we were standing close again, warm sparks dancing underneath my skin every time he looked at me.
It was distracting.
Dangerously distracting.
“You smell nervous,” Rowan murmured quietly.
I whipped toward him immediately. “Stop smelling me!”
One of his eyebrows lifted slowly. “Little wolf, I physically cannot stop smelling you.”
Sydney snorted again.
I buried my face in my hands.This was a nightmare.A very attractive nightmare with glowing green eyes and tattoos.Another knock sounded, this one firmer.
“If neither of you open this door in the next ten seconds I’m coming in,” Lacey warned.
Sydney straightened instantly. “Okay yeah no she absolutely will too.”
My eyes widened. “Do something!”
“Why am I the one fixing this?”
“Because this is your cousin!”
Sydney pointed between the two of us. “And this is your mate!”
The word sent another violent spark through my chest.Mate.Even now it still felt impossible.
Lucille stretched lazily in my mind, entirely pleased with herself after the emotional chaos she had dragged me through the last twenty four hours.
I ignored her.
Rowan leaned closer again, lowering his voice. “We could always just tell her.”
“No.”
“She’ll find out eventually.”
“Yes but preferably after I have at least a little time to mentally survive this first.”
Amusement flashed across his face again and I hated how much I liked seeing him smile already.
Sydney rubbed her temples dramatically. “Okay, here’s the plan. Rowan shuts up. Lisa stops looking guilty. I open the door and act normal.”
“You think I look guilty?” I whisper shouted.
They both of them stared at me.
“Oh goddess,” I muttered.
Sydney hurried toward the door before Lacey could walk in herself. She cracked it open just enough to slip through, immediately blocking the doorway with her body.I could still hear Lacey clearly from the other side.
“Why are you acting weird?”
“I’m literally always weird,” Sydney answered quickly.
“You were laughing like a maniac.”
“Maybe you’re just not funny enough usually.”
There was a pause.
Then Lacey sighed. “Move.”
“No.”
Another pause.
“Sydney.”
“Lacey.”
I looked toward Rowan in horror while they continued their strange verbal standoff through the doorway. He looked far calmer than me, though his eyes stayed locked on my face like he was tracking every emotion that crossed it.
The bond tightened painfully in my chest again.
I wasn’t sure if it was because he was close or because I already hated the idea of him leaving.
Which was ridiculous.
I had known him for barely two days.
But the bond didn’t care about logic. It only cared that he was mine.
Mine.
The thought hit me hard enough my breath caught.
Rowan noticed instantly.
His expression softened.
That somehow made everything worse.
The door suddenly pushed open wider and Sydney stumbled backward with an offended noise as Lacey finally forced her way inside.
Lacey froze immediately.
Her silver eyes bounced between the three of us, taking in every detail far too quickly.
My flushed face.
Rowan standing much too close to me.
Sydney looking guilty.
The tension thick enough to choke on.
“Oh,” Lacey said slowly.
Nobody spoke.
I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.
Lacey’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked toward Rowan. “Why do you have lipstick smeared across your neck?”
I slapped both hands over my face instantly.
Sydney made a choking sound that suspiciously sounded like another laugh.
Rowan reached up calmly touching the side of his neck before looking entirely unapologetic. “Good question.”
“ROWAN,” I hissed.
Lacey’s mouth dropped open slightly as realization finally hit her full force.
“No way.”
I stayed silent behind my hands.
“Oh my goddess,” Lacey breathed.
The bond sparked violently as Rowan moved closer again, probably sensing my rising panic. His fingers brushed lightly against my wrist and warmth spread through me immediately.
Lacey noticed that too.
Her eyes widened impossibly farther.
“No way,” she repeated louder this time.
Sydney finally gave up pretending this was salvageable and burst into laughter all over again.
Lacey whipped toward her. “You knew?!”
“I found out like ten minutes ago!”
Lacey looked back toward me, completely stunned now. “Lisa.”
I slowly lowered my hands from my face, already knowing I looked guilty as hell.
“Yes?”
“You mated the witch?”
“I did not mate the witch!” I exclaimed immediately.
Silence filled the room.
Then Rowan spoke very calmly.
“You absolutely did.”
Heat flooded my face so fast I thought I might actually die.
Lacey blinked twice before turning slowly toward the wall like she needed emotional support from the building itself.
Sydney was fully crying laughing now.
“This is not funny!” I snapped.
“It kind of is,” Rowan muttered under his breath.
I turned toward him in betrayal while Lacey dragged a hand down her face.
“This is bad,” I whispered finally, the reality settling back over me like freezing water. “Like really, really bad.”
Lacey looked toward me again, and to my surprise there wasn’t judgment in her eyes.
Just concern.
And maybe a little understanding.
“You love him already?” she asked softly.
My breath caught.
“No,” I answered immediately.
Too quickly.
Rowan’s lips twitched.
Lacey noticed that too.
“Oh this is worse than I thought.”
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