Page 226 of Castings & Curses

I liked being happy.

Who didn’t?

As I poured tea into two mismatched mugs, Rio grabbed some cookies out of the tin on the counter and joined me at the small table. I wondered where Magnus was but appreciated the time with her alone. Her mate was kinda big and growly. Polite, for sure, but he made me a little self-conscious, being a tall, muscular shifter, and a sentinel to boot.

“Mmm, this smells great,” Rio said, and I had to agree.

“Nobody makes tea blends like Mom.”

I sniffed the aroma drifting from the cup, closing my eyes to fully indulge in the experience. Tea had medicinal properties, but one of the most overlooked came from the ritual of preparing the tea. Another was the joyful anticipation and mental preparation of that very first sip.

I was halfway to mine when someone knocked on the door, disrupting my little ritual. The sharprap rap rapwas followed by a very familiar, very pissed off masculine voice on the other side of the portal.

Double crap.

“Miss Montrose? I know you’re inside there. You missed another appointment,” the male grumbled and knocked again—louder.

“Oh my gawd, Jade!You do have a stalker,” Rio whispered, her blue eyes wide with mischief.

“Are you kidding me? Can you not take a hint?” I yelled, jumping up from my seat.

I yanked the door open before he could knock again, seriously miffed he’d interrupted teatime. This was my rest and rejuvenation time, for Pete’s sake. I stood there, mouth hanging open. I was just so mad.

Fine. I admit, I might have been momentarily stunned by the sheer perfection that was Arlo Glenn.

Holy Goddess.

He was hot.

Like super smokin’ red hot kinda hot.

Blond hair, deliciously mussed, brushed across his forehead. It was almost long enough to cover his emerald eyes. Almost, but not quite.

Thank the Goddess.

I mean, I kinda have a thing for the color green—hello, earth witch over here.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded, remembering my outrage at what amounted to him basically stalking me to my dorm room.

“You missed your last three appointments, Miss Montrose.”

“So? Judging from your bedside manner at my other appointments, I doubt it mattered to you.”

“You think this is personal?” he asked, a look of bewilderment crossing his handsome movie star face.

“Just saying didn’t think you cared,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

Arlo, the hot boy healer, cleared his throat. He seemed at a loss for words for like half a millisecond.

Good.

Gave me time to ogle him.

Fodder for my spank bank.

What?

Girls had those too. As my sister Nessa always says,if you denyin’ then you lyin’. Either that or you don’t know what you’re missing (insert winky face here).

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