Page 25 of Monster's Mistake

I almost choke on the tea I’m still drinking.

“I suppose I’ll see what they say today.” She finishes drinking her tea and looks at them. “Nope, I still have nothing. Should I draw it again?”

I nod. “Tomorrow night,” I say. “For the date? I’ll ask Cethin which of the secret rooms is free.”

“Tomorrow is good.” She starts drawing the tea leaves from the bottom of her cup, a look of concentration on her face as she does it. One of her snakes slips down from her hair, seeming as if it’s following the movement of her hand over the page as she draws.

I can understand why, she’s captivating.

“So, what do you think?” she asks, sliding the drawing towards me. “I think this part is about my magic.”

I clear my throat. “Yes.”

“Okay, so let me try again.” She picks up her cup and looks into it. “I think it’s saying I’m going to use it soon. But that doesn’t make sense.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have no reason to turn anyone into stone.”

I shrug. “Maybe it’s an accident, or maybe it just means the magic that connects you to your snakes.”

“Maybe.” The pensive expression on her face says she’s not convinced, but I don’t have another explanation yet. “What does yours say?”

“That our date is going to go really well,” I joke.

She lets out an amused laugh. “Is that really what it says?”

“Yes and no.” I turn the cup so she can see it, even though it seems unlikely that she’ll be able to read mine if she can’t read her own. “It just says that things are changing in my love life.”

“That might be bad.”

I shrug. “If you were going to reject me, then it would say something about heartbreak instead. At least, that’s what I’m guessing.”

“I have no idea. You might have noticed that I don’t exactly have a gift for divination,” she says.

“I hate to say it, but you have a point.”

“It’s okay so long as I have you helping me,” she responds.

I smile at her, glad she feels that way and being unable to even consider what it would be like to have a fated mate who didn’t think I brought something good into their life. I just hope that I can convince Nati I’m a good match and that she won’t choose to reject me.

Though from everything she’s saying, that doesn’t seem likely.

CHAPTER 10

Nati

Meic struggleswith his tablet to bring up a movie for the two of us to watch and I take a moment to admire him. Not that I’ve really stopped doing that since he blurted out that he thinks I’m his fated mate. And it would be a lie to say I didn’t find him attractive before that. Which I suppose makes sense. We’ve been fated mates the entire time even if one or both of us have been oblivious to it. It should scare me more than it does.

His shirt has come untucked at the back, and he’s taken off his tie, giving him a more casual look than when he’s in uniform. The rolled-up sleeves help with that too, and I can see the muscles of his arms flexing as he moves. Not for the first time, I find myself thinking about what it would be like for him to touch me. For his hand to be on my waist while he’s close enough for me to kiss. Will he be gentle or demanding when he kisses me? It’s hard to decide which option I want more.

A hiss sounds in my head and I scowl. “I’m allowed to have thoughts,” I mutter to my snakes.

There’s another hiss in response.

“Seriously, stop it,” I chide them.

“Are you okay?” Meic asks, finally managing to get the movie on screen. The opening credits start to play, and thanks to his speakers, the sound isn’t actually bad.

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