by C. W. Gray
“Last night?” Leo yawned. “How long have we been in here?” His back was telling him he had been on the hard floor for years.
Gemma hid a smile. “I may have forgotten to let you two out last night. The cake pops wore off an hour after they were eaten.”
Leo grinned. “I can’t complain.”
Sonny’s head lifted from his shoulder, and he blinked groggily. “Huh? What’s going on?”
Gemma snorted. “You caught your bear, Goldilocks. Get your ass up.”
Sonny buried his face against Leo’s neck and hugged him. “Fuck off. He’s mine, and I’m never letting him go.”
Gemma laughed. “Not even to get up?”
“Never!”
Leo’s stomach growled. “Want to get breakfast?”
Sonny rolled off him and jumped to his feet before helping Leo stand. His witch kept a firm grip on Leo’s hand even while putting his shoes back on.
As if I’ll go anywhere, Leo thought, smiling softly.
Flufflepuff jumped and climbed her way to Leo’s shoulder, stretching out and settling down, long tail trailing down his back.
Sonny waved a hand at the women in the doorway. “My honey bear is hungry. Move it, you two. I need to make him some cinnamon rolls.”
Gemma grinned and stooped to grab Sonny’s tangled wig from the floor. “We don’t even get a thank you?”
Sonny narrowed his eyes. “Thank you for arranging the couple’s costume, but Myrtle, you and Miles are getting an earful once I finish feeding my man.”
Myrtle turned on her heel and hustled toward the stairs, mumbling under her breath. Leo’s shifter ears heard every word though. “Don’t want another fucking lecture. Cat-bear needs to control his mate.”
Gemma shook her head. “You turned a man’s head into a pecan pie, Sonny.”
“Damn it, it was just an illusion,” Sonny said, glaring at Gemma. “The fucker touched my bear.”
Leo felt giddiness bubble through him. His mate liked him. Sonny wanted him so much he was willing to fight for him.
Gemma turned and followed Myrtle. “Troublesome witches. By the way, Aaron and I are taking you two out to dinner tonight.”
Sonny looked up at him and batted his eyes. “Will you go to dinner with me and two annoying rabbits?”
He thought of the angry bunny on the trail the other night. “Can I eat them?”
“Wouldn’t you rather have honey cakes?”
Leo’s stomach growled again. “It’s like you already know all my secrets. I’ll do anything for honey cakes.”
Sonny grinned and set his head on Leo’s shoulder as they walked to the stairs. “It’s kinda strange. I was so shy around you for months, but now, I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
Mate, his bear grunted. Leo knew mates were a precious thing. His parents had told him their story over and over again. They had told all their kids about feeling like two halves finally becoming whole. He had thought it was mushy bullshit.
Now, though, he knew they hadn’t been talking out their asses. In the shifter community, mated pairs moved fast, but witches were different. It took time for them to recognize their mates. Would Sonny want to mate with him? Leo’s bear was positive he would, but Leo was a little more cautious.
I’ll give it a few months, he decided. That’ll give Sonny time to settle into the idea.
“Fair warning, I love cooking,” Sonny said. “Baking is kinda my thing, but I make a great pot roast too. Do you have any allergies or dislike any foods?”
“Nope.” Leo shook his head. “I don’t have any allergies, and I like everything.”
Sonny unlocked the door of his apartment and pulled Leo inside. “That makes things easier.”
Leo sighed happily as he looked around Sonny’s home. It was everything Leo’s place wasn’t. The layout was similar, with an open floor plan for the living room, dining room, and kitchen, but it was so warm and comfortable.
The hardwood floors were covered in thick, brightly colored rugs, and the walls were a deep plum. Sonny’s furniture was big and overstuffed and looked like it would actually hold a man Leo’s size.
Ferns and spirals of colorful glass hung from the ceiling in front of the windows, and a large plant rack with small pots of herbs sat in front of the largest living room window. Just like in Myrtle’s home, herbs dried in the kitchen window and candles sat on every available surface.
Flufflepuff hopped off his shoulder and went to her cat condo in the corner of the living room.
