Puffer Cove was alive with music, good food, and good times. Every stolen woman was alive and accounted for, and there was enough lobster to go around for days. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread in my chest. Felix hadn’t spoken to me since we returned to Boohail that morning.
At my side, Usha rolled her eyes and sipped her mead. “Just go find him, ya pissy thing.”
“I am not being pissy.”
She snorted. “You showed that cult leader more mercy than the innocent plate you’re stabbing.”
I sighed and scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar mop of blond hair. “If it’s so easy, then why are you hiding next to me instead of joining the party?”
Usha picked a sizable chunk of lobster meat from her plate and tossed it to the hyena at her side. The beast caught the treat mid air, then laid down next to her master. “If one more of my men hugs me or asks if I’m alright, I’ll be the one tearing off limbs.”
“If you say so.” I was positive it had something to do with the handsome lamia she was clearly avoiding, but I didn’t want her prying into my issues either. So I kept my mouth shut. I took a deep breath and set my plate down on a nearby rock. “You’re right.” I told her.
“I know.” She mused. “I usually am. It’s a wonder more people don’t just listen the first time.” The red head dug her fork into my plate and helped herself. “Find Dante. Felix is usually bothering the shit out of him.”
I made my way through the crowd of party goers, determined to find Felix or his silver-haired companion. Humans and demons alike were dancing around a bonfire while Alexis was flying around nearby. Conveniently at butt level.
Thankfully, Dante wasn’t hard to find. He and Fallon were pretty much the only men in Boohail over seven feet tall, so really, you just needed to look up. The dragon shifter was bent near the cooking station with Cinnamon and Kitty. He looked utterly distraught as my two favorite idiots gave him conflicting instructions about how to properly season a lobster bisque.
“You can’t just dump a handful of cayenne in there. You’ll overpower the rest of the bisque, you overzealous twat.” Cin scolded.
Kitty crossed her arms and glared at her cousin. “And once again, you’re wrong. That lobster is huge. Everybody knows that the smaller lobsters taste better. So we’re going to have to overcompensate with spices if we want this to turn out right.”
Cin growled in frustration. “You don’t make a lobster bisque for the flavor of a lobster itself. It tastes like butter, cream and goodness. The lobster comes in for the texture and light flavoring. It’s a TEXTURE DISH!”
“Dante, have you seen Felix?” I asked, ignoring the other two.
The man looked relieved for the excuse to step away. “Yes,” He said, ushering us away from the table. “He asked me if I knew anything about curse removals. I have an old book on it in my quarters, so I sent him there.”
“Curse removal? He just got his removed.”
Dante nodded towards my arm. “I don’t think he was talking about his curse.”
I looked at my bandaged arm, then realization donned. Felix bit me. I was going to turn into a werewolf. Which should have made him happy…if I really was his fated mate. “Oh, well thanks Dante, I’ll go find him.” The dragon shifter nodded and headed back into the crowd.
Numbly, I ventured out of the cove, bypassing the shipyard and headed home. Felix didn’t love me anymore. That was the only explanation. Hot tears filled my eyes, and I furiously wiped them away. I wasn’t the type of bitch to cry in public, and I would not start now. Walking faster, I ignored the gaggle of villagers heading to the party and went straight home.
Seeing the shiny new Monet name plate resting proudly against my roses was an extra punch to the gut. Hurt, I snatched the plate off its hanger and threw it as hard as I could into the woods.
Once inside, I kicked off my shoes and went straight for my liquor cabinet. Only to realize Felix was sitting in the living room. A large book was spread out before him, along with a notepad full of scribbles. The blond was so focused on his reading that he didn’t even notice me come in. I’d never seen the man so serious. His playful smile had vanished under a firm line, and his brow was pulled tight into a crease. Yet he still managed to drape himself comfortably on my couch as if he lived here with me for years. As if this was still our home.
Fuck, I loved him. I loved him so much and he didn’t even have the decency to tell me straight up I wasn’t his fated mate. “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from breaking.
Finally, he looked up from his book. “Brie.”
Brie, not Lamb.
“Answer my question. What are you doing here, Felix?”
He looked around confused, then tilted his head. “I…live here?” He put the book down and came to me. Brushing his thumb over my shoulder as if I were a porcelain doll that would break if he did anything else. “I know you must be angry. You have every right to be after what I’ve done. But I’m sure I can find a cure for you before you shift on the next full moon. We have almost a full month to sort this out.”
I closed my eyes, so I wouldn’t get lost in his. “Isn’t there something else you want to tell me?”
His body tensed. “Yes.” He said gravely. “Brie, I am so sorry for biting you. I was out of my mind with need and-”
“Not that.” I snapped. “I don’t care about some stupid bite.”
“You…you don’t?”
