Page 112 of What The Hex (The Family Spells)
“Poor kid,” Hex replied with a slight frown, giving the pup a scratch behind one ear. Legend started to pant, his tail wagging happily at the attention. I smiled and reached down for Hex’s one free hand, curling my fingers through his.
Our eyes met, and his lips parted slightly. Personally, I felt my mouth go dry and my pits start to sweat again (still smelled like cinnamon though). Not at all sexy. I coughed dramatically and held out my arms for Legend.
“You don’t have to keep watching the babies,” I said with a slight shrug. “Caine’s just trying to haze you.”
“The demon shit ain’t doin’ so bad,” he murmured as he moved past, eyes on the house and not on either of us. “Just don’t fuck up this visit with my mama. She won’t like you.”
“She doesn’t like me either,” Spectre offered from the other side. He took Legend from Hex so that I’d be free to deal with family politics. I tangled my fingers with Hex’s again, and I realized with a small smile that his palm was just as sweaty as mine.
At least if I were a sweaty witch, so was he.
“Or me,” Argent agreed, looking over at Monster. Neither of them were wearing glamours. That would bother Raeanne to no end, but I knew that wearing a glamour was like wearing a bra with the straps digging into your shoulders. It wasn’t fair to ask either man to do that just because Pack Citrine Sunrise was uncomfortable with other Numinous species. “But don’t let that bother you.” He paused and looked Hex over briefly. “My mother will like you; she’ll probably try to fuck you. I just hope you’re prepared.”
“You’re shittin’ me?” Hex choked out as Argent smirked and took off, but not without ensuring that Monster was in his sights. He never let the man get more than six feet away from him at any given time.
“He’s … almost kidding?” I replied, offering up a grimace and a shrug in response. “Let’s just … worry about one family gathering at a time, shall we?”
I took off for the front door just as it opened and Raeanne appeared. She was the middle-aged, female version of Caine. Same wavy dirty blond hair, sun-kissed skin, amber eyes. They hugged each other nice and tight as I came up to stand beside him, my proper place as his mate.
They parted and Raeanne offered me up a hug as well.
“Good to see you, Graceley,” she said, her eyes drifting past me to Spectre and Argent. The former had Legend in his arms, Ophelia on a leash by his feet. Fey and Zavier were holding hands between the two men. Raeanne’s smile never faltered although her gaze lingered on the twins in their wolf forms for longer than necessary. “And all my beautiful grandbabies.” Her gaze flicked to Monster first and then Hex.
Joy to the world. How to explain their presence in a succinct manner?
Hey MIL, let me tell you all about our new half-demon soulmate, the one that’s integral to the brewing demon-witch war that’s going on. Also, this is my ex. He’s a demon prince, too, but he once rolled me with his magic so hard that I almost died when we were separated. He’s just around for the holidays.
I coughed dramatically and Caine flashed a feral grin.
“Mama, this is Hex Sorciere—”
“Hey everybody!” I heard Abel bellow from the backyard, voice booming in the quiet, snow drenched forest. “Caine’s back and he brought his new demon mate.”
“Demon mate?” Raeanne asked, her face aghast. She flicked her eyes to me. I’d been blamed in the past for bringing in Spectre as my ‘new man’. In reality, we were all soulmates. Sorry that we were born male and female and had sexual orientations that worked out this way? I wasn’t going to apologize for being the only woman in a circle of straight dudes. “Both of them?”
“Gods no,” Argent breathed from behind us. “He’s here to assist with some metaphysical complications.”
“I am bound to do no harm, milady,” Monster schmoozed, and I glanced over to see him lifting his wrist up to show off the magic mark that was there. He smiled prettily, and my heart pounded. Having him around was going to straight-up kill me.
I looked back at Raeanne, but although she was smiling through the disturbance, she wasn’t pleased.
“Well come on in and get those babies out of the cold,” she said, even though she must’ve known we had the kids spelled for warmth. Pack Citrine Sunrise didn’t like to acknowledge spells or magic of any kind. They only shifted four times a year, on the equinoxes and the solstices. Werewolves had magic, too, but they sure as spells didn’t use any of it around here.
Raeanne stepped back, allowing us into her cozy living room. She had a fire going, a twenty-foot-tall spruce covered in lights and ornaments, and a pile of presents for the pack and the other grandkids. I’m sure our kids had a few items down there as well.
