❝You don't find me handsome?❞ Regulus' breath tickles the nape of Laura's neck, sending a wave of happiness down her spine.
She leans backward to fake a scowl up at him. ❝I find you utterly repulsive.❞
His lips quirk as he ducks his head down to k...
an author warning —i suppose i may not have prefaced this, and it may not have been implied due to how slow-burn this book is, but i'm beginning to feel the need to warn you guys that this book IS explicit 😭 (hence him calling her a whore) - the amount of dms asking me if there will be smut has been wild so i am here to say that i absolutely have no intention of robbing you guys from having that <333
that being said, from this point on, this book is explicit. love y'all!
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WHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCK.
For the first time in her life, Laura is beginning to truly consider the fact that she may be a whore.
What is wrong with her?
Laura shoves her desk drawer shut and tosses her head back with an aggravated groan. "Andromeda, your cat killed another bird!"
"Coming!" Andromeda sings, her cheeks a happy shade of pink as she grins and hops off her bed to join Laura at her desk.
Laura huffs. "What's got you so chipper?"
"Oh, nothing," Andromeda beams. "Just a letter from Mum."
Dorcas lets out an indignant snort, lifting her head from her pillow to shoot Andromeda a look. "From your mum? She hasn't mailed you since first year when you dyed Reg's hair blue."
Andromeda sighs wistfully. "Oh, that was a brilliant day. He was livid."
"So, that still doesn't explain who mailed you," Alecto chimes in, setting down her embroidery and sitting up from the bay window that overlooks the forest of gilly-kelp under the Black Lake. She raises an eyebrow and leans in conspiratorially. "Was it a boy? Avery, perhaps?"
"Merlin, no!" Andromeda exclaims, her nose scrunching. "That's disturbing — and it wasn't a boy! I told you, it was my mum."
"Fine," Alecto relinquishes. "Just know, I'm always watching. The moment you slip up, I'll know who it is."
"Whatever," Andromeda shoots back. She opens Laura's drawer, concern dissipating from her features. "Oh, this wasn't Altair's. He only eats little sparrows, not shrikes this big."
"That's not a shrike." Laura points out irritably. "And I don't care who killed it! I just want it gone."
Andromeda squints at the bird. "What is it then?" She cranes her neck and examines it. "Poor little thing."
Laura stomachs the urge to gag. "A mockingbird — just throw it out!"
Andromeda shrugs and uses her wand to incinerate it and scourgify the ashes. "There. Done."
Laura lets out a long, irritated breath and flops onto her bed. The combination of the bird and having to deal with a horrible, nagging feeling of dread that someone will find out about what she did with Regulus is making her feel unbearably nauseous, and it's a feeling she's unused to.
