Page 74 of Destined Mate

I didn’t falter, not wanting Theo to be aware of this somewhat secret moment. “You too. It’s not safe out here for any of us.”

Soon, Theo and I were back in his truck. As we pulled out, I noticed Sybil and Lynerd standing at the door together, watching us leave. Sybil was telling him something, but her eyes were locked on me.

Even after we turned out of sight, I could feel the caress of her gaze on me, and I shivered.

“Sorry about that.” Theo smiled as he turned onto the main road. “I know that encounter unnerved you. It got tense, but I handled it.”

Yeah, he’d handled it. Sure. I hadn’t helped at all.

I didn’t correct him. Let him think I’d been affected by the confrontation instead of the witch and the way she’d studied me.

At least for a moment, she’d gotten Bodey off my mind…sorta.

* * *

I staredat the stranger in the bathroom mirror. A black lace cocktail dress clung to my skin, stopping at my knees, with a deep V-cut neckline that showed off my cleavage. The beading made the dress sparkle when the light hit the fabric just right, and with four-inch heels, I was as tall as Theo. At least the dress had long sleeves, so I felt less exposed.

“Just one more thing,” Stevie said as she leaned over. “Since your eyes have a hint of gray, we’ll add a pop of color to your lips.” She slowly painted my lips red, making sure to accentuate the dip on top.

I’d never had a makeover or dressed up before, and I wasn’t sure what to think of myself.

She leaned back. “What do you think?”

“I couldn’t have done half as good a job.” And I meant that. She’d pulled my light-blonde hair into a French twist and left a few tendrils to frame my face. The makeup she’d chosen made my blue eyes look brighter than I’d ever seen before.

“You look gorgeous.” Stevie beamed. “I’m so happy you get to go to this dinner. You deserve a night out.”

Not me. I wished I could get out of it. If dates were expected, then Bodey would be there with someone, and I was certain I wouldn’t be able to handle it, especially if he’d foundher. From what I’d heard, when you met your fated, the love was instant. I wouldn’t even exist to him anymore—if I still did. He still hadn’t messaged me, not even after my attack. Nor had Samuel.

I couldn’t lie—it hurt. I thought I’d connected with them, especially Bodey and Samuel, but no one had checked on me. Clearly, I’d felt more connected to them than they had to me, which was ironic since Bodey had forced me to stay with him.

“Callie,” Zeke called from the living room. “We need to get going. We’re waiting on you.” His tone held an edge of warning.

“Coming,” I answered. “We just finished.”

Stevie rolled her eyes but knew better than to say anything out loud. “It would’ve taken longer if I didn’t have such a flawless canvas.”

She looped her arm through mine, and we walked into the living room. Theo’s jaw dropped when he saw me, and Zeke scowled.

“You look beautiful,” Theo said as he walked over to me. “I mean, you’ve always been pretty. Butthis…”

“Right.” Stevie beamed. “She’s gorgeous.”

Tina stood next to Zeke. Her champagne dress was high-necked and flowy, complementing Zeke’s black suit with a pale tie that matched her dress.

“You’re not too bad yourself.” I forced a smile, taking in Theo in his black suit. Theo was attractive, but I viewed him like a brother, and I was thankful that my first time going out like this was with my best friend.

“We can continue this on the road.” Zeke stomped over to the door and flung it open. “Stevie, you need to go.”

“Have fun, sis,” Stevie said. She pecked my cheek and gave my face one more look. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She winked.

As soon as Stevie left, Zeke slammed the front door, locked it, and led us into his garage. He climbed into his white Mercedes-Benz GLB 250. I slid into the back on the driver’s side so Theo would have more legroom behind his mother. The black leather seat was cool, which I needed because my heart was pounding.

We took off, and I cringed, thinking about the four-hour drive ahead. We were heading to a winery in Lewiston, Idaho.

Thankfully, Zeke turned on a classic rock station, which was fine with me. I’d rather be reminded of Bodey and miss him than deal with silence.

I settled into the car and closed my eyes.

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