She pushed her glasses down on her nose and came closer to him. “How old are you, boy?”
“I’m seventeen.”
“Why aren’t you in school?”
“I was in school. But I had to leave.”
“High school diploma?”
“Not yet.”
“You’re a senior?”
“I was.”
“It’s currently seven months before graduation, according to my calendar. And now you have no home. No family. No pack.”
He stared at her defiantly before the expression faded, and he nodded once. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Call me Vera.”
He frowned. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t like ma’am. It makes me feel old. And having a seventeen-year-old boy staying in my spare room and eating my food will make me feel old enough as it is.”
Owen and I exchanged a confused glance.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
Mrs. Timmons huffed. “Well, I would think that’s obvious. Owen has no place to stay, no family to claim him. So,
“No, I don’t.” My heart pounded loud in my ears. “That sounds pretty good to me, actually. What do you think, Owen?”
I had a feeling he wouldn’t be interested. If it wasn’t for his shifter pack, he would probably take off. Backpack across the country. I had no idea what might happen to him then. All I knew was I probably wouldn’t see him again.
That thought made me very unhappy.
“What do I think?” Owen repeated, his forehead creased as if a million thoughts were coursing through his mind. “I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard in a very long time. Thank you so much ...
I couldn’t help but hear the gratitude and emotion that thickened his words.
Mrs. Timmons pushed her glasses back up her nose and nodded once. “Then it’s decided. I haven’t had anyone here for a long time. It’s ten years since my Franklin left for college, but his room is still the way he left it, and you’re welcome to it and the clothes there, too.”
“So you don’t have a problem with me being a shifter?” he asked.
“If I had a problem, I wouldn’t have suggested this. You don’t need a litter box, do you?”
“Well, no. Of course not.”
“Then there’s no problem.” Finally a smile spread across her wrinkled face. She reached up and patted his cheek. “Now, I have a shop to run. Let’s break this bonding spell and then get back to our regularly scheduled lives, shall we?” She looked at me. “And Brenda...”
I straightened up automatically under her sharp gaze. “Yes?”
“You’ll have to pick out another familiar. I don’t suppose Owen will be much use to you there anymore.”
He still looked shocked by what had just happened—the opportunity to live here with Mrs. Timmons and go to high school to get his diploma.
“I guess you’re right,” I said.
Owen didn’t say anything.
After the spell was broken, which took about three seconds total, I left Owen to check out his new bedroom and slipped out of the store. I was going to be late to meet Sandy at the mall.
I tried to ignore the big lump that had formed in my throat. When Mrs. Timmons broke the spell I hadn’t felt anything change, other than the immediate twinge of pain. But it was over. Owen was no longer my familiar. He’d never really been my familiar in the first place. How could he be? He was a boy, not a cat. It didn’t matter what form he was able to shift into. It didn’t change the fact that he had his own life that definitely didn’t have to include me anymore.
“Brenda!”
I heard him shout behind me, and I froze, wiping at the tear that was sliding unceremoniously down my cheek.
I turned slowly to see him walking quickly to catch up to me. “What?”
“Why did you take off without saying anything to me?”
“I didn’t want to get in the way. Also, I have to meet Sandy at the mall like I said I would.”
“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “I just wanted to thank you for all your help.”
“You mean helping you lose your bracelet and your chance at getting back into your pack?”
His lips twitched into a small smile. “My pack was lost to me when my mom died. I just didn’t want to accept it. I don’t want to be anywhere I’m not wanted anymore. I don’t want to force anyone to want me in their life if they aren’t interested in having me around.”
“Your brother’s a jerk.”
“Yeah, you said that before. And it’s true. Maybe he’ll realize that one day, too, but I won’t be there when it happens.” He raked a hand through his tawny-colored hair. “Look, there’s a bit of a problem.”
I looked at him with surprise. “What?”
“It’s the bonding spell.”
“Mrs. Timmons removed it.”
“I know, but I’m not sure she did it right.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I feel the same as I did before,” he said softly, approaching me so he was only standing a few inches away. I didn’t pull away when he slid his fingers into my hair and swept it off my shoulder.
“Which way is that?” I asked, looking up at him.
“Like I belong to you.” He smiled. “And that’s kind of hard to ignore.”
A breath caught in my throat. “Well, I don’t think that has very much to do with the spell.”
“Why not?”
“Because the bonding spell would make a witch’s familiar feel like he belonged to the witch, right?”
“Right.”
“The thing is—I feel like I belong to you too.”
“So it’s a mutual problem we seem to be having here.” He nodded. “And what do you think we should do about it?”
I slid my hands up over his chest to his shoulders. “I’m thinking ... nothing. Nothing at all.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan.” He bent forward and kissed me.
My heart swelled and felt like it was going to burst. I was crazy about Owen. I didn’t care if I’d known him two days or two years, it wouldn’t change a thing about how I felt.
After a long moment he pulled back a little from me. “So now what, little witch?”
“Now?” I reached down and took his hand in mine. “I need to introduce you to some people.”
“Who?”
I grinned at him. “My pack of misfits. Consider yourself the newest member.”
His dark blue eyes filled with happiness. “Sounds good to me.”
That made two of us.
Fearless
BY RACHEL VINCENT
“Sabine, look at me.”