Sonny bounced on his toes and watched Leo nervously. “Do you like it? I have three bedrooms, but one is my workroom. I know it’s kind of messy, but I don’t get a lot of visitors.”
Leo cleared the lump from his throat. He didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him. It was just Sonny’s home. “I love it.”
Sonny grinned. “Perfect. Have a seat, and I’ll cook you breakfast.”
Leo did as he was told and watched Sonny move around his kitchen. “Have you always liked cooking?”
“Yeah. My mom was a kitchen witch, and we knew early on that’s where my affinity would go. She and I cooked together a lot.”
Sonny sounded wistful, and Leo hurt for him. He couldn’t imagine not having his own mother, as annoying as she was.
“What about your dad?” Leo asked.
Sonny shrugged. “He’s a hedge witch. Most of his time is spent with his scrying mirror and runes. He works with my mom on potions though. I learned a bit from him too.” He gestured to a fragile, sea-green bowl sitting in the center of the coffee table. “I like using a scrying bowl, but I never got the hang of the runes.”
Leo stroked a finger around the rim of the bowl. “My brother knows a hedge witch in law enforcement. He uses a pendulum in missing persons cases.”
“Witches are a varied bunch.” Sonny hummed as he mixed something in a large blue bowl. “Do you like working with your parents?”
Leo grinned as he leaned back in his chair. “Yeah. Dad loves the garage, and Mom and Coleen keep the auto shop running smooth. We all work there, but we have our preferences too. Niels likes working on motorcycles, Thorwald likes the luxury cars, and Rosemarie likes working on trucks.”
“What about you?”
“I’m like Dad and my oldest brother, Burkhart. We like anything with a motor.”
Sonny leaned over the bar separating the kitchen and living room and gave him a heated look. “I really like seeing you covered in grease.”
Leo felt his face flush. Dillion had not liked the grease, but there was a world of difference between Sonny and Dillion.
Sonny tapped his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think it’s because I can tell you love your job, and I know you work hard at it.” He shrugged. “Maybe I just have a mechanic fetish. Who knows?”
“I think I may have a kitchen witch fetish,” Leo said, grinning.
A few hours later, Sonny tucked a blanket around Leo. His bear was passed out on the couch, worn out from a restless night on a hard floor. Sonny’s hand trembled as he smoothed his fingers over Leo’s cheek.
Sonny kept his voice soft. “Flufflepuff, is this really happening? Is he really mine?”
“Meow.” Flufflepuff hopped onto the couch and made her way to Leo’s chest. She curled up in a ball and purred.
“You’re right. He’s right here in front of me.” Sonny pressed his lips together to hold in a squeal. “I can’t wait to learn everything about him, Flufflepuff. First, though, there’s one very important question to ask.”
Sonny gathered what he would need, then sat on the floor in front of his coffee table and poured water into his scrying bowel. Next, he put a small quartz crystal into the bowl and picked up his smudge stick. He had made one using lavender, heather, and meadowsweet specifically for this ritual.
He closed his eyes and focused his intention into the bundled herbs, then lit the end of the smudge stick. He waved it around his body, focusing on his head and his heart. Then he sn
uffed the flame out in a second, smaller bowl of sand.
Next, Sonny snapped his fingers and lit the two candles he had placed on either side of his scrying bowl. Then he closed his eyes again, falling into a meditative state that was as familiar and comfortable to him as sitting in his favorite chair.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed while his mind and heart cleared, but his soul knew when it was time. He opened his eyes and stared into the water of the scrying bowl. His sweet bear’s face stared back at him from the water. Mate!
Part II
Sugar Cookies and a Witch’s Love
Holiday Omegas: Book Two
Chapter 7
“If you two are mates, why hasn’t he said anything?” Aaron asked. Sonny’s best friend unloaded another bag of pillows and set them to the side.
Sonny unloaded his own bag and eyed the massive nest in the corner of Aaron’s living room. Gemma, Aaron’s mate, was expecting a kit and had ordered them to add to the nest while she was at work.
