Page 10 of The Forty-Year-Old Virgin Witch

“OY! You didn’t tell me you injured her!”

The cat leaped from my shoulder and darted to the house. He sat at the front door and stared back at me, and I sensed I should follow.

“I DIDN’T INJURE HER!”

The barrier hummed in front of my nose, taunting me. I took a tentative step across the barrier, shocked when I passed through it. A familiar who could move people through wards? My witchling was powerful. My next obstacle was the front door. It was one of the most infuriating aspects of being a vampyre.

“Can someone let me in already?”

The cat meowed at me and put two paws on the door. Frowning, I opened it and stepped across the threshold. Powerful witchling indeed. The wolf was talking to her, lecturing her…

“I haven’t heard that term in ages. You witches always did love your Latin. Most people just say werewolf, though others say—”

“Wet dog.”

I smirked in satisfaction when they both jumped. Not many people could be quiet enough to evade a wolf’s sense of hearing. I’d have to tell Varos about my triumph.

“How did you cross my wards?”

She was angry again. I held out my hands helplessly just as the cat ran underneath me. I pointed immediately, like a guilty child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“DAMON!”

The damn wolf laughed, but it was warranted. The witchling looked so… adorable all fuming, with her hair frizzing and puffing out around her. The cat smartly ducked under a bed in the corner. I glanced around the tiny cottage, interested in learning more about this witchling who had captivated me.

“What did I tell you? Witches and Latin—”

“WHY ARE YOU BOTH IN MY COTTAGE?”

There it was again, that slight burst of power. I breathed it in like a tonic, resisting the urge to move my arms and gather more of it toward me like a rare scent. I couldn’t help but imagine what that rage would feel like unleashed on me physically. My fangs shot through my mouth again, and the wolf was clearly affected as well. He broke the tension, and I was almost thankful for the distraction. Almost.

“I brought your beer—”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, like she’ll believe you didn’t coerce that human into giving you that job—”

“Shut up bloodsucker.”

“How original.”

I shut my mouth as the witchling growled. I was clearly unpracticed at courting females. The wolf continued to openly confess his need for a mate, which ruffled my feathers. Wasn’t courtship supposed to be more complicated and subtle than that? Surely you couldn’t just ask someone to be your lifelong companion, could you?

I needn’t have worried. The witchling seemed just as horrified at his blunt proclamation as I was. We continued to bicker, and eventually she threw us out of the house. Neither of us fought it, instead glaring at each other as we sat on the sidewalk with sore bottoms.

“Who are you?”I demanded.

“Who are you?” He shot back.

The cat—Damon—was back, jumping in both our laps. We lost our aggressive stance, and the cat made a strange wheezingsound.

“Is it … laughing at us?” I asked incredulously. The wolf extended a meaty hand, which I eyed warily.

“Luka.”

I sighed and offered my hand.

“Karl.”

We exchanged the briefest handshake in the existence of handshakes, then stood.

“Her name is Aggie,in case you didn’t catch that.”

I blinked. The wolf was being nice? Unless he was lying, which—

“Look, I’m going to be real,” Luka continued. “I’ve been searching for a mate for a long time. If it’s Aggie, that’s amazing, and if it’s not, I’ll probably just go live alone in the woods somewhere until I die. Regardless, it’s something between me and her and doesn’t have anything to do with you. If you want her too, I’m fine with that, as long as we promise not to actively sabotage each other.”

It was more words than a wolf had ever spoken to me at one time. What would my Elder think if he were here? Well, he’d dramatically clutch his handkerchief to his chest like the old biddy that he was, then plot with the rest of his clan how to kill the wolf. I couldn’t have that now, could I? That fun was just beginning.

I nodded, and we went our separate ways. I’d always loved games of chance, and this was the biggest one I’d entered to date.

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