Cricket (Cricket Kendall Book 1), page 2
Way too casually, Aurora gestures at Theo and says, “Theo is a werewolf from the local pack.”
I raise my eyebrows in shock, but Aurora looks totally serious. I didn’t even know werewolves existed, and I definitely had no idea that Aurora knew any. When I turn my head to look at Theo, he’s staring at my aunt with his mouth open and his eyes crazy wide. Oh my god. Is Aurora messing with me right now? Theo is going to think we’re completely insane if that’s the case.
When Theo still doesn’t say anything, Aurora continues, “Werewolves can’t exactly go to the hospital when they get sick or injured, so Theo’s uncle comes to me when they need any medicines or potions. Which reminds me, I really need to show you some decent healing spells, Cricket. We’ll start tomorrow, okay?”
Theo continues staring at Aurora like she’s nuts, but he also appears a little curious. He tentatively asks, “Healing spells?”
Aurora tilts her head in confusion. “Of course. Didn’t your uncle tell you I’m a witch?”
Theo shrugs and stumbles over his words, “I mean, yeah, he did. But I didn’t realize he meant, like, I didn’t know you could actually do magic.”
Aurora beams. “So can Cricket. Witches come into their magic fully when they turn eighteen, but she’s pretty spectacular already.”
Theo seems intrigued when he looks back at me. I notice his nostrils flare ever so slightly, and he gives me a genuine smile. Aurora asks which supplies his uncle is asking for, and Theo hands her a piece of paper with a short list scrawled in messy handwriting.
Aurora gives us a scheming smile as she walks away. “I’ll be back in just a moment with these. Cricket, be a dear and watch the register?”
As soon as I hear the door click, signaling that she’s gone upstairs and out of the bookshop, I turn to meet Theo’s eyes again. I have no idea what to say after Aurora just dropped those lovely bombshells.
Theo breaks the silence first. He chuckles under his breath and asks, “Is she, uh, trying to set us up or something?”
I groan and close my eyes, and I can already feel my cheeks heating in embarrassment. “God, probably.”
Theo laughs for real, and I can’t help smiling up at him. He seems to hesitate before asking, “Are you really a witch?”
I grin and nod at him. It’s a little surprising that he didn’t know about Aurora, considering she’s friends with Theo’s family.
“Can you show me your magic?” He grins excitedly.
I raise an eyebrow at him flirtatiously. “I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours.”
He scrunches up his nose—which is the most adorable thing ever—and laughs again. But then he shuffles his feet awkwardly and says, “I, uh, I have to ask my uncle. I didn’t realize that your aunt, um, knew about us. I didn’t even know witches were real, to be honest.”
I can’t help giggling, even though I feel bad that Aurora put him on the spot like this. It’s silly that we’re both so shocked and clueless about each other, considering we both have supernatural backgrounds. I have so many questions I want to ask, but I hold my tongue for now. Since Theo’s being so sweet, and he seems genuinely interested, I decide to show him something small.
I dash to the door to check that nobody’s about to walk in. When I turn back around, Theo is watching me curiously. I give him a wicked smile and dramatically wave my hand in the air. The motion is unnecessary, but sometimes I do it out of habit or for dramatic flair. Waving and gesturing with my hands was the easiest way for me to learn to control my magic when I was younger. A few books come gliding off the shelves and float in the air just above his head. I make them spin in a circle, and the breeze I’ve created makes his hair stir slightly. After a few moments, I move the books back into their original spots on the shelves.
Theo laughs in delight. “Holy fuck, that was incredible!”
I give him a dramatic bow and walk back over to lean against the counter beside him again. We stand there grinning at each other like crazy for a few moments without saying anything. I don’t normally get to show off my power in front of people outside of my family, and honestly, that felt amazing.
Theo taps his fingers lightly on the countertop between us and asks, “So, are you just here visiting for the summer?”
