you promised to protect me.”
“I did,” he said, his big eyes solemn. “And I will. I swear my never-ending life on it.”
Chapter 6
The hamburgers were beyond redemption. It didn’t bother Maggie as much as it did everyone else. For one, she was still so freaked out she wasn’t able to eat much anyway. And for another, she was a vegetarian.
“You don’t eat meat at all?” Jase looked at her like she’d just announced a deep, passionate hatred of sunshine, sugar, and the Muppets.
“None at all.”
“No cheeseburgers?”
“Nope.”
“No hot dogs?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“No steak? No chicken? Not even fish?”
“No meat.” She couldn’t believe this was throwing him even more than the fact she was a Thaumaturgic. Apparently, Scout had felt a “vibe” from her and they’d all thought she was a rogue Seer until Talley told them otherwise. How Talley knew, she wasn’t quite sure, but for all of her gentle meekness, Maggie was pretty sure Talley was a kick-ass Seer. “I don’t eat the flesh of animals.”
Jase shook his head. “What about milk and cheese and ice cream. For the love of God, please tell me you eat ice cream.”
“Vegetarian, not vegan.” Being vegetarian was hard enough. She wasn’t quite sure how vegans ever found something to eat. “It’s not an animal rights thing for me. I just don’t like the way meat feels in my mouth.”
Jase made a noise, which might have been the start of a laugh, but he was drinking a Mello Yello at the time, so the noise that came out was more of a strangled cough. By the way his face was turning red, it might have been actual strangulation. Scout hit him on the back a couple of times, but the swats were fairly ineffectual since she was doubled over laughing.
Maggie took a sip of her water as if she had no idea what the hysterics were about.
Talley caught her eye from across the table. “You did that on purpose,” she accused.
Maggie struggled to maintain a look of innocence. “Maybe.”
She still wasn’t comfortable, but then again, rarely was Maggie comfortable around a large group of people she didn’t know. But it was her experience that with the exception of a handful of people (Jase quite possibly among them), most people felt that way. At least she was at the normal I-don’t-like-people-I-don’t-know level of discomfort instead of the lamb-among-wolves place she’d been before. Everyone seemed to be making a big production of being super-nice to her and putting her at ease. Even Scout and Liam were putting in an effort, although they had to be reminded on occasion to not scowl.
Actually, once she thought about it, she realized this was the most comfortable she’d been since pulling out of her driveway a week ago.
Semi-comfortable while eating with a pack of Shifters. Maybe this was one of those trippy dreams she had when she took too much allergy medicine.
“See? They’re not so bad,” Joshua said as if he could read her mind.
“They’re the nicest Shifters I’ve ever met.”
Joshua laughed, and it was the exact sort of laugh you would expect from a guy who was all big eyes and long limbs. The noise startled a bunch of ducks who squawked back at him as they left the pond en mass.
“How did you get tangled up with the Alpha Pack, Joshua?” Shifters didn’t persecute Immortals like they did Thaumaturgics, but it was still strange to see one interacting with a pack of them like they were friends.
“You can pick family, but not your friends.”
“I think you said that backwards.”
“Oh. Right.” He offered her an Oatmeal Cream Pie from the snack cake assortment on his plate, and she took it. “These guys here,” he said, indicating the rest of their company with a wave of his hand, “are the good guys. Recently, they had to stand their ground against the bad guys, and since I’m not particularly fond of bad guys, I helped. It worked out so well, they offered me a position, and I
“I did,” he said, his big eyes solemn. “And I will. I swear my never-ending life on it.”
Chapter 6
The hamburgers were beyond redemption. It didn’t bother Maggie as much as it did everyone else. For one, she was still so freaked out she wasn’t able to eat much anyway. And for another, she was a vegetarian.
“You don’t eat meat at all?” Jase looked at her like she’d just announced a deep, passionate hatred of sunshine, sugar, and the Muppets.
“None at all.”
“No cheeseburgers?”
“Nope.”
“No hot dogs?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“No steak? No chicken? Not even fish?”
“No meat.” She couldn’t believe this was throwing him even more than the fact she was a Thaumaturgic. Apparently, Scout had felt a “vibe” from her and they’d all thought she was a rogue Seer until Talley told them otherwise. How Talley knew, she wasn’t quite sure, but for all of her gentle meekness, Maggie was pretty sure Talley was a kick-ass Seer. “I don’t eat the flesh of animals.”
Jase shook his head. “What about milk and cheese and ice cream. For the love of God, please tell me you eat ice cream.”
“Vegetarian, not vegan.” Being vegetarian was hard enough. She wasn’t quite sure how vegans ever found something to eat. “It’s not an animal rights thing for me. I just don’t like the way meat feels in my mouth.”
Jase made a noise, which might have been the start of a laugh, but he was drinking a Mello Yello at the time, so the noise that came out was more of a strangled cough. By the way his face was turning red, it might have been actual strangulation. Scout hit him on the back a couple of times, but the swats were fairly ineffectual since she was doubled over laughing.
Maggie took a sip of her water as if she had no idea what the hysterics were about.
Talley caught her eye from across the table. “You did that on purpose,” she accused.
Maggie struggled to maintain a look of innocence. “Maybe.”
She still wasn’t comfortable, but then again, rarely was Maggie comfortable around a large group of people she didn’t know. But it was her experience that with the exception of a handful of people (Jase quite possibly among them), most people felt that way. At least she was at the normal I-don’t-like-people-I-don’t-know level of discomfort instead of the lamb-among-wolves place she’d been before. Everyone seemed to be making a big production of being super-nice to her and putting her at ease. Even Scout and Liam were putting in an effort, although they had to be reminded on occasion to not scowl.
Actually, once she thought about it, she realized this was the most comfortable she’d been since pulling out of her driveway a week ago.
Semi-comfortable while eating with a pack of Shifters. Maybe this was one of those trippy dreams she had when she took too much allergy medicine.
“See? They’re not so bad,” Joshua said as if he could read her mind.
“They’re the nicest Shifters I’ve ever met.”
Joshua laughed, and it was the exact sort of laugh you would expect from a guy who was all big eyes and long limbs. The noise startled a bunch of ducks who squawked back at him as they left the pond en mass.
“How did you get tangled up with the Alpha Pack, Joshua?” Shifters didn’t persecute Immortals like they did Thaumaturgics, but it was still strange to see one interacting with a pack of them like they were friends.
“You can pick family, but not your friends.”
“I think you said that backwards.”
“Oh. Right.” He offered her an Oatmeal Cream Pie from the snack cake assortment on his plate, and she took it. “These guys here,” he said, indicating the rest of their company with a wave of his hand, “are the good guys. Recently, they had to stand their ground against the bad guys, and since I’m not particularly fond of bad guys, I helped. It worked out so well, they offered me a position, and I
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