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She waves her hand over the glasses, and the amber liquid appears in one, and an opaque orange drink fills the other two. She sets the glasses down and her eyes go wide when she sees Astra. “Your Mark…”
“Leave us,” Beau orders in a firmer tone.
She complies.
I lift my glass and sniff. Citrus and an underlying hint of liquor.
“What is it?” Astra asks.
Beau runs his finger around the rim of his glass. “Tequila and orange juice. Grenadine if our bartender is in a good mood.”
She raises her glass and keeps it mid-air. “To new friends.”
My lips press together. She wants to be friends with him?
She elbows me, and I grudgingly lift my glass, too. Beau clinks his to ours and takes a sip.
I follow suit. The sharp orange flavor isn’t enough to cut through the bite of alcohol, but it tastes surprisingly good. I take one swallow, then gulp the rest of it down.
Astra lowers hers, eyes wide. She wipes the back of her mouth and frowns.
Heat explodes through my stomach, up into my chest.
It’s been a while since alcohol has hit me like this. My shifter magic makes it almost impossible to get drunk. I try to heal it away, but it doesn’t work. My head feels light, and I stop trying.
Astra giggles, then slaps her hand over her mouth.
“That’s strong,” she says between her fingers.
Beau grins. “I know. Want another?”
His pupils dilate, and she nods wordlessly. He plucks her glass from the table and raises it. Another witch sweeping past the table stops and smirks at Beau. She touches the glass, and it fills with the orange liquid.
“Get drunk with me,” Astra whispers in my ear.
I start to shake my head—but then her hand lands on my thigh.
“Please.” Her lips are right fucking there. So close to my skin, her hot breath is a caress.
“I’ll have another,” I concede. “But I’m not getting drunk. One of us has to keep our senses.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Beau murmurs. He’s watching us keenly.
A shiver rushes through Astra.
The witch fills my cup and moves along without a comment about Astra’s Mark. She doesn’t even look, and she’s gone before I can catch more defining features.
Astra clinks her glass against mine, and we both toss them back.
I groan at the heavenly taste.
Did I just groan?
“When’s the last time you cut loose, Kian?” Beau asks.
I lick my lips and shift in my seat. The heat spreads, carrying my tension away. “I don’t know. Never.”
Astra gasps.