Chapter 21 – SEAN
SEAN
I'm gonna fucking lose it if I have to watch Regina walk around in that same pair of jeans for one more day.
Don't get me wrong, her ass looks fucking fantastic in them. But our mate deserves a proper wardrobe, not the sad collection of basics she managed to grab when fleeing dickwad Kyle and his coven full of magical assholes.
Now that it's just the two of us in the living room, since everyone else is busy with weekend activities, I know it's the perfect time to strike.
"Shopping," I announce, tossing my controller aside and vaulting over the back of the couch. I almost launch her into the ceiling. "We're going shopping. Right now."
Regina looks up from the grimoire she almost dumped onto the floor, eyebrow arched in that way that makes my dick twitch. "We are?"
"Yep." I'm already grabbing my keys from the hook by the door.
"Now that we're all officially bonded and you can leave campus, you need clothes.
Real clothes. Not the three shirts, two dresses, and two pairs of jeans you've been rotating since you got here.
No matter how amazing your tits look in that green one. "
She shuts her book with a snap. "I'm fine with what I have."
"You're not, though." I lean against the doorframe, studying her. "And if you don't come pick stuff out yourself, I'm just gonna buy whatever I think looks hot. And trust me, you do not want that."
Her eyes narrow, but I can see the corner of her mouth fighting a smile. "Are you threatening me? With a shopping spree?"
"Absolutely." I flash her my most wolfish grin. "And I have terrible taste. Ask Killian. Last time I went clothes shopping alone, I came back with leopard print everything."
"Leopard print is not your color," she sighs, setting her grimoire aside. "Your undertones are all wrong for it."
I blink, genuinely surprised. "Wait, I have undertones?"
"Everyone has undertones." She stands, stretching in a way that makes her shirt ride up, exposing a sliver of skin I immediately want to taste. "And FYI, all of them clash with animal print."
"See? You know fashion. I don't. Which is why you should come pick your own stuff before I buy you a wardrobe that'll make you look like a backup dancer in an '80s music video. An MC Hammer music video, to be exact."
She sighs, but it's the kind that means I've won. "Fine. I guess I could use some new things for work. Let me grab my purse."
"No need," I say, dangling my black card between two fingers. "Pack's treat."
Her face does that thing where she's torn between pride and practicality. "I don't need—"
"It's not about need," I cut her off. "It's about want. And I want my mate to have nice things. Things that make her feel good. Things that aren't leftovers from her escape plan that still smell kind of like that douchebag who got his arm ripped off by Killian. What was his name again? Clives?"
"Kyle," she says dryly.
"Oh, that's right. Kyle. Kyle Starbridge," I snort. "Sounds like he's selling candles."
"Is this really about me smelling like Kyle?" she asks, folding her arms, but there's amusement in those intense blue eyes.
"And spoiling you," I answer. "But burning everything that asshole's ever touched would definitely be a bonus."
She laughs, shaking her head. "I hate to break it to you, but Kyle has touched me."
My lip curls back at the reminder and my wolf snarls. We're usually on the same page. "Is he left-handed or right?"
Regina blinks. "Left. Why does that matter?"
"Cuz now I've gotta tear the other arm off," I answer.
She rolls her eyes. "You are so ridiculous."
She's happy, though. I can feel it. She likes that we protect her, that we want her to be ours and ours only.
It's still weird, feeling her emotions alongside my own. Good weird, though. Like discovering a new flavor of ice cream that somehow tastes exactly like what you've been craving your whole life without knowing it.
"Besides," I add, "Killian's family is loaded. Like, obscenely loaded. This shopping trip won't even register as a rounding error on his monthly statement."
She hesitates one more second before grabbing her jacket. "I'm paying him back eventually," she grumbles.
"Sure you are," I agree, knowing full well she won't. Not because she's not capable of it, but because Killian would rather tear his own arms off, too, than take money from our mate. And I'd give her everything too.
Not that I have as much as he does. Being more awesome doesn't pay that well.
As we head out to my Jeep, Regina pulls out her new phone—the one Killian got her after we discovered her ex and his wicked bitches were using the old one to harass her—and starts typing.
"What are you doing?" I ask, opening the passenger door for her.
"Telling the group chat where we're going," she says. "So they don't worry."
I snort. "They're gonna worry anyway. And probably try to meet us there. Turn the whole damn thing into a pack field trip."
She rolls her eyes, but there's fondness in the gesture. "They're not that bad."
