Page 27 of Love Summoned

“Okay, enjoy the rest of your night.” I grin before picking up Grandpa and heading to my own room.

I set him on the bed before searching through my bag for pajamas.

Closing the bathroom door, I turn on the shower, then strip out of my long skirt and fuzzy blue sweater.

As soon as the hot water touches my skin, I groan with relief, letting it soothe the tightness in my muscles and the vortex of wandering thoughts.

Nix walked me home after our reading with Edith, and I’ve tried to distract myself all day from dwelling on it. Nothing feels as confusing or hard when Nix is around; it’s like the panic leaves me and I can trust myself more, but as soon as he’s gone, reality sets in.

He’s a demon. We’ve found stories of wolf and vampire bonds with humans, a few with witches, but still no evidence of bonds that resemble love with a demon.

Maybe Lennox is right; this is a curse.

I wish my visions could give me something more. The dagger. Hemlock Vinyl. The library. Theodora Solomon. The golden ties of our bond. What do they all have in common?

I shut off the water, towel off, and pull on my favorite cozy flannel pajamas: the ones with teddy bears wearing witch’s hats.

Back in my bedroom, Grandpa has moved from my bed to sit on the dresser beneath the window. He meows and walks in a circle on top of my books, then sits down.

“Grandpa,” I scold as I hurry across the room and shoo him away. “These are old and sacred.” I brush a hand over the leather, smiling when I pull back the cover and read Solomon Hewitt inscribed inside the cover. “Oh, I see. This is your book so it’s okay to put your butt on it?”

He meows and nudges his nose against the cover.

“What?” I open the book and flip through the pages. “What am I missing, Grandpa?”

He never responds, but sometimes he looks at us as if he’s trying to say something.

When my hand reaches the last page, Grandpa walks across the book then sits on top of a recipe for attracting love: aloe, orris root powder, avocado, bachelor’s buttons, beet, and 7x apple seeds. Burn on the night of a full moon to bring a new lover.

The next page is missing, cutting off the rest of the potion and incantation. That’s weird.

Sloane’s door slams shut. I know it’s hers because the next rooms are a good distance down the hall from us.

New lover. Full moon. I smile at Grandpa. “Are you trying to play matchmaker with Sloane and Rowan?” I ask, picking him up and setting him on my bed again while I investigate what’s happening outside. I find Rowan in the hallway picking up a fork from the ground.

“Everything okay out here?” I chuckle.

The hint of a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “I hover too much. She threw a force field.” He lifts one shoulder. “Just a little one.”

“Seems she liked the cobbler,” I say, gesturing to the empty bowls.

“I’ve noticed the way to my mate’s heart is through her stomach.”

I nod. “Yep. She can’t cook for shit, but she loves to eat.”

“Good thing I like to cook.”

“It does seem you were made for each other.” Rowan nods. He’s happy about that, but I can feel his disappointment mingling with the joy. “Does it bother you that Sloane doesn’t recognize the bond?”

“Of course. I want to claim my mate more than anything, but I know it’s different for your kind. If I want to keep her, I can’t just wolf out. I’ve gotta play by her rules. I need to court her, get to know her, and prove my intentions with actions. When she’s receptive to my affection for her, then she will sense more push from the bond.”

“And then what? What happens when you both accept the bond?” I ask. My own emotions are like a storm cloud hovering over me. Maybe Rowan can help guide me through them.

“Wolves hope and pray the Moon Goddess will bless them with a mate. They’re the one you’re meant to walk beside in life. If you find the one you’re fated to, you perform a claiming bite during mating, and the bond is cherished for life.”

“Mating?” I question.

“Sex.”