Page 123 of Halfblood Deceived

Alec was a werewolf with brown hair and eyes, even taller than Tim, and built like a football player.

Jordan’s kind smile sent a pang through Aella’s chest. He was around six-foot-six, with velvety dark skin and warm dark eyes. Something about him, about the calm he exuded, reminded Aella of Isaiah. Even though he was a vampire.

She did her best to smile at him.

Kamilla continued with the introductions. “Mckayla,” she said, pointing at a blonde female with a long ponytail leaning against the wall, chewing gum. Her shirt was short-sleeved.

“Just Mac,” the blonde said. She was about 5-foot-8, lean but with elegant curves. Her pale green gaze was fierce but not unkind. A layer of glamour hid the sharp points of her ears from human eyes. Her aura of power was by far not as strong as Aylana’s or Mari’s, so maybe she wasn’t a pureblood fey.

Aella nodded at Mac.

“Jessa,” Kamilla said, waving a hand toward a stunning female werewolf with brown skin and amber eyes.

Aella did her best to suppress her automatic fear of rejection. Jessa examined her with impassiveness and no hostility, but didn’t smile at her. Well, she couldn’t expect everyone to like her.

“You two are nearly identical,” Jessa said, giving a look at Diana.

Aella tried not to cringe. Her sister was an inch taller and about twenty pounds lighter. But Jessa seemed to genuinely believe that.

Diana smiled. “We are.”

Kam dipped her chin at a stunning female with long, dark hair and pale skin. “Trinity.”

She approached Aella and shook her hand. “Yes, I know my name is a complete irony, but my human adoptive parents didn’t know I was a vamp when they took me in. And they loved The Matrix a bit too much.”

Aella smiled. “I was named after an Amazon. The Amazons are considered pagan abominations by the church, so I know a bit about name ironies.”

Trinity huffed. “We’ll toast to irony one of these days.”

Aella nodded.

A tiny five-foot-tall woman with medium brown skin and short, wavy hair stretched a hand to Aella. “The legal name’s Guadalupe, but if you call me that, I’ll have to step on your toes. My mother was religious, which is why we don’t get along. Well, it’s more because she hates that I’m a lesbian witch. And because she was going to help our village burn me at the stake. Which is related to her being religious, of course. So Lupe is fine, but Lupita is better because it reminds me of that gorgeous woman who kicks ass on the big screen along with other gorgeous women. Instead of making me think about a saintly figure that might’ve existed or not, who would definitely turn up her nose at my sapphic as fuck witchy ass. Okay?”

Aella blinked. “Um…”

“Don’t worry, Aella,” said Mac. “I’ve known Lupita for five whole years and I still have issues keeping up with her hyperactive ass.”

Lupita rolled her eyes at Mac.

Aella smiled at the tiny witch. “It’s nice to meet you, Lupita. I have an acquaintance who doesn’t like her full name either.”

“Now you have two,” Lupita said, winking and heading to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Kamilla gave a nod to a vampiress with brown skin, long, curly black hair in a ponytail, and light brown eyes that seemed a bit dazed behind square reading glasses. “Rebecca.”

Rebecca nodded at Aella. She was… Well; she wasn’t as lean as the other vampires and werewolves Aella had seen. Although not as tall as Aella, she was built almost the same way. Thick thighs, and obvious generous curves as she sat on the table. Her soft features were beautiful. “Welcome,” she muttered, then her eyes were glued back to her e-reader.

“Thank you,” Aella said.

The small blonde sitting next to Diana smiled at Aella, examining her from head to toe as if expecting to find something and being disappointed by its absence. “I’m Brittany.”

Aella dipped her chin at her. “Hi.”

The tall female leaning against the wall with an elbow propped on the fridge offered Aella a small smile. Her black hair was very short, closer to her skull on the sides. There was muscle all over her powerful frame that her black suit didn’t hide. The same aura of power the male bouncers had leaked from her, but Aella wasn’t sure about her species, not until she offered a tattooed hand.

“Reese.”

Aella took Reese’s hand. An undercurrent of pleasant warmth traveled up her arm. The image of a massive brown bear flashed in her mind’s eye.

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