"Wanna bet? Five bucks says Killian shows up within an hour claiming he 'just happened to be in the area.'"
Her laugh is like fucking sunshine, I swear. "No bet. You'd win."
I close her door and jog around to the driver's side, sliding behind the wheel with a grin. "Smart witch."
The drive to the mall is easy. It's not very far from campus, so it'll be a good first step to build her confidence and I'm more than capable of tearing apart anyone suicidal enough to try to approach her.
It's only been a few days, but already, I can't imagine not feeling her presence in the back of my mind.
Sometimes I catch myself reaching for the bond just to feel her there, like a kid checking his pocket to make sure his favorite toy is still safe. It's fucking addictive, this connection. And it's only getting stronger every day.
"What are you smiling about?" she asks as I pull into the parking lot.
"Just thinking about how hot you're gonna look in all the clothes we're about to buy you," I lie, because saying 'I'm fucking obsessed with the magical soul bond between us' feels a little heavy for a shopping trip.
"Uh-huh." She clearly doesn't believe me, but she's smiling too. "Just remember, I have veto power."
"Obviously. I'm not a complete animal." I pause. "Well, not all the time, anyway."
The mall isn't too crowded, which is perfect. Regina still gets tense in big crowds. A leftover from her time with Kyle, I think, when she was constantly being watched and judged.
She put her glamour back on at some point while I was distracted by the road, but I decide not to push her on it since getting her off campus is practically a miracle on its own. I feel her relaxing as we make our way through the relatively empty corridors and she realizes no one's staring at her.
If they did, I'd put 'em through a wall anyway.
"Where to first?" she asks, looking around at the storefronts.
"Anywhere that isn't boring," I declare, steering her toward a shop with mannequins dressed in clothes that look like they'd actually have some color. "No more beige. You're not a fucking oatmeal cookie."
She laughs again, and damn, I could get high on that sound. "I like neutrals. They're practical."
"Practical is for tax returns and kitchen appliances. Clothes should be fun." I tug her into the store, immediately gravitating toward a rack of dresses in jewel tones. "Like this. This is the opposite of boring."
I hold up a purple dress with a neckline that would show off her collarbones and the mating marks we left on her neck. The color would make her eyes pop, and the cut would hug every curve. Plus, the whole world would be able to see she's ours.
Win-win-win.
"That's..." she starts, then stops, her fingers reaching out to touch the fabric almost reverently.
"Gorgeous?" I supply. "Perfect? Exactly what you should be wearing instead of those faded jeans?"
"I was going to say 'expensive,'" she counters, but she's still touching the dress like she's afraid it might disappear.
"Try it on," I urge, already looking for her size. "Just try it. If you hate it, we'll find something else."
She hesitates, but I can feel her wavering. "Fine. But just to try."
"That's my girl," I grin, finding her size and handing it to her. "Dressing rooms are back there. I'll keep looking."
While she heads to the dressing room, I pull out my phone and open our group chat.
KNOTHEAD
Operation Wardrobe Upgrade is a go. Heading into first dressing room now.
TOP DAWG
What the fuck, Sean? You were supposed to wait until we all had a free afternoon.
NERD
Some of us have practice, asshole.
OTHER NERD
Did you at least take her somewhere decent? Not that place you bought your leopard print phase from?
I snicker, snapping a quick picture of the store's interior and sending it to the chat.
KNOTHEAD
Relax, I'm taking good care of our mate. She's trying on a purple dress that's gonna make all your dicks explode.
I pause to check the tag on one of the other sizes.
KNOTHEAD
It's EGGPLANT. How perfect is that?
TOP DAWG
I swear to all the gods, Sean, if you're making her uncomfortable...
KNOTHEAD
She's fine! She's having fun! Aren't you, babe?
I include Regina in the last message, knowing she'll see it when she checks her phone.
While I wait for her to respond, I gather a few more things, including a soft blue sweater that looks like it would feel amazing against her skin, a pair of dark gray ass-smothering jeans that are actually new and not worn thin at the knees, and a red top with a neckline that dips just low enough to be interesting without making her self-conscious.
My phone buzzes again.
SEXY WITCH
I'm trying on clothes, not being held hostage. Though Sean's taste is questionable at best.
KNOTHEAD
HEY! I have excellent taste. I picked you, didn't I?
SEXY WITCH
You didn't pick me. A magical spell and the universe did.
KNOTHEAD
Semantics. The point is, I recognize quality when I see it.
TOP DAWG