Bonus Chapter 21

“You okay, Sunshine?” I ask. “Hurricane?” 
My hand massages their back, and they relax against me with a shudder as they nod. 
We lay there for a while in silence until a shiver rocked Poppy’s small body. Her skin isn’t warm like Lily’s and mine. 
“Let’s get out of here,” I say. 
“No,” Poppy says sleepily, snuggling closer to me to seek the warmth of my skin. 
I make an amused noise before sitting up. 
“What are you doing? I was nearly asleep,” Poppy protests.
“Sorry, Sunshine. You can’t sleep out here.” 
“Why not?” She groans as Lily and I start putting her dress back on her. 
“Because it’s too cold and you’ll get sick,” I answer.
“I’m not going to get sick. You have to stop worrying over me or you’ll give yourself an ulcer.” 
“Ha!” Lily snorts.
“Not happening. I’m always going to worry over you. You’re my mate.” I kiss Poppy’s forehead. “Worrying about you is my privilege and my right. No one will take that from me. Not even you.”
Her cheeks flush, and Lily kisses each one of them. “Also, you haven’t met Az’s wolf yet, just mine. It’s about time you met him.” 
I take off my shirt and start putting it on Lily’s body since I ripped her clothes earlier. She lets me, opening her arms for me to fit them into the sleeves before I button them up with Poppy’s help. 
“Yay! That sounds great! I’ve been wanting to for a long time,” Poppy says excitedly. “But first, I want to do something important.” 
“What is it, Angel?” Lily asks curiously, looking down at our mate. 
As soon as I finish buttoning the shirt, I grab the shiny tiara thrown on the blanket and put it back on top of Poppy’s head. 
Damn, she’s so beautiful. Looking at Lily hugging her and wearing my shirt makes me even more territorial about the two of them.
I walk over to them and wrap my arms around them both. With her gaze down, Poppy says softly, “I... once, Mama taught me a spell to block any other spells that might be cast on a person. But—” She lifts her doe eyes up to meet mine. “But it can’t be done on just anyone. Only someone you have a loving relationship with. Like mates. Mama told me back then when I said I didn’t need to learn because I would never abandon her—” Poppy opens a mischievous smile, remembering her mother. “That I would need it in the future, and that she had to make sure I would know without needing her to be able to do it. I petulantly told her I would *always* need her, but her eyes got glassy, you know? Like she was having a vision of the future. And she said there would come a time when she wouldn’t be around as much as I wished, but that I would have more luck in life than her. Unlike her, I would have a lot of people to care about me... And that... And that this spell would be useful if the person I loved suffered any of the attacks *she* was used to do.”
For a moment, Lily and I freeze, looking down at our little witch, telling us about her mother with such innocence, without even knowing a third of what her mother did to our family.
‘Do you think her mother knew about us?’
‘I don’t know, Lil,’ I mindlink Lily back. ‘But one thing I’m sure as shit. That evil witch could be a horrible being, but she loved Poppy very much.’ 
Lily gives me a subtle nod over Poppy’s head. And Poppy goes on, “After Mama died, I didn’t know what to do, I was lost, and over the years, alone, I developed this resentment toward her, you know? Because I thought she had lied to me. She said I would have a lot of people by my side, but where were those people? Who were they?” 
“Our pack, Angel. Your mom might have had a glimpse of the future. She might have seen you here with us,” Lily says, and then she leans in to kiss her forehead. 
“But why didn’t she just tell me?” She whispers, frowning. 
“Just like not everything my mom dreams, she tells us,” I reply, remembering the many times Mom woke up scared and didn’t want to reveal the reason. I acquiesced and didn’t ask as I helped her calm down since I was a little boy. “You shouldn’t mess with what hasn’t happened yet, the most you can do is make the best decisions with what you have available at the moment. Be a good person.” I repeat Mom’s words.
“She may not have told you much, but your mom sure taught you a lot before she died, Angel. You are very strong, talented, and know a lot of witchy things.”
She gives us a shy smile. “So... will you be brave enough to let me cast a spell on you? Even with the past... in your family...?” she trails off.
I lock my gaze with Lily’s. Then we nod. “Yes. We trust you more than anything.”
“Do your worst, Angel,” Lily says with a smirk.
I let go of the hug to give her space, and Lily does the same. Poppy lifts her wrist and brings it close to my mouth. “Can you bite me, please?” she asks. Always so damn politely. I fucking love her. “I need a little bit of my blood.”
“Of course, baby.”
Lily grabs my hand, and I bite Poppy’s quickly just enough to pierce her delicate skin.
Poppy gasps, making Lily and me snap our eyes down to her. “I’m fine, I’m fine!” she reassures us, dipping her finger into the blood that’s coming out of her wrist.
Concentrating on the task at hand, Poppy turns to Lily first. She pulls her shirt aside a little and makes a small X with her blood next to Lily’s heart with a serious look in her doe eyes. Then she turns to me, and, after taking more blood from her wrist, she makes another tiny X on my bare chest, where my heart is beating fast.
She raises out both her hands to us both, and Lily and I silently comply, holding hers and ours together.
Poppy closes her adorable doe eyes. “Sorry about this. It’s going to hurt.” 
She tilts her chin down at once, and suddenly, Lily and I convulse, both of us bowing over as the pain in the little fucking X feels like unbearable. 
It burns! 
Fucking hell! 
It hurts like a bitch! 
I squeeze Lil’s hands to remind her that I’m here for her. 
I barely open my eyes, but it’s enough to watch my witch’s aura melt into a pool of golden light. That pool of light reaches for Lily and me, coating our bodies and the little Xs. 
Then we both stop convulsing, our bodies relaxing, our breathing returning to normal. 
When it fades, I think Poppy’s knees feel weak because she almost falls to the ground. If it weren’t for Lily and me running to catch her in our arms, she would have fallen. 
Poppy curls into our arms, she gives us a weak smile. “I did it! It worked!” she says shyly. 
“Of course it worked. You’re amazing, Angel!” Lily says excitedly. 
I look down and notice that neither the bloody small X on my skin nor Lily’s is visible anymore, just a golden X as if it were a part of Poppy’s aura there, as if it had replaced her blood. I wish Lily could see it. It’s beautiful, sweet and pure.
Just like our witch.
It almost feels like it’s our little witch’s way to mark us like we mark her delicate neck.
“Since it’s not supposed to attack or hurt anyone... I had more hope of getting it right. I thought it could work,” Poppy snuggles into our arms.
“It worked, Sunshine. I’m proud of you. Good girl,” I praise her, and my little mate almost floats with joy, making Lily and me laugh.
“Now you need to meet my wolf,” I growl. “He’s howling in my mind to meet you.”
The last thing I see before my wolf takes over my body is her eyes shining with love in my direction.

