Page 73 of Wolves Always Bite

Iwanted to be excited, track down a video of my awesomeness—because surely someone had to have captured it, right?—and try to conjure up a bottle of champagne, butI’dbeen trying to tap into my supposed magic every fifteen minutes or so since they told meIwas magical and nothing had happened.Atall.Noteven a little zing.Ihadn’t made my fingertips spark likeAsh.Ihadn’t made time stand still.Ihadn’t successfully initiated a telepathic conversation withAdrian.

Truly,Ididn’t feel any different thanIhad before.

IfIdidn’t trustAshandAdriancompletely,I’dswear they were pranking me.ButIjust couldn’t see either of them doing that to me, certainly not for this many hours.AndIdoubted they’d have been able to getMr.Dimplesto play along with a joke like that either, like when he’d congratulated me on my new magic.

Itwas all so bizarre.

MaybeIjust needed to practice.Somehow.

Butshouldn’tIknow how?Itseemed like the kind of thing that should come naturally, but apparently that wasn’t the case.AndIwas too tired to figure it out right now.I’dcome back to it soon, though.MaybeafterIhad some alone time with my notebook soIcould organize my thoughts.Everythingwas just so muddled right now.

Iglanced at the clock. “Willany of the kitchens still be open at ten o’clock?”

“Right.”Ashfrowned. “Iforgot how late it was.Thecafé will be closed, but the pub might still be able to make us something.”

Adriannodded. “Let’stry it.”

Theparking lot was surprisingly full, and when we got inside the pub, we found it packed with people.Ilifted my eyebrows.

“Isn’tgoing out at ten o’clock something young people do?Aren’tmost of these people older than the town?”Iwhispered my question toAsh, but several of the people closest to us snickered.Oops.Imust not have been quiet enough. “Doall supes have bionic level hearing?”

“Notall, but most,”Ashsaid, as he nodded a greeting to a few people who were watching us with interest.

Ineeded to do some experiments withAdrianto test his hearing range.Later.Ina week.Ora month.

Myheart twisted.

Oh.Right.

Iwouldn’t be withAdrianin a month.We’donly agreed to get to know one another whileIneeded to hide fromBabette, and that whole situation had resolved itself much too fast.

Icouldn’t believe it was all over.

Adrianhad tried to talk to me a few times during the day and the ride home, but so farI’dmanaged to avoid the conversation.Whenwe were leaving the warehouse,I’dknownIshould have toldAshto drop me at my apartment sinceBabetteobviously wouldn’t be stalking me again any time soon, butI’dkept my mouth shut.Iwasn’t ready to say goodbye toAdrianyet.

AdrianandDillonwent to the bar to order our drinks and grab some menus, whileAshandIdetoured to the nearest empty table.Icollapsed into the chair.IhopedAdrianordered me something strong becauseIcould use it.

“Hey, are you okay?”Ashasked.

Isucked in a deep breath. “It’sa lot, right?Imean…Inever would have ever in my life guessedIcould have magic, but…IwishedIdidn’t have to find out likeIdid.”

Ashnodded. “I’mhere for you, you know that right?”

“Iknow.”Mygaze drifted over the pub toAdrian.

“He’sa good guy.TheEternalMagicknew what she was doing when she brought you two together.”

Mystomach churned atAsh’swords, andIdidn’t think it was becauseIwas hungry.HowwasIgoing to letAdriango?Becausewe were good together.Imight even be willing to give up my newfound magic—whatever it was—just to keep him.

Itore my gaze away fromAdrian.Nope.Irefused to be sad.Itdidn’t look good on me.AndIwas freaking magic.Icouldn’t be melancholic and magical at the same time.Thatjust wouldn’t be right.

WhatIneeded was a new plan.

Allaround us people were talking and playing pool and laughing as if confirming my decision to shake off my gloomy mood.Afterwhat we’d seen today, it struck me as odd that everyone was going about their business as usual but there had to be good to balance the bad, right?

Overby the pool table,Isaw the minotaurLevifrom the motel.Iknew he was big, but we’d always had the service counter between us.Outin the open, standing next to other people, he was even bigger thanIthought he was.Wereall minotaurs so massive?HadIwritten that question down in my notebook already?Icouldn’t remember.Today’scraziness had made my brain fuzzy.

“Doyou knowLevi?”Ashasked, following my gaze to the minotaur.