“I honestly can’t say what bugs me the most about them.” Zoe glared at them. “It just feels off.”
Next to her, Aric shifted. “You should be aware that, as much as I love my wife and her wicked mind, she’s suspicious of everybody. That includes me when we first met.”
Zoe shot him a sidelong look. “You were a total lurker.”
He snorted. “How was I lurking?”
“You kept showing up wherever I was.”
“As I remember, so did Rafael. You didn’t call him a lurker.”
“I did so, and don’t go there.” Zoe wagged a finger. “I called him every name in the book when I figured out what he was. Just because we got over it, doesn’t mean there wasn’t tension to start. You’re still jealous because of that year we spent apart.”
Despite myself, I was intrigued. “You spent a year apart?” That was hard to imagine. They were in tune with one another, to the point where it was obvious they had a marriage that was built to last forever. There were no cracks in the foundations of their union, despite the constant banter.
Aric’s expression twisted. “Why did you have to bring that up? I hate that story.”
“You hate it because you’re the bad guy in it,” Zoe pointed out. “I’m the feisty heroine who was done wrong and you’re the mean, low-down jerk who dated a psychopath.”
I was horrified. “You cheated on her?”
Aric’s eyes flashed. “I did not. We had ... issues ... with pack politics.” He looked to Gunner for sympathy and my boyfriend responded with an understanding head nod. “They wanted me to put them ahead of Zoe and it was difficult because of who my father is.”
I remained confused. “A state senator?”
Aric shook his head. “No, in the pack. There was a time when our family was supposed to take on an extensive leadership position. I was forced to keep information from Zoe at a time when it hurt her, and she broke up with me.”
“Rightfully so,” I said.
Aric’s scowl grew more pronounced. “I tried to fix things but she wouldn’t talk to me.”
“Rightfully so,” I said again.
“She broke my heart.”
“So you dated another woman to get back at her?” I was so disappointed. Here I thought they were relationship goals to the utmost degree and then I had to hear this.
“Ugh.” Gunner, obviously reading my mood, shook his head. “Thanks, man. She’s going to take out your bad behavior on me later.”
Aric shot Zoe an annoyed look. “You’re enjoying this are you?”
She smiled and nodded. “I am. I love it when you’re not the favorite person in the room.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “That being said, he was only fake dating the woman in question. She was one of the people working against me and he was trying to get information to keep me safe, even though I refused to forgive him.”
Some of the resentment that had been building eased. “Well, that sounds nice.”
“Thank you.” Aric poked his wife’s side. “She couldn’t stay away from me. Eventually she forgave me.”
“Because you were being tortured by your fake girlfriend and I wanted to make her pay,” Zoe fired back.
“That’s not true. You missed me. You invited me to spend the night before I was tortured.”
Zoe rolled her eyes, but the way her lips curved told me she was enjoying the walk down memory lane. That only served to confuse me more.
Cedric picked that moment to deliver our drinks.
“We didn’t order anything,” Zoe noted, studying the contents of the glass suspiciously. “What is this?”
“Magical moonshine,” I replied. “It’s basically the only thing on the menu during your first visit.” I dipped my pinky in and gave it a swirl, which had shimmering bubbles flying above the drink. “It enhances magic.”
“Really?” Zoe peered closer. “How do I know it’s not going to do something funky to me?”
“Because he’s not powerful enough to carry that off,” I replied.
“He built a dome,” Aric countered. He, too, looked reticent to drink. “That’s no small feat of magic.”
Cedric shot me a triumphant look. “Thank you.”
I could’ve let him have his moment, but it was too much to ask. “He didn’t build this dome. I did that ... after I tore down the previous one trying to get inside.”
“Yes, she has a penchant for breaking into places she’s not wanted,” Cedric agreed, rolling his eyes. “As for the drink, I couldn’t very well encourage a returning clientele if I messed with my customers, could I?”
“I guess not.” Zoe tentatively extended her tongue and sampled the drink. “Hmm.”
“Good?” Cedric prompted.
“It’s ... interesting,” she said, taking a full sip and cocking her head. “Actually, it’s pretty good.” She tossed him a thumbs-up and looked to Aric expectantly. “Try it.”
“It’s pink,” Aric complained, holding up the glass. “I don’t think I can drink something pink.”
“The cocktail reacts to the heart of the person drinking it,” Cedric pointed out. “You’re the one making it pink.”
Aric’s eyebrows drew together as he looked over to Gunner’s drink, which was a funky green color. “So, what? Are you saying I have a pink heart and he has a green one? Does that make him an alien?”
“I think it means you were remembering back to when we were in college and being nostalgic,” Zoe said, happily sipping her purple concoction. “That’s why mine is purple.”
“Because your heart is purple?” Aric groused. “Does that mean I’m more in love with you than you are with me?”
Zoe shook her head. “Purple is my favorite color. I’ve always seen purple when I’ve looked at you.”
He stared at her. “You know, that might be the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I promised that, once Sami goes to college, we can spend an entire weekend eating pizza and watching sports – naked – as your reward for a child well raised.”
He smirked. “You’re right. That was the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me. The purple
