Page 54 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

“For actual project purposes,” she clarified.

Oh. “Good luck.”

“When it comes to poisons, I don’t need luck.”

Andie held up her glass once my cousin had departed. “Should I be worried to drink this?”

“No, my cousin’s apothecary magic tends toward illicit substances. Alcohol falls under that.”

Basilia sipped at hers and groaned. “This might be the best one I’ve ever had. How much for her, seriously?”

“If Rooke wishes to go, she would go for free,” I answered.

The Vissimo pulled a face. “I’ll woo her over in time. Hey, what did she give you?”

“A gunpowder gimlet.” I held the glass up. “Cheers, everyone. Thank you for coming.”

All of us drank, except Kyros.

Andie asked quietly, “You weren’t born in this coven, were you? You have the apartment in Frankton Gorge, but you’re too comfortable with our ways to have been raised here.”

“Rhona may have mentioned that I joined the coven just over two months ago.”

“And now you lead it,” Kyros stated.

I dipped my head. “Our ancestor’s relics chose me—as the new bearer of four affinities—to lead the coven.”

“New bearer,” Sascha prompted.

“I was struck by lightning in the battle against the demons and gained the fourth affinity.”

Basilia’s brows shot up. “Fuck me. Love the drama of that. I just gained an obsessive mate and became a Vissimo to get where I am.”

Andie snorted. “And I realized half of my family were alive and pretty soon I could turn furry.” She glanced at Sascha. “But the obsessive mate part happened to me too.”

Sascha raised his glass to her.

“It would appear you are gaining an obsessive mate too,” Kyros said, looking at Wild.

Wild lifted his head to regard the prince. “Magus don’t have mates.”

“Magus haven’t had mates,” the Vissimo replied. “There was a time when my kind didn’t have mates and Luthers didn’t mate in the same fashion they now do.”

Seemed pointless not to admit the truth when Wild had been acting like an obsessive mate all damn day. “We are in a mating ritual,” I said.

Wild glanced my way, pulsing a warning.

I smiled, then added, “It is not common knowledge to the coven, and we’d prefer it to stay that way for now.”

The other supernaturals nodded.

“It is not yet complete,” Sascha said, then to Wild, “You’re in the worst of it. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s hard to control all that.”

Wild seemed to relax somewhat at the words. “It is. I’m unused to the lack of control.”

Kyros and Sascha both laughed quietly at that.

“And you have nothing on Kyros’s control issues,” Basilia remarked. “He had big tantrums about that.”

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