"Don't worry," Kane said evenly. "We can play just as dirty, omega."
"Farren," I corrected without hesitation. "And I wasn't playing anything."
"Well, you did anyway," he fired back. It was so fun to push his buttons, and that cockiness of his had me wanting to push him even more. I might be an omega, but I was also a stubborn dragon who loved a good game, and Kane was a walking challenge.
"This should be fun," Avi said as he leaned back in his chair, glancing between us. "She fits in well." He eyed me with amusement, and I couldn't help but grin back. They were so easy to be around that I almost forgot I had to be vigilant, keep part of myself tucked safely away.
'You don't,'Zehra argued.'Fate chose them for a reason. You're being stubborn. They'd never put you in harm's way.'
'I know,'I admitted.'But it's not easy to trust. And instinctively, I do. Everything in me pulls toward them. But I can't.'
'Just give it time,'she reassured me. A feeling of acceptance hit me. Zehra knew what I had been through, had seen what I’d seen, and she didn’t like it, but she was willing to accept my reluctance. Having her on my side made the years of loneliness a bit more manageable. I envied them having each other, for Levi to openly have his alpha, knowing all of his secrets and accepting him. It was everything I wanted... no,neededin life.
"What's this?" Nikolaus' voice made me jump, pulling away from my conversation with Zehra and back to them. I raised an eyebrow in question and he tapped a finger to my lips that were pulled into a frown. "You get lost in there sometimes."
Shrugging, I tried to play it off. "Just lost in thoughts."
"Must be an omega thing," Kane joked. "Levi does that too." Levi's eyes flared for a moment, a flash of magic that colored them a vibrant green. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who got frustrated with Kane.
“You have interesting taste,” Avi noted, pointing to my row of bookshelves. My cheeks warmed at having his attention on my collection.
“I like gold,” I offered as explanation. Over the years, I’d collected antiques and treasures that were found in the local thrift stores or left in lost and found. I had jewelry boxes, plaques, figurines, you name it. Dragons were known for hoarding, and this was how mine showed. Just wait until they saw my nest. At least it was safely tucked away in my cabin for now.
“It has character!” Levi grinned approvingly. “Is that a chess set? Do you play?”
“No, I don’t know how, but it is a chess set. It was so cool I couldn’t pass it up,” I explained. The chess board was glass, the figures on top gold and silver with a crackled pattern. They were done in a mix of muted and bright metallics that set it apart from any others I’d seen.
“Is there any more pepperoni?” Levi asked, changing the subject. The flicker of his gaze from me to the others hinted that he could sense my discomfort. Nikolaus tossed a piece his way, and I gave my omega mate a grateful smile.
'Levi isn't a witch,'Zehra noted. It was so out of left field that I choked on my bite of pizza, causing Avi to reach over and slap his hand on my back to dislodge it. I took a quick drink and cast a glance at Levi.
‘Then what is he?’I asked her, hoping she knew better than I did.‘I’m not picking up on anything else.’Try as I might, I couldn't detect anything weird about him—no strange aura, no signs he was anything but a witch. He smiled awkwardly when I didn't look away, but his eyes unfocused just like Kane had pointed out. Was this just some kind of omega thing, or could she be right? Was he keeping just as big of a secret as me? Because I knew better than to hope that I wasn't the last of my species. I'd let that thought haunt me for far too long before steeling myself against it.
‘I can’t tell, but I promise it’s something different. Dark fae, maybe? An older species with magical auras? It’s so hard to tell, and with some still in hiding, it’s impossible to know without asking,’she sent back with frustration. If she had no idea, how the fuck was I supposed to have any clue? There were far more supernaturals than most realized, and I didn't know much about our world, a product of keeping to myself for so long.
"Is West letting you off the hook for the night?" I asked them, changing the subject before I drove myself completely mad.
"He said he doesn't need protection," Kane answered, taking his sixth slice of pizza. Good thing they’d come prepared with five pies. They could put more pizza away than a brood of dragons.
"He doesn't," I agreed. "I know you haven't seen him put his magic to use, but he's the most powerful witch I've ever met."
"His wards are impressive. I haven’t seen that intricate level of spell weaving in many years," Avi noted.
“So are wards and dark magic your specialties?” I asked. They seemed to know his way around barriers, but I had yet to really get an idea of their skills.
“Barriers, wards, protective magic in general,” Avi agreed. “Dark magic wasn’t by choice for me. I was raised in a really awful coven.” He glanced at the others, willing someone to take the conversation off of him.
“I’m sure you’ll find it so shocking,” Kane said, “but I’m combat magic. Destructive spells, pretty much anything to take down an enemy or obstacle.”
That did have me grinning. “Yup. That makes sense. I’m glad I have you on my side at least. I’m sure you’re even scarier on the battlefield.”
He gave an evil smile. “Aw, you think I’m scary?”
Rolling my eyes, I picked off a pepperoni and threw it at him. Of course he caught it in his mouth with another flash of his half-grin.
Nikolaus jumped in next. “I’m intuitive, strategic, but my real affinity is elemental magic. I just don’t often find use for it.”
“I’m also intuitive, but in a different way. Whereas Niko can assess a situation, I can know when we are taking the right path. I have other skills, but that’s my best,” Levi said with a shrug, almost like he was embarrassed.