🐺 🐺 🐺
***Poppy***

Oh. My. Spirits!
Az’s white wolf is so big! His fur is so pristine!
I look up at him in awe. “Is this... Azzy’s wolf?” 
“Yep, in all his glory!” Lily says, stepping closer to the big wolf and placing an arm around him. 
Azzy’s wolf licks her face, then he sniffs her neck, making Li giggle.
They’re so precious together. Their bond is so strong. I can’t believe that I’m lucky to be part of it.
Azzy’s wolf sits, looking down at me. 
“He’s really big!” I say, still with my eyes wide open.
“He is, but he’s a big softie with his mates. He loves belly rubs, stealing food off my plate, and taking up all the room on the couch since we were kids.” 
I giggle. “Can I pet you?” I ask, looking at Azzy’s wolf. He blinks at me. 
“He said you better!” Li answers for him. 
I reach toward him tentatively, and Azzy’s wolf sniffs my hand. 
“Oh, Spirits, you’re so perfect!” I tell him. He tilts his head, his tongue shooting out to lick my hand, and I can’t hold my squeals. “He’s really an Alpha! Look at this size!” 
“He likes your praise, Angel.” 
“Really?” I ask, glancing Lily’s way.
Just as she nods, Azzy’s wolf rubs his head against my hand, encouraging me for more pets. 
I reach out and hug his big, furry neck. I can feel that the wolf is holding back for my sake. But then, with me so close to him, showing him that I’m not scared, he laps it up like a big golden retriever, wagging his tail with excitement. 
Aw! I’m putty in their wolves’ hands. 
I rub my face in his soft fur. He is just the sweetest, just like Lily’s wolf is with me. Azzy’s wolf tilts his neck back and lets out a howl.
I scratch behind his ears. Then he nudges my other hand to keep going.
“Oh, Spirits! I’m in love with you!” I say, looking into Azzy’s wolf’s eyes before kissing his snout with a loud smack when he lowers his head for me.
“Goddess... I didn’t know I needed to see you together until just now!” Lily says, hugging both of us. 
“Your wolves are so cute that they make me want to adopt a cute puppy! We have space now, Li!”
I realize it’s the wrong thing to say when both of their heads snap at me, growling at the same time.
But it’s Lily who snaps, “Why would you want to adopt a lesser version of us?”
I barely hold my smile. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” I raise my hands in surrender. “You are and will always be my favorite puppies!”
“Angel, that’s not what I—” Lily’s fingers press the bridge of her nose. Then she snarls, “We’re not puppies! Our wolves are fierce! Dangerous” Azzy’s wolf dips his head once, as though he’s agreeing with her.
“Of course they are!” I say, nodding vehement as I go back to petting Azzy’s wolf. Once again, he rubs against me as if he wants to mark me with his scent.
“I’m serious. Our wolves are fierce. Dangerous! My wolf is a combative guard with a nose for threat, like you wouldn’t ever believe!” Lily says before shifting to her gorgeous wolf, whom I already know and love.
Immediately, my hand reaches for her, but my other hand keeps petting Azzy’s wolf. “Aw, I missed you!” I say to Li’s wolf.
Just as I say it, her wolf flops over, landing on her side and then rolls onto her back, begging for tummy rubs. 
I hold back my laugh.
Yeah. Super dangerous wolf.