Page 83 of Tempting Fate

“Felix,” Ophelia says. It sounds like a warning this time.

“Fee,” Felix returns. “You know, I have always meant to ask you if you chose that name just because you wanted us to be closer. Awfully dramatic of you, really, but—”

“Kieran’s our alpha,” Ophelia says. Dante looks as though he’s hiding a smile, and she looks put upon, but not angry about it.

Kieran gives them both a quizzical look but seems to accept Felix’s scrutiny all the same. “Can you help us?” he eventually asks.

“Depends what’s in it for me. Seems as though my coven has been helping all of you city folk out a lot of late.”

“You literally live in another city,” Dante says. “And I know you weren’t raised in a barn.”

“Regardless. What have you got?”

Kieran looks at Sam, who shrugs. He sighs. “I’ll owe you a favour. One. You and your coven.”

Felix is silent, and I can’t see his face, but I kind of wish I could. I suspect that what Kieran has offered him is incredibly valuable.

“Well. That certainly is something. What a win for first thing in the morning. Ophelia, love, turn me back around.”

“To who?”

“To the sad Victorian waif sitting on your sofa.”

“Not my sofa,” she says but turns the camera so Felix is looking at me.

I don’t ask how he knows. I don’t ask about the coven or the séance or any of that. I just look back at him. I need him to fix this. Not for me—there’s no helping me now. But at least, if we can mitigate some of the damage, Patch might not have to leave his home. Right?

“So you found yourself a werewolf. Was it everything you hoped for?”

He’s not mocking. He sounds genuinely curious. And I don’t trust that for a second. I’ve known boys like him; men like him.

“You know it wasn’t worth it.”

“Do I?”

“How can you help?”

Felix purses his lips, then sits up. A lamp is on next to his bed, and he’s wearing some kind of silky dressing gown that gapes open at the front, revealing pale skin and flashes of dark ink. “Well, luckily for all of us—and unsurprisingly, I suppose—my social media following far outstrips yours. And since I’m known for all things magical and mystical, if I come out and point out everything about the video that marks it as an obvious, amateurish hoax, then this whole thing should die down within the week.”

Each word is designed to cut, but those cuts don’t really hurt at all. Doesn’t matter that this will destroy my reputation. I’ll just have to get my act together. Grow up and understand that magic is real, only it was never really meant for me at all, was it?

“Okay,” I say because I recognise him now, and he’s right—his following and support far outweigh mine, even before all this. “Will you do that?”

“You want me to do it?”

“I made the mistake,” I say. “I didn’t mean to, but I did. I’ve made things unsafe for everyone here. I need to do what I can to fix it.”

“And the money?” Kieran asks. “The person who contacted you.”

Felix makes a puzzled sound.

“Someone contacted me with a video of another werewolf,” I say. “It wasn’t… It wasn’t the same person I livestreamed. But I don’t know who that is.”

“Can you forward me the email? I’ve got a friend who can look into that.”

“You’re not getting another favour,” Kieran says, and Felix scoffs.

“Consider it a freebie,” he replies. He eyes me again, and I don’t for a second believe he likes what he sees, but when he nods, I think he at least believes me. “Ophelia! Dante!”