Page 118 of Love Bites

BELLA

Anya handed me a mop and I began swirling it over the muddy paw prints on the marble floor. They were huge - much bigger than any dog’s.

It made me think of Luke in his wolf form, so massive, with those glowing eyes - both terrifying and beautiful. His fur had been warm and smooth with muscles sliding underneath - all that power under my hand.

“So what’s he like?” Anya asked quietly.

I looked up to see the others had stopped what they were doing to hear.

I shrugged, feeling my cheeks get hot. It was hard to talk about him without thinking about the bond and the cravings it inspired.

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell,” Lark teased.

“We didn’t even kiss,” I heard myself admitting.

“What?” Nina asked, clutching the book she had just picked up.

“I’m, um, I’m going to say no,” I told them. “To him, I mean. After the third night, I get to choose. And I choose to stay here.”

The other three exchanged looks.

“What?” I asked.

“Look, I honestly don’t know how you made it this far,” Lark said. “But no one makes it all three nights. It’s, like, not physically possible.”

I thought about the magic of the mate bond again. Was it really that strong?

“Well, it’s going to be possible for me,” I said, turning back to my work. “I have a life here, I have a brother. I can’t just disappear into the woods.”

“Where’s your brother, Bella?” Anya asked. I could have kissed her for helping me change the subject.

“He’s back in Philly,” I said.

“My sister is in Boston, at BU,” Nina said. “She’s the only one in the family who knows I’m here instead of Cornell.”

“Is she jealous?” I asked.

“Not even close,” Nina said, laughing. “She’s a cellist, obsessed with music. Her first question after I told her about this was about whether I could use magic to help with her music.”

“Can you?” I asked, thinking about the power in the song we had just shared.

She shook her head.

“I don’t think so. But honestly, I think she may have a little magic in her, too. When she plays, it’s… transporting.”

“Like what just happened in the circle,” I said.

“I saw my grandmother,” Anya said. “It was incredible. I miss her so much.”

“I saw my dog from when I was little,” Nina said fondly. “Mr. Tinks, when he was a puppy and I was only four. I miss him so much.”

“I saw my parents, together,” Lark said, her eyes brimming with tears again.

“Lark lost her mom last year,” Anya explained.

“I’m so sorry,” I told her sincerely.

“What did you see, Bella?” Lark asked.

---