“No, I’m staying with Aurora for a while. I’ll be starting school here next week.”
Theo’s eyes light up. “What grade are you in?”
“I’ll be a senior.”
He taps his fingers again, sliding his hand closer to me. “Me too.”
“We should hang out!” I blurt without thinking. I’m embarrassed at my enthusiasm. I don’t want to scare him away.
Theo laughs, doing that adorable scrunchy thing with his nose again. “Okay. I’m going to talk to my uncle first, but I’ll try to come back over here tomorrow. Are you cool with that?”
If he’s going to talk to his uncle, maybe that means I might get to see him shift. But either way, I definitely want to hang out with him. He’s so cute, and he seems like he’d be a lot of fun. I nod at him, giving him another smile.
His eyes scan over my face and body again, quickly this time, like he just can’t help himself. It makes my skin tingle in excitement. But then his eyes twinkle mischievously, and he gives me a lopsided smile.
“By the way, you’ve got a little dirt...” He motions to a spot on my face.
I love that he’s teasing me already. I make my eyes wide and innocent, and I lift a hand to my cheek. “Oh, where?”
He laughs and shrugs. “Well, everywhere.”
I dramatically look down at my dirt streaked clothing and body, and I pick up one of my feet and wiggle my toes toward him. “Hmm, would you look at that? I didn’t even notice!”
He’s still laughing when Aurora finally makes an appearance again. She smiles at us innocently as she hands Theo a basket filled with different labeled pouches and containers. It didn’t occur to me to ask before, but I wonder why Theo’s uncle needs the supplies. Aurora said they use her potions when they get sick, since they can’t go to a regular doctor.
“Just tell Hawthorne I put it on his tab.” Aurora waves her hand dismissively when Theo pulls his wallet out.
He grins and thanks her, and turns back to me. “I have to go now, but I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I grin and reassure him, “I’ll be here.”
He gives me one more smile before walking out the door of the bookshop, making the bell chime above him. I’m suddenly grateful to Aurora for introducing me to Theo, because even though I don’t entirely understand it, my magic inside of me is singing, and I somehow know that he’s going to be an important part of my life.
Chapter Three
I’m standing behind the counter scrolling mindlessly through my Instagram feed. I keep glancing at the entrance of the shop and checking the time on the computer screen in front of me, which is stupid because Theo never specified what time he’d be coming by. For all I know, he changed his mind. It’s not like I can ask him, since we’d never exchanged numbers. Even if I had his number, I wouldn’t want to text him and look like an overzealous dolt.
The bell chimes over the door and I nearly break my neck from looking up so quickly. But it’s just two middle-aged women holding a flyer between them. They look around the bookshop and finally spot me behind the counter.
“Hi, can I help you?” I give them a sweet smile.
They shuffle over to the counter with shy smiles on their faces. Stella had been curled up next to my elbow. When she sees them approaching, she quickly stands up and hisses threateningly at them.
One woman jumps back and makes a small noise of surprise.
I smile apologetically as Stella climbs up on my shoulder, licking her paw casually. “Sorry about that. She’s a little temperamental sometimes.”
The second lady, the one who didn’t jump back, smiles and waves her hand dismissively. She leans forward and whispers, “Is this the right place for the tarot card readings?”
She pronounces it wrong, but I don’t say anything. I love these types of women, who think it’s so naughty and taboo to see a ‘fortune teller.’
I grin and nod encouragingly. “Sure is! Let me grab my aunt for you.”
Stella stays perched on my shoulder as I walk to the back of the store where Aurora is reorganizing a display. I let her know she has two customers waiting for a tarot card reading.
She looks down at her watch and says, “Paisley should be here in about fifteen minutes. Are you okay watching the register until then?”
