“That’s the magic,” Zach said.
“That’s a good sign,” Matt added. “We’re already synched.”
I lifted an eyebrow but didn’t ask for clarification. This whole thing was mysterious enough and half the time I didn’t understand the explanation. “Now what?”
“Close your eyes, and focus on your magic,” Zach said.
I felt a little ridiculous sitting in a circle with my eyes closed. It struck me as odd that I never went through the Wiccan phase in high school like so many of the other girls I grew up with. Yet, here I was, sitting in a circle with a couple of mages trying to figure out my magic. If only those girls from high school could see me now. They’d be green with envy.
Something tickled in my gut, fluttering up through my chest. It was an odd sensation, weird enough to break me from my distractions and focus on myself. The fluttering grew until it felt like a bubble swelling inside me, threatening to pop.
Sweat formed on my brow, and my heart raced. The bubble shifted, twisting until it felt like it was reaching toward all my limbs, as if it were composed of tentacles going in every direction inside of me. Something slithered down my back and I yelped.
“Hold on, don’t let go of it. I can feel it,” Matt said.
My breathing quickened as the slithering feeling continued. Then, it was as if something grabbed hold of the tendrils and pulled, tightening around them. I cried out as panic gripped me. Ice seemed to travel up the tendrils, silencing my cry.
I opened my eyes with a start and looked at Matt and Zach. The two of them were still next to me, still holding me but they were both staring at me.
As I met their eyes, shock waves of electric blue light ran up and down our arms, connecting us in a circle that I didn’t want to break. The initial discomfort was gone, replaced by serenity, belonging, hope. It was like soaking in a warm bath, supported on all sides by the warm water.
Zach and Matt were the support. They were holding me here, keeping me calm, making me feel oddly comfortable. I’d never felt comfortable before. Not once. And now, I felt like I wanted to crawl in between them and let them hold me until I fell asleep. It didn’t feel unusual to want to be with them. To touch them, taste them, smell them.
My senses began to fire on overdrive and suddenly the warmth spread to my belly, then lower to my core. I lifted my knees, squeezing my thighs together against the sudden arousal.
This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t happen.
Without thinking, I tugged my hands away, breaking the circle.
I shot backward, stopping when I hit the couch behind me. Dazed, I slowly looked up at the mages in the room with me. “What the hell was that?”
“The blue sparks or the sudden desire to fuck you right here even with my brother present,” Zach said.
“Both, I guess,” I said.
“You felt that too?” Matt said. “Because I didn’t think that was real.”
“What are you talking about?” Zach asked.
“I read about a rare case when connecting magic formed a bond similar to a mating bond,” Matt said.
“Mages don’t feel mating bonds,” Zach said. “That’s a shifter and demon thing.”
“Except for when it’s forged by connecting magic,” Matt said.
“What are you saying?” I asked. “That you just tricked me into falling in love with you or something?”
“No, it’s not love, not really,” Matt said. “Mating bonds are different. Animalistic. Possessive. Eternal.”
“Okay, you two are nuts,” I said as I stood up. It was bad enough that I had a broody shifter I had to avoid and a regular booty call with an incubus. I didn’t need to be mated to a couple of mages on top of that.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Zach said. “I’ve never even heard of that.”
“I think you’re both fucking with me,” I said.
“No, not at all,” Matt said. “It was one study I read. I’m sure it’s not what happened. It was probably just the power of the magic. I mean, some people say magic is an aphrodisiac.”
“Well, not this person,” I said, hands on my hips. “And I’m late for gym.”
“Wait,” Zach said. “I’ll walk you there. It’ll help you not get busted for being late.”
“Fine,” I said. “But we’re never doing that connection thing again but you’re both going to have to help me figure out how to make my magic work so I don’t get kicked out of here.”
“That sounds fair,” Matt said. His hand brushed against mine as he walked past me toward the door.
His touch sent a shock wave through me, straight to my core and all I could think about was what it would be like to fuck him. Dammit. Whatever they did better be temporary.