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“Cripes, Dom, it’s not about the money. I’ve been around as long as you. If I wanted to live in a rich-ass penthouse I could. I don’t need your money.”
“I’ll never understand why you choose to peddle your love potions on Venice Beach when you could be doing so much more,” I drawled. “You could have a penthouse. You choose not to.”
“You just don’t get it.”
“There’s a witch who lives on the seventh floor. Trixie Gardens. She pranked me, and I need to get her back. She’s very powerful. There’s only one rule: You cannot hurt her.”
Belinda’s gaze jerked up at me and her mouth split into a wide grin. “Dammit, Dom! Why didn’t you say so at the start?”
“Say what?”
“You love her.”
“Oh, absolutely not. I just met her.”
“With us paranormals, love doesn’t work like it does for humans. At least, not all the time.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I stood behind the counter, fiddling with my cup of coffee.
“This is the real reason you called me.” Belinda winked again. “I’m the love witch. Sorry, Dom, no love potions, even for you. The stuff I peddle on Venice Beach, as you so lovingly pointed out, is a watered-down potion that is completely legal—”
“Mostly legal.”
Belinda ignored me. “Those human-strength potions wouldn’t have any effect on you. They hardly have an effect on humans. So, no, sorry. I can’t help you. Real love potions are illegal.”
“I don’t need Trixie to fall in love with me,” I said. “And what do you mean love doesn’t work the same with us paranormals as it does with others?”
“As immortals, sometimes our souls have a connection to someone who is not here yet. Humans don’t have that capacity because frankly, they can’t. They die off too quickly. Sometimes, humans must settle for the best mate available to them at the time of their existence. Which is a big caveat when you think about it.”
“But with us immortals?” My throat felt scratchy.
“Our souls can long for someone for ages and ages, centuries or more. Then when that person arrives in your life, it can feel so sudden and abrupt the way we feel so strongly for them, so protective of them. We may begin to feel signs of love at what others would consider a rapid pace.”
“However, you’re arguing it’s not actually all that rapid.”
“I’m saying it’s the slowest, sweetest love story of all time.” Bel gave a hefty sigh. “When a paranormal meets their person, it’s a relationship that’s been in the making for ages.”
“That sounds like some form of sadistic torture.” I licked my lips, sipped the bitter black brew. “At least humans don’t know any better when they’re settling. What about us? We’re just supposed to sit around, resigned to wait centuries for the right person? And in the meantime, we have to be content knowing our lives have a void that can’t possibly be filled?”
“Bingo. Sucks, huh?”
“What about you? Have you found your person?”
Belinda shrugged. “This isn’t about me today. All I’ll say on this is that your life doesn’t have to be a dismal place until your mate arrives; that’s on you, Dom. You choose to be grumpy. There are plenty of women who’d have been willing to date you for their entire human lives while you waited for your mate to arrive.”
“What’s the point of that?”
Belinda rolled her eyes. “Fun? I know, hard to comprehend.”
“How am I supposed to know when it’s the one?”
Belinda considered, pursing her bright lips. “It’s a feeling. Sometimes you know instantly, other times it takes a while. Sometimes the love between you grows slowly, curiously, and you find yourself wondering what’s happening and why you can’t stop it.”
I nodded, thinking for me it was a bit of both. I’d known something about Trixie was special from the moment I’d met her, but I hadn’t been able to put my finger on what it was exactly. Then, as we’d spent more time together, I’d been absolutely convinced that she was special, even if I still couldn’t voice the exact reasons why.
“Eventually, there’ll be no question.” Belinda scanned my face, watching for my reaction as I processed. “She’ll feel like a salve for your soul. She’ll soothe an ache so deep within you that you didn’t even know it existed. You won’t be able to live without her; you’ll do whatever it takes to keep her, to have her, to protect her.”
I swallowed another sip of coffee. “You’re scaring the hell out of me.”