Flufflepuff, Sonny’s familiar, sat on the back of the couch, white fluffy tail hanging down the cushion. The cat’s green eyes blinked slowly, watching a bird through the window. Sonny took a cue from her and ignored Aaron.
He admired the new cuff bracelet his mate had given him last night. The silver cuff looked vintage and was shaped into intricate flowers with tiny ruby petals. So pretty. It went perfectly with his bright red sweater dress and thick grey leggings.
“Sonny,” Aaron said, whacking him with a pillow. “If you and Leo are mates, why hasn’t he said anything? He should be acting overprotective and growly since you two haven’t finished the claiming. Are you sure you’re mates?”
Sonny scowled and retaliated, hitting Aaron with a pillow too. “Yes, I’m sure. Leo is really laid back and progressive. He probably understands that he doesn’t have to be overprotective and growly.”
Sonny and Leo had been dating for a month and a half now, ever since Halloween. They fit together like vanilla and sugar.
Aaron sucked his lip behind his big front teeth, eyes filling with worry. “Uh, that’s not how shifters work, Sonny. Maybe—and please don’t hate me for saying this—but maybe you two aren’t mates. He’s a bear shifter, and you’re a witch. It’s really unlikely.”
Sonny narrowed his eyes and pummeled Aaron with the pillow until he fell to the floor. “Don’t you say that! Leo is mine. I know he is.”
The pillow split, and Aaron spat out feathers. “It’s just that I’ve never heard of a bear mating a witch.”
“It happens,” Sonny said, studying his lovely bracelet again. “All species can mate; it’s just not usual. Society doesn’t like it, so families don’t encourage it.”
Aaron grabbed his leg, watching Sonny with big, sad eyes. “That’s another thing. He hasn’t told his family about you, Sonny. That’s not normal. Mating is something to be celebrated. The day Gemma and I met, we knew we were mates. That next morning, I met her parents and she met mine. That’s how shifters do things.”
Sonny plopped onto the couch, shoulders slumping. “I don’t know why he hasn’t told them about me. Myrtle told me to be patient, but it isn’t normal for a shifter. I know that.”
Flufflepuff hopped from the back of the couch to his lap. Her paws kneaded the fabric of his sweater dress before she settled into a warm ball of floof.
Aaron grunted and crawled onto the couch from the floor. He wrapped an arm around Sonny’s shoulders. “Maybe you should try scrying again?”
Sonny rolled his eyes. “It was as clear as day, Aaron. That’s not going to change.”
Aaron made a pained sound. “I hate even suggesting this, but do you think you ought to ask your father to scry and see if Leo really is your mate?”
Sonny made a face. “I will never be that desperate. You know how he is, Aaron.”
Aaron winced. “Yeah. I do.”
The apartment door opened, and Gemma walked in, eyes narrowing at the mess they had made. “What the hell?”
“Hey, baby,” Aaron said, trying to look innocent. “We got those pillows you wanted.”
Gemma growled. “Clean this mess up!”
Sonny stood, wobbling for a moment in his heeled boots. “Well, look at the time. I have to meet Miles. Sorry, Gem, but we got to train those baby witches up right.”
He ran for the door. Gemma hissed at him as he ran past her. Sounds more like a snake than a rabbit.
He went to his apartment and found Miles waiting in the living room. Sonny’s apprentice had his books spread out on the floor in front of the balcony doors. His familiar, a puppy named Cookie, sprawled beside him, looking down at Miles’s notebook.
A shot of warmth shot through Sonny. He remembered being in that exact position when he was an apprentice. Myrtle would make him a snack and talk to him about his day. Damn, I love that woman.
Miles looked up and grinned. “Hey, Sonny. Nice bracelet.”
Sonny narrowed his eyes. “Hmm, you aren’t that observant.”
“Leo was worried about giving it to you,” Miles said, sitting up and petting Flufflepuff when she crawled across his lap to get to Cookie. “He said it was his grandma’s, and he really wanted you to like it.”
Sonny cupped the bracelet. “He didn’t tell me that.” There’s a lot he doesn’t tell me.
Miles shrugged. “Don’t look at me. What are we doing today?”
