Chapter 40
Forty
Felix
He hadn’t been lying. The sun rose above the hill and kissed Avery before he could, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off her in hours. It was like he couldn’t physically rip himself away from looking at her, that if she so much as blinked, she would be gone.
The dawn light crept across the floorboards, the sun coming out as if it were just for her, drenching the room in a golden hue.
It stretched over the bed, climbing over her like it couldn’t get enough of her either.
The scent of cinnamon and honey filled the room, and fuck, would he ever get used to it?
He didn’t think so. He didn’t want to. Slowly, Avery opened her eyes, the blue oceans of them glistening in the morning light, catching on him almost immediately. God, she was so beautiful.
“You are still staring.” She smiled sleepily.
“I am a man of my word,” he said. “Why would I look away when my whole world is in front of me?”
And Felix meant every word. Before her, he had been hollow, moving through life like a lifeless husk.
If he had a soul before, it was in the ashes, and somehow, she had set it aflame.
His mate. And now that he had found her, he would never let her go.
Even the gods themselves should be terrified of the lengths he would go to.
No matter whether he was alive or dead, he would find her, protect her, and love her. He fucking loved her. His fucking mate.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
She nodded, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
“Follow me,” he said.
Using his good shoulder, he hoisted her up from the bed and clothed her in a big shirt of his and some pants Eimi had lent her.
He led her through the house to the dining hall.
It was still the ass crack of dawn, but shifters moved in and out of the dining hall, all giving the little witch a wide berth.
Her shoulders had crept up toward her ears, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, and Felix wanted to snarl at every shifter who made her feel unwelcome. But he didn’t. Yet.
The dining hall wasn’t dissimilar to the one in Caerwyn.
It held rows of tables and benches, designed to seat over a hundred people.
Vaulted ceilings supported the roof, but the chandeliers had long since been replaced by more modern designs, casting warm light over the room.
They took a seat at the back, away from the majority of shifters.
Who despite Felix being right next to her, they still stared.
A growl rumbled from him, and that was all it took for them to whip their heads away.
A lazy smile pulled at his lips. Not even his den could ruin his good mood. “Don’t worry about them, they’ll warm up to you.”
“It’s fine, I can understand why they aren’t happy to have a witch in their den.”
Anyone who wasn’t happy after he was better would be made to be happy. But Felix didn’t tell her that. She was his. Anyone who had a problem with that would have a fucking smile carved into their face.
Felix pulled her against his side and tucked her into the crook of his chest. The wound pulled when he moved, an aching reminder that he wasn’t at full strength yet, but he’d suffer worse if she wasn’t close.
He inhaled deeply. God, her scent, it would drive him mad. He had half a mind to chuck her over his shoulder and ravage her all over again. But he had a surprise in store that he couldn’t ruin.
“Where do we get food from?” she asked.
The sound was audible in the quiet between them, and Felix bit back a smile.
“Today it will come to us.”
“How?” she said, head tilting.
“Magic,” he said, shaking his hands in the air and then wincing from the pain. Fuck. Forgot about the chest wound.
“Stop using that arm, you idiot.”
“Make me.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
She glared at him, but it had little meaning when he could see the smile pulling at her lips.
Eimi and Ciro came back from the mission Felix had set them on at seven a.m. His sister had been more than displeased to fetch like a dog, but because he almost died, he had some leverage.
They walked down the hall, Eimi holding a brown paper bag.
Avery’s nostrils flared as she tried her hardest not to look like she was smelling the delicious scent coming from inside it, her attempt at nonchalance undermined by the way she leaned forward half an inch.
Felix took the bag from his sister and pushed it toward her.
Felix caught Eimi’s eye and mouthed thank you.
Tentatively, Avery took the bag and opened the top of it before crinkling it closed again. “Is this what I think it is?”
Even Eimi couldn’t help the grin forming on her face. “Mmhmm, went all the way into London for it.”
Like a kid on Christmas, the wonder in her eyes couldn’t be missed as she opened the bag. Her lip wobbled. Was she about to cry over chicken nuggets?
“How did you know?” Her voice cracked. She really was.
“You talked about them in your sleep,” Felix said, a warmth spreading in his chest. He’d listened to her mumble feverishly for twenty minutes about the perfect crispy texture, like she was repeating a goddamn ad from memory or something.
He’d known exactly what he needed to do.
It was then that he realized that they had a shared obsession with delicious chicken. They truly were soulmates.
Avery fished the nuggets out of the bag and held the box like she was carrying a delicate artifact. “You don’t know how much this means to me, thank you,” she said sincerely, before turning to Eimi and Ciro. “Thank you.”
He knew she meant it, every word. Felix watched Avery look at his sister as she had just performed a miracle instead of a fast-food run.
“Consider it your welcoming gift to the den,” Eimi said. “Usually, for any other witch, they would be poisoned, but for my brother’s mate, I’ll make an exception.”
Avery looked surprised. “He’s your brother?”
“Unfortunately,” she deadpanned. “But thank you for keeping him safe.”
They smiled at each other, and Felix recognized that particular expression: the girl smile.
The we’re-going-to-talk-about-you-later smile.
Oh god. Were they going to be friends? It was good that Avery would have friends here, but all Felix could think about was every embarrassing story Eimi had kept hidden over the years.
“Now eat them before they get cold,” Eimi insisted.
Avery happily obliged, opening the box and looking at the ten crispy golden nuggets and sauce that steamed in the morning chill.
They all watched her face light up like he’d given her the fucking crown jewels.
Even Ciro couldn’t hide the chuckle behind his hand.
The scent of greasy chicken hit his nose.
He had to admit, they smelled pretty good.
Carefully, she dipped the nugget in the sauce.
And when Avery took a bite of one? She moaned and rolled her eyes back more than any lick of his tongue had ever done.
That chicken nugget was living its best life, and Felix was absolutely, pathetically jealous.
It was then that he realized he would live his life a jealous man, of the clothes that kissed her back, the seats that held her, and the blankets that warmed her when he couldn’t.
Jealous of all the days, hours, and minutes he had spent not touching her.
Felix would spend an eternity making up for lost time, and he would love every second.
As long as he was alive, she would never have personal space again.
Funny how they always said curiosity killed the cat, well, they had never said how love could destroy one. It had wrecked him completely and built something better in its place. In a game of cat and witch, somehow they had both won. He wouldn’t have it any other way.