his knee. “You’re more than you know, Zach.
Never let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“But—”
“No buts. Remember what you are. You are a witch ,
Zach. Your emotional state can and will affect your magic. When you doubt
yourself—”
“I screw up even more?”
She nodded.
He took hold of her hand and tried to ignore his brothers
and Lana. Otherwise he might not be able to get this out. “All my life I’ve
been the weakest, the worst. It’s hard to overcome that, especially now. The
whole court thinks I’m a loser and they’re not afraid to tell me so.”
The low, inhuman growl from Gareth startled him. “Tell me
who.”
Oh boy. “Down boy. Heel.”
Gareth shook his head, but Zach could see the amusement
lightening his features. Given half a chance Zach had no doubt Gareth would
head over to the court and give even the Prince a piece of his mind.
“You’re not going back.”
Annabelle stood and did her best to stare Gareth down. “You
have no say over that, Gareth. He must be trained by witches.”
“Then you and Lana can train him, but I’m not sending my
baby brother back into that pit of assholes.” Gareth crossed his arms, looking
more than ready to do battle with Annabelle. “We’re the only ones who truly
believe in him.”
Zach rolled his eyes. That was a load of bull.
“Hey.” Soft arms draped around his neck. “I believe in you.”
He turned his head and pressed a kiss to Lana’s cheek.
“Thanks, sis.”
She grinned at him. “Heh. I like that.” She leaned back,
missing the wink Chris sent him. That alone made him feel better. It meant that
whatever bad blood may still have lain between them had been absolved. “Okay,
Danger-Prone Daphne, let’s figure out how to solve your problem, okay?” She
wagged her finger at him. “No giving up.”
He shook his head. “No giving up.”
“I’m not sure what we can do to help him.” Daniel scratched
his chest and yawned. “He’s a witch. According to you—” he waved his hand at
Annabelle, “—we’ve messed him up almost beyond redemption. Won’t we make things
worse?”
Annabelle studied Daniel like a worm under a microscope. “Do
you love your brother?”
Zach turned, dying to hear the answer.
Daniel squirmed.
Annabelle glared.
“Yes, all right? I love all my brothers. But Zach… Zach’s
different.” Daniel shrugged. “He’s the one we always had to watch, you know?
Mom always asked us to keep an eye out for him.”
“And you resented him for it, didn’t you?”
Zach’s jaw clenched.
Daniel huffed out a rough breath. “Yeah. Maybe.” The look he
shot Annabelle bordered on hostile. “But you have to admit, he needed watching.
He’d do the most interesting things with an incense burner, a wand and
talcum powder I’ve ever seen.”
Zach kicked Daniel under the table. “Ix-nay on the
urner-bay.”
“You’re the one who did that to my burner?” Chris’s eyes had
damn near popped out of his head. “Dude. That’s just wrong. ”
“Yeah. Story of my life.” Zach stood and stretched. “We have
any ice cream?”
“Why aren’t you the size of a house?” Lana followed him into
the kitchen, grabbing the Rocky Road out of the freezer.
“Sweet. Chocolate syrup.” Zach placed that on the counter
and pulled down enough bowls for everyone. “I have a good metabolism.” And a
wolf willing to help him run off all his tension.
Zach was a very tense boy these days.
“Zach?”
Something about her tone of voice put him on his guard.
“Hmm?”
“Maybe you should think about the Beckett spell.”
He turned to face her, damn near choking on air. “What?”
“Think about it. If you had someone who was on your side no
matter what, who believed in you when no one else did, I think you’d be the
greatest witch the world has ever seen.”
He blinked. He could feel his cheeks blushing. “I don’t
think Chris would appreciate it if I tried to make off with his mate.” He brushed
a kiss
Never let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“But—”
“No buts. Remember what you are. You are a witch ,
Zach. Your emotional state can and will affect your magic. When you doubt
yourself—”
“I screw up even more?”
She nodded.
He took hold of her hand and tried to ignore his brothers
and Lana. Otherwise he might not be able to get this out. “All my life I’ve
been the weakest, the worst. It’s hard to overcome that, especially now. The
whole court thinks I’m a loser and they’re not afraid to tell me so.”
The low, inhuman growl from Gareth startled him. “Tell me
who.”
Oh boy. “Down boy. Heel.”
Gareth shook his head, but Zach could see the amusement
lightening his features. Given half a chance Zach had no doubt Gareth would
head over to the court and give even the Prince a piece of his mind.
“You’re not going back.”
Annabelle stood and did her best to stare Gareth down. “You
have no say over that, Gareth. He must be trained by witches.”
“Then you and Lana can train him, but I’m not sending my
baby brother back into that pit of assholes.” Gareth crossed his arms, looking
more than ready to do battle with Annabelle. “We’re the only ones who truly
believe in him.”
Zach rolled his eyes. That was a load of bull.
“Hey.” Soft arms draped around his neck. “I believe in you.”
He turned his head and pressed a kiss to Lana’s cheek.
“Thanks, sis.”
She grinned at him. “Heh. I like that.” She leaned back,
missing the wink Chris sent him. That alone made him feel better. It meant that
whatever bad blood may still have lain between them had been absolved. “Okay,
Danger-Prone Daphne, let’s figure out how to solve your problem, okay?” She
wagged her finger at him. “No giving up.”
He shook his head. “No giving up.”
“I’m not sure what we can do to help him.” Daniel scratched
his chest and yawned. “He’s a witch. According to you—” he waved his hand at
Annabelle, “—we’ve messed him up almost beyond redemption. Won’t we make things
worse?”
Annabelle studied Daniel like a worm under a microscope. “Do
you love your brother?”
Zach turned, dying to hear the answer.
Daniel squirmed.
Annabelle glared.
“Yes, all right? I love all my brothers. But Zach… Zach’s
different.” Daniel shrugged. “He’s the one we always had to watch, you know?
Mom always asked us to keep an eye out for him.”
“And you resented him for it, didn’t you?”
Zach’s jaw clenched.
Daniel huffed out a rough breath. “Yeah. Maybe.” The look he
shot Annabelle bordered on hostile. “But you have to admit, he needed watching.
He’d do the most interesting things with an incense burner, a wand and
talcum powder I’ve ever seen.”
Zach kicked Daniel under the table. “Ix-nay on the
urner-bay.”
“You’re the one who did that to my burner?” Chris’s eyes had
damn near popped out of his head. “Dude. That’s just wrong. ”
“Yeah. Story of my life.” Zach stood and stretched. “We have
any ice cream?”
“Why aren’t you the size of a house?” Lana followed him into
the kitchen, grabbing the Rocky Road out of the freezer.
“Sweet. Chocolate syrup.” Zach placed that on the counter
and pulled down enough bowls for everyone. “I have a good metabolism.” And a
wolf willing to help him run off all his tension.
Zach was a very tense boy these days.
“Zach?”
Something about her tone of voice put him on his guard.
“Hmm?”
“Maybe you should think about the Beckett spell.”
He turned to face her, damn near choking on air. “What?”
“Think about it. If you had someone who was on your side no
matter what, who believed in you when no one else did, I think you’d be the
greatest witch the world has ever seen.”
He blinked. He could feel his cheeks blushing. “I don’t
think Chris would appreciate it if I tried to make off with his mate.” He brushed
a kiss
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