Sonny went to the kitchen and pointed at one of the seats at the bar. Miles hurried to sit down, eyes watching his every move.
Was I ever that eager? Sonny hid a smile and pulled his ingredients out of the cabinet. “Today we’re going to talk about sugar.”
Miles arched a brow. “Sugar? You use that a lot, and we’re just now talking about it?”
Sonny gave him a look. “Don’t get saucy with me. Sugar is one of the staples of many of my spells. Can you tell me why?”
Miles looked down at his training book and flipped through it a few times. “All I remember is the book said sugar was good at attracting stuff.”
Sonny nodded. “That’s why it’s a good base. It attracts what you want it to. Now, plenty of witches use it to attract love or money, and that’s okay. It’s not a love potion, just a little push.”
Miles side-eyed him. “I don’t want anything to do with love potions.”
Sonny snorted. “Good. Your cake pops did enough damage at Halloween.” He shook his head. “What a lot of witches forget is that sugar attracts whatever you want. You could potentially want to attract a pack of wolves. I don’t know.”
Miles laughed. “That would be weird.”
“Right?” Sonny smiled. “Now, the winter solstice is coming up, and I know we’ve talked about it before.”
He waved his hand toward the living room. Holly and ivy plants were everywhere, and evergreen boughs and pinecones hung over the windows. Strings of lights were suspended from the ceiling, corner to corner, and candles covered every available surface. Ritual, light, and rebirth.
Finally, a sprig of mistletoe dangled over the door for luck, and a nice round wreath hung on the other side of the door, representing the continuity of life.
“Yeah, it’s about celebrating light and quiet introspection, but also about home and family. It’s not loud and boisterous like the spring solstice.” Miles bit his lip. “A lot of non-witches celebrate it too and call it Christmas.”
Sonny nodded. “Yes. That’s mostly shifters and humans, but there’s no harm in it.” He waved at the Christmas tree in one of the corners of the living room. “Leo’s family celebrates Christmas and most of the traditions fit right in with my own. You’ll find many of the traditions and holidays different species celebrate overlap. We’re all more alike than not.”
Miles looked thoughtful for a minute, then nodded. “Okay. What’s all this got to do with sugar?”
Sonny got a mixing bowl and set it in front of him. “We’re going to make special winter solstice sugar cookies. Our purpose isn’t to attrac
t love or wealth, but to attract something far more important.”
“What?” Miles leaned forward, eyes wide.
Sonny held up each ingredient. “Cloves for protection. A teensy, tiny bit of ginger for strength and new beginnings. A pinch of nutmeg for prosperity, and my favorite, vanilla, for happiness and self-love.”
Miles nodded, face solemn. “And sugar, right?”
“Of course,” Sonny said, grinning. “All of this is to attract something very important: good things for our family and home.”
A few hours later, Sonny stirred the spaghetti sauce and breathed deeply, loving the scent of herbs and tomato. Garlic for protection and health. Marjoram for courage. Oregano to strengthen bonds. Rosemary for love. Thyme for a little sexy magic, and parsley to enhance our naked fun time.
He had just set the small kitchen table when Leo came in, using his own key to unlock the door. Sonny’s bear was a big man with olive-colored skin and dark curly hair. His sweet smile made the whole damn room brighter.
Flufflepuff met Leo at the door and launched herself onto his shoulder. She curled into his neck and purred.
Leo patted her back and set his lunchbox on the counter. “That smells so good.”
Sonny preened and practically danced in place. My honey bear loves my cooking. He knew he acted like an idiot around Leo, but there were only a handful of people in his life that had ever appreciated him. He couldn’t help but get excited when his mate complimented him.
“Miles said he learned two spells tonight,” Leo said and washed his hands in the kitchen sink. Sonny loved that Leo walked Miles home every day after their training. He had many a picture on his phone of his apprentice riding a huge brown bear with Cookie running around them.
“We had a lot to cover today,” Sonny said and dipped under Leo’s arm to hug him.
Leo instantly wrapped both arms around him and squeezed him tightly, lifting him from his feet. “You were supposed to relax on your day off.”
