Page 33 of Make Me

“Oh, that’s amazing,” Bethany said, her eyes widening as she looked at Holly.

“I know, right? Carla makes the best wine.” Holly smiled as she took her own sip.

“We’re going to need another two glasses please,” Bethany said to Carla, who laughed and poured them for her. Holly and Bethany clinked their glasses together and then drained them. They took the new glasses from Carla and went to find Claire.

Bethany held the wine while Holly stole Claire away from Malcolm. Claire was confused at first but came along willingly. A grin spread across her face when Bethany pressed the glass of wine into her hand. The girls toasted each other, then drank quickly. The warmth of the alcohol flooded Bethany’s insides, making the world seem lighter and happier.

Claire looked like she wanted to ask questions, and, feeling playful, Bethany pressed a finger to her mouth and shushed her. That was hysterical for some reason, and the girls collapsed in laughter. That was how Claire’s Triad, Cody, and Zack found them. The men stared at them in amused bewilderment before Malcolm stole Claire back into his arms.

Zack’s intelligent gaze caught the empty cups on the windowsill behind them, and he grinned at Bethany. He held out a hand to her, and Bethany let him tuck her into his side. She blamed the wine for the heat radiating through her, as it surely couldn’t be the feel of his body pressed against hers, but she was a little too tipsy to care. He snagged a glass off a table as they passed by and pressed it into her hand. It wasn’t as sweet as Carla’s wine, but the blueberry wine was the perfect mixture of sweet and tart. She grinned up at him. He always paid attention to her. The thought caught her off guard.

Cody glanced back over his shoulder, and his eyes softened even as they glowed with his wolf. She knew she probably needed to create distance between them, but with the wine flowing and Holly’s words in her head, she couldn’t find it in herself to move away. Maybe she did need to embrace the moment, like Holly had been saying. She wasn’t committing to forever.

Holly’s mother Clarissa called out to them, and Holly and Bethany stopped to talk with her. Cody and Zack got pulled into a game of kickball with some children.

The kids shouted excitedly at the addition of the two into the game. Bethany lost track of the conversation with the other women as she watched. Zack moved like a dancer, his feet twisting quickly as he rolled the ball away from Cody gracefully and sent it softly to a little boy in a red shirt. Cody was not quite as graceful. He barely managed to avoid bowling Zack over at the quick movement. Zack grinned at him and said something, then Cody threw his head back and laughed.

Holly glanced over at her with a smirk, and Bethany elbowed her softly without looking. She was staring, but she couldn’t help it. She could blame it on her lioness for not wanting to look away, even as sweat shone from every inch of available skin, but the heat that rose in her body wasn’t just the lioness’s fault. Cody and Zack were both sexy in their own ways. Zack’s lean body was lithe, like a dancer, while Cody’s broad shoulders and muscular frame spoke of the power that resided in his wolf. Together, they made a striking pair. Bethany was dying to know if there was something between them, but she knew it was likely just her imagination. Alpha Bryson would eventually force Cody to find a wolf shifter to settle down with. He would never accept a magic wielder into the pack, much less a wizard. She wished, not for the first time, that the Realm wasn’t so divided. But there was no use wasting wishes on something that wasn’t going to change.

She let out a soft chuckle when Cody let himself get tackled by a few of the smaller boys. He fell to the ground dramatically with exaggerated shouts of defeat. The little ones piled onto him playfully with shouts of victory at defeating the ‘big bad wolf.’

“Come on.” Holly tugged on her arm softly. “The bonfire’s about to start.”

Around them, the witches and wizards of Brandlevine Coven were moving out of the village and towards the field behind it. Holly and Bethany scooped up more sweet wine before gathering their friends. Holly went to get Claire and her Triad. Bethany stopped by Cody and Zack. A wave of shyness swept over her before she steeled her spine and offered them each a cup. She really needed to get these pesky feelings under control. She wasn’t shy. She was a badass Alpha Heir, who ate men for breakfast. She had to pull herself together.

But when Zack murmured a quiet thanks and his fingers touched hers as he took the cup, her defenses crumbled. Ignoring the sparks from their fingers, Bethany decided to tread back into familiar ground: teasing Cody.

“How does it feel being the mighty Alpha Heir who got taken down by a few munchkins?” Bethany teased him.

Cody laughed. “A few? That was practically a whole army.”

“If you call an army, four children, then yes.” Zack smirked from behind his cup.

“No, no.” Cody waved his finger between the two of them. “Bethany’s the only one allowed to rag on me. I can’t have both of you ganging up on me. It’s not fair.” He folded his arm and pouted. Bethany would never admit how cute he was out loud, so she turned to Zack.

“Are you interested in forming an alliance with me?” She smirked and held out a hand, delighted when he threw his head back and laughed.

“Absolutely,” Zack said, reaching for her hand.

Cody lunged upwards and grabbed their hands with both of his. Bethany stumbled into Cody as he hauled himself up. “Thanks for the assist there,” Cody said, ignoring Bethany’s growl. “And just so you know, since you didn’t shake on the alliance, it’s not valid.”

“What are you going to do, hold our hands all night so we don’t shake on it?” Bethany arched an eyebrow at him.

“That’s a great idea. I’ll do that.” Cody grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes and tried to tug her hand out of his grip. He squeezed it softly, but let her go just as Holly came back with the others. They passed around the sweet wine, Claire giggling softly when Bethany smirked at her. The girls were probably each on their third or fourth glasses already, but only Desmond and Zack looked suspicious. Everett had a small smirk on his face. Not much got past the gryphon shifter.

By the time they got to the bonfire, the flames were reaching to the sky. The pile of wood had to be at least seven feet tall, with stacks of additional wood placed at a safe distance around it. Clearly, the coven planned to party all night.

When the music changed, Holly tugged Bethany and Claire onto the dance floor and into a fast-paced dance. They drained their sweet wine, and the kick of alcohol loosened their movements. When Desmond tugged Claire away, Holly and Bethany grinned at each other. Holly was tugged away by a couple of witches a few moments later, and Bethany lifted her hands to the sky, content to move to the beat by herself. She closed her eyes and let the music move through her as she twisted her hips.

A soft touch on her hip had her eyes opening. Zack stood in front of her, firelight dancing in his silver eyes. He held out a hand, and Bethany took it. She gasped as he tugged her into his arms, bringing her close like they were a couple instead of just two friends. He smiled at her gasp but didn’t say anything, placing his hands on her hips and moving with the beat. They moved farther towards the field, on the other side of the bonfire to give themselves more space. The shadows flickered between the couples here, and the mood was quieter and more intimate. Bethany jolted as strong hands covered Zack’s grasp on her hips. Cody’s familiar pine scent wrapped around her, and she tilted her head back when Zack didn’t move.

“May I join you?” He leaned down and whispered in her ear.

She shuddered softly as the puff of his breath danced along her skin. She should say no, but she found herself nodding. Heat surrounded her on all sides as Cody moved closer to her back. She closed her eyes and swayed with them to the music as their scents overwhelmed her. She felt drunk and not just on the wine. No one spoke a word as one song turned into two.

Her eyes opened at the soft brush of fingers against her cheek. Zack’s fingers hovered in the air, his eyes soft and curious, as if he was waiting to see what she would do. When she didn’t move, he ran his fingertips from her cheek to her ear, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear as he did so. His fingers paused, and Bethany could feel her heart pounding at the innocent touch. Her eyes traced over his face, from his expressive silver eyes framed by thick glasses to his full, pink lips.

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