I nod and walk back up front with her. Aurora greets the women, and the one I spoke to responds animatedly. While they discuss prices and what sort of reading they’d like, the woman Stella startled gives me disapproving side glances. I’m wearing an outfit similar to the one I had on yesterday—yet another pair of super short jean shorts with a frayed hem and another cropped bralette top that makes my boobs look totally amazing. I have a black and red flannel tied loosely around my waist, and I actually brought shoes downstairs with me today. My sandals are sitting just behind the counter.
After receiving way too many frowns from the woman, I can’t help myself. I slap a shit-eating grin on my face and put one hand on my hip, jutting my hip out to the side while bending my knee dramatically. She finally looks away, but she keeps that awful, judgmental frown on her face. I hear someone snickering to my left, and I look up to find Theo watching me.
I grin in surprise, my stomach fluttering in excitement. He’s standing in front of the wall-length bookcase next to the sliding ladder. As I walk up to him, I notice his entire body shaking with uncontrollable laughter.
“What are you doing? I didn’t even hear you come in.” I know I’m smiling like an idiot, but I’m ridiculously excited to see him again.
He chuckles. “Sorry. I was just really enjoying watching you be a smartass to that lady.”
Aurora is about to lead the ladies upstairs to one of her offices when she sees me standing with Theo. She smiles at him and reminds me, “Paisley should be here soon. You’re free to go then!”
I smile and nod at her in acknowledgment, and I turn back around to face Theo. It’s obvious he’s been checking me out again, but at least I’m not covered in dirt this time. He looks even cuter than I remember. His outfit is similar to what he was wearing yesterday too. He’s wearing gray shorts and a blue skating shirt with the same Vans as before. Blue looks good on him, making his hair look even more red and gorgeous.
His eyes land on Stella and he raises his eyebrows. “Who’s this?”
I somehow forgot he hadn’t met her yet. She’d been sleeping out in the garden when he came in yesterday. She’s being good, just sitting quietly as she watches Theo curiously.
“This is Stella.” I reach my hand up to scratch her head lovingly. “She’s my familiar.”
Theo gives me a curious glance. I know he doesn’t know what a familiar is. Before I can explain or warn him about Stella’s antisocial nature, he reaches a hand up and starts scratching her head the way I did. I go still and hold my breath.
Stella purrs and rubs her head against his hand. I’m completely dumbstruck, and I’m sure my jaw is nearly hitting the floor. Stella turns and gives me a smug look, and then she jumps onto Theo’s chest where she continues purring and rubbing her face against his jaw.
He’s chuckling and supporting her bottom with one hand while he strokes her soft fur with the other. “Hello, Stella. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I’m still completely stunned and afraid to interrupt. When Theo sees my expression, he winces. “Sorry, am I not supposed to touch her? I don’t know what a familiar is.”
He pries her off him like he’s going to hand her back, but I hold my hands up and practically shout, “No!”
He goes totally still and stares at me in alarm, and I notice his nostrils flare a few times. Stella is still purring and kneading his shoulder with a satisfied smile on her tiny mouth.
I grimace and try to explain. “Sorry, it’s not that. It’s just, I’ve never seen her act like this. She hates literally everybody except for me. She’s normally a huge asshole.”
Theo grins down at the tiny demon. “This little thing? Nah, I don’t believe it.”
Stella gives him one last tender look before jumping down onto the ground. She rubs against my leg as she walks by and I shake my head exasperatedly.
I look up at Theo again excitedly. “I’m serious. Nobody in my family has ever been able to touch her, not even when she was a kitten.”
Theo smirks down at me and shrugs. “Guess I’m just special.”
I smile and feel my cheeks flush. I don’t want to tell him I think he’s right, but I have a feeling he is pretty special. When I see his eyes soften and I think about kissing him, I quickly change the subject.
“So, what are we doing today?”
His eyes light up. “Well, I figured if you were hungry, we could grab lunch. And if you still want to see me change, then we can go out and play in the forest for a bit.”
I grin and nod enthusiastically. Oh my god, he’s really going to shift into a wolf in front of me! I don’t even feel freaked out, just ecstatic at the idea. “Sounds fantastic. I just have to wait for Paisley to get here to watch the register.”
