Her voice shook him out of whatever trance he was in. He chuckled before smiling, his face lighting up like Sunbeam’s namesake. “I’m better than OK,” he said, tracing the outline of my jaw with the back of his knuckles. “I just imprinted on my mate.”
I reeled, hitting my lower back against the bar.
“What!?” Cin and I screamed in unison.
To my side, Balabash cheered, and Fallon pounded a fist on the bar. “Sunbeam, we’re going to need shots over here. Keep them coming, please!” The dragon shifter and the orc rose from their seats to clap Felix on the back and congratulated us on a happy life.
Felix reached for me again, but I put a hand on his face and shoved him away. Or tried to. A slight struggle ensued in which I continued pushing on his face and he insistently tried to collect me into his arms again. I looked at Cin, but she simply sat there, mouth open and eyes wide. No help at all. “You want to slow down and maybe tell me what the hell’s going on here?”
He leaned back, placing his hands on my knees, giving me a temporary reprieve from our struggle. “I’m sorry dear, I forgot you’re human.” His voice maintained a chipper note, as if this was the most delightful occasion to ever occur. “You see, when my kind sees their mate for the first time, we know instantly. Which is known as an imprint. For me, that’s you.” He took my hand and kissed my knuckles. The gesture sent a small thrill up my spine.
I blinked. “And what exactly is your kind?”
“Hold on,” Cin piped up. “Jack, what’s that bottle you just dropped?”
The man on the floor turned pale. He scrambled to pick up the bottle, but Fallon beat him to it. In a last-ditch effort, Jack took a swipe at the demon’s arm, but Fallon merely swatted him off. The bottle held a small pinch of glittering pink liquid as he held it up to his face. Fallon turned to view the back of it, where I could make out a bright blue label. His mouth formed a thin line and let out an irritated growl. “It’s a love potion.”
Without thinking, I snatched one shot off the counter and threw it back. Its sweet tang was a much-needed comfort, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would need a lot more of them before the night was over. “How do you know it’s a love potion?”
“It says so right on the bottle.” Fallon handed me the potion and motioned to Balabash. The orc nodded and stepped on Jack, who was attempting to crawl away. The farmer’s chest met the cobblestone street with an ungraceful thump.
I glanced at Felix, but he held the same dopey smile. Either he wasn’t paying attention or he simply didn’t care. Instead, he took the opportunity to nuzzle my neck once the hand pushing him away was occupied. His breath came out as a warm sigh against my collarbone. The chilly air of a crisp fall afternoon was chased away by his large body pressing closer to mine. Bolder still, Felix rested his chin against my shoulder and wrapped his arms around the small of my back.
Oddly enough, I didn’t feel the need to punch him in the face. Physical touch wasn’t something I particularly enjoyed. Looking back, I could think of at least one or two instances where my aversion to physical affection caused a rift between a lover or a friend. I doubted any of the Hotpeppers had hugged me more than once. Much to my surrogate ma’s dismay. Yet instead of the skin-crawling sensation I’d come to expect, Felix’s intrusion into my personal space didn’t set me off at all. If anything, I just wanted another shot.
As if reading my thoughts, Cin passed another of the perfectly polished glasses my way and nodded at the potion.Bless her soul.Ignoring the needy demon in my lap, I focused my attention on the half-empty glass. The words ‘LOVE POTION’ were spelled out in bright gold letters across the front. On the back, in a much smaller font, were instructions. I downed my second shot before reading them aloud.
“Apply six ounces of Love Potion directly onto or into the desired person’s drink. Make sure you stand directly in front of the user, as they will fall madly in love with the first person they see once the potion takes hold. Reapply every two weeks for maintained effect. Warning: do not use if you are pregnant or think you may become pregnant. Side effects may include itching, obsessive behavior, impulsiveness and aggression, panic attacks, and in severe cases, a loss of consciousness and heart failure.”
My body felt cold once the gravity of the situation fell on me.That piece of shit tried to drug me.From the ground, Jack let out a choked gasp under the weight of Balabash’s foot. Which was still planted firmly on his back. The look of that slimy rat on the ground filled me with more hatred than I knew I was capable of. His eyes met mine, and I could just see him trying to form a new scheme in his head. Someway to deflect the situation where he could still come out on top and get what he wanted. I held his gaze and dropped the bottle. “Crush him.”
Jack squeaked and tried to squirm his way from under the orc. But Balabash needed no further invitation and put even more pressure on the man’s back. “Brie wait, it’s not what it looks like!”
The red orc grunted and lifted the squirming rat from the floor. “I’ve heard enough, tiny man.” Balabash turned to give me a bright smile. “Don’t worry Brie, we’ll take care of this problem for you. He won’t bother you again.”
To my side, Fallon cracked his knuckles and glanced at his wife. Cin inspected her nails before swirling the mead cup in her hand. “Just don’t kill him, love. We don’t need the villagers to be even more scared of you than they already are.” His returning grin held a sadistic glint that would have given me goosebumps under normal circumstances. But as it stood, the gesture warmed my enraged heart. Jack wouldn’t weasel his way out of that asswhoping.
Balabash clamped his hand around Jack’s mouth, and Fallon threw an arm around the doomed man as if they were old friends. With a wave, the two demons escorted the squirming man away from the stall and into the crowd of other festival-goers. A young couple turned to look at the odd trio as they left, but Katie immediately stole their attention, dropping to her knees in a flute solo.
Cin let out a deep sigh and took a generous sip of her drink. “Well, that’s taken care of. What do we do about him?” She said, pointing to the man still wrapped around my waist.
“Great question.” Thanks to my earlier stunt, Felix took the full brunt of the love potion. If his clingy behavior was any indication, the potion worked as advertised. “Um, Felix?”
The blond lifted his head and brushed a curl out of my face. “Yes, love?”
“Oh, boy.” His look of hopeful reverence gave me the sinking feeling that I was about to kick a puppy. Not a great night for me. “So, not sure if you heard,” I began slowly. “But it looks like a love potion has struck you. I’m sorry, but I’m not your mate.”
“I disagree,” he said simply.
“Sorry, did you miss the part about the love potion?”
“Yes, beloved, I can hear just fine. I just disagree.”
Behind me, Sunbeam tsked and set another shot on the table. My hand slid to snatch it up as if on instinct. “Why do you disagree? The proof is right on the bottle.”
Felix caught my hand holding the shot glass. My body tensed with a sudden awareness as he leaned in. The warm scent of sandalwood drifted past my nose as I felt the barest whisper against my ear. “Love potion or not, you can’t fake a hunger like this. If it weren’t for this crowd, I’d show you just how much I already burn for you. You’re mine, Brie.” A lump formed in my throat and I tried to stamp down the shiver threatening to give away just how much I’d taken notice of him. He winked at me before lifting my hand to his lips and downing my shot.
The chill of the night broke through when he finally pulled away. “I need to deal with the man who thought to take you from me. So I’ll leave you for tonight, sweetheart.” With that, Felix turned and walked away.