I pull my phone out to check the time. It’s almost noon, so I shouldn’t have to wait much longer. Before I can put my phone away, Theo pulls it out of my hand with a teasing smirk on his face.
“I forgot to get this yesterday. Don’t know what I was thinking.” He winks as he sends himself a text from my phone.
That was cute, and actually pretty smooth. Just when I think about kissing Theo again, the bell over the door chimes. I peer around Theo to see Paisley walk in a few minutes early for her shift.
“Hey, Paisley!” She looks up at my greeting and gives me a shy smile. I gesture to the attractive boy towering over me. “Do you know Theo?”
She glances at him and blushes. She’s usually quiet, but she’s been nice every time I’ve seen her here at the shop.
Theo smiles warmly and answers for her. “Yeah, we know each other from school.”
Paisley quickly busies herself behind the counter, putting her bag down and signing into the computer to clock in for her shift. She was mostly silent around my brothers too, so I figure Theo just makes her nervous. I walk over and quickly bend down so I can reach my sandals just behind the counter.
As I’m slipping them onto my feet and leaning against the counter, I quickly fill Paisley in. “Aurora’s upstairs doing a tarot card reading. She shouldn’t be too much longer.”
Paisley nods and quietly thanks me.
When I turn around to face Theo again, he whips his head up and gives me a guilty expression. I smirk when I realize he was staring at my butt, but I decide not to mention it. Instead, I walk to the door and offer him a smile. “Ready to go?”
He leans over to open the door for me and teasingly whispers, “Ready when you are, little witch.”
Theo’s car is parked a little way down the street, and I totally freak out when I see it. It’s a bright, cherry-red four-door Jeep Wrangler, and all the windows are down. It’s love at first sight. Theo opens the passenger door for me like a gentleman, but I’m still practically bouncing from excitement as I check out the interior.
Theo hops into the driver’s side, starts the vehicle, and gives me a shy smile. That he seems shy at all totally makes me melt. I have to remind myself not to make any moves. I can totally be just friends with a guy, even if he is a super-hot werewolf who knows I’m a witch and seems interested.
“I can roll the windows up. I know how girls can freak out about their hair.”
I snort in amusement and shake my head. “Are you kidding? Have you seen my hair?”
He blinks and looks at my crazy messy hair. It’s already tangled and flying around, and I haven’t done anything today except for stand behind the counter and play on my phone.
Theo smirks, his eyes gleaming mischievously. “Well, I didn’t want to say anything...”
I shake my hair out and run my fingers through a few strands. “It’s always like this, no matter what. I have no idea how Aurora keeps her hair looking so silky and smooth because I have way too much energy buzzing around me all the time from my magic.”
He grins and reaches his hand out to lightly tug on a strand of my witchy blonde hair. His voice carries a bit of a growl when he says, “I like it.”
The growling is weirdly, insanely hot. Before I can respond, he pulls out of his parking space and begins driving down the charming streets of downtown Emery Ridge. I let one of my hands dangle out of the window, loving the feel of the wind between my fingers.
“So, where are we eating?”
He glances at me sideways and hesitates. “I meant to ask before, but are you a vegetarian?”
I shake my head, smiling. “No, I’m not. But a lot of witches are, so thanks for checking.”
He seems pleased with himself over my approval. “Okay, then how do burgers and milkshakes sound?”
“Amazing!” I exclaim happily.
He scrunches his nose and laughs. “Okay, now tell me. What exactly is a familiar?”
I think about it for a second. I’ve never had to explain this to somebody who didn’t already know. “A familiar is a lesser demon that takes the form of an animal to bond to a witch’s magic. They help you keep your magic balanced and healthy. Or like, if you’re hurt or have used up all of your magical energy, they can help you heal and replenish your powers sooner than you would otherwise.”
