Asimi was, quite frankly, fucking annoyed.

There was a man standing in the little shop owned by her mother and the young girl observed him with an invisible pale glare. She noted how he absolutely refused to meet her eyes and she mentally labeled him a pussy.

Resisting the urge to breathe harshly out from the nose, the budding witch instead switched her gaze over to her mother and felt herself soften.

All throughout her years in Spain, the young redhead felt more at home with her second mother than she ever had with her first one. And that wasn't to say she was treated badly by her first parent - heavens no! She was handled just fine within Mom Number One's care but at the same time, there was a startling and distinct lack of affection. She was never treated like how her first mother's blood children were and that was the simple yet painful truth.

And so to come here and be held by Antonietta was a luxury, pure and simple.

Asimi thought she had known unconditional love in her previous life - ha! She had barely even scratched the surface. Empathy was her greatest weakness and her greatest asset and to feel - to genuinely sense how deeply and purely Antoinetta felt about her? Well, it was nothing short of breathtaking.

With every smile, every laugh and every touch, the unruly elder witch managed to impart such a scorching and tender feeling of an all-encompassing affection that it just about managed to make her burst into tears.

Which funnily enough was exactly what Asimi had done the first time she had fully acquainted herself with Antoinetta's psyche. It had very nearly given her mother a heart attack to see her normal even-tempered child break out the water works

Antoinetta was a good person - genuinely. Which was why she deserved better than the slime ball standing in her shop.

Oh don't get her wrong, Dija Santa Abrantes was a handsome man of a considerable fortune. He donated to charities, ran local shelters, and had a grin that said butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

Now if only there wasn't that feeling of greed and hunger bubbling up out of his aura every time he so much as laid eyes on her mother, then maybe she wouldn't want to run him over with a two by four.

His dark gaze swung to her for a single moment and Asimi scowled.

Oh and if he also didn't immediately feel revulsion at the sight of the only child born from the woman he supposedly wanted to marry - then she really wouldn't want to hit him with a semi.

Maybe.

Probably.

He still felt like a dirtbag.

Snorting quietly to herself as Dija moved to say hello to her mother, Asimi resisted the urge to tell him that ignoring her wasn't going to endear him to the elder witch.

Shunning the daughter that Antoinetta literally has said that she treasured more than her own life was not the way to her heart.

And said statement had originally made her sad but after realizing that she'd forfeit her life in an instant to keep her mother safe - it seemed turnabout was fair.

Wiggling her tiny toes, Asimi resisted the urge to groan out loud and tell the man to get the fuck over his little crush. Her mother had tons of suitors and all of them end up getting turned down and this little man didn't stand a chance.

He was a beta male of the worst degree and frankly ot nauseated her.

Besides he wasn't even from this part of Spain and he wasn't going to want to settle in the boondocks anytime soon.

So no - she didn't need to worry about any gentleman callers save for -

"Hola Anti," A smooth jovial voice practically purred out and she scowled for a quick second. "and hola Asimi."

Save for Alejo Escarcega.

"Hola!" Her mother called, beaming at the man from her spot where she was helping a few costumers. "I'll be with you in a second!"

Turning she cast her eyes at the entirely unassuming man in the doorway - with his just ahead of average looks, blond hair, and dusky skin, it was easy to write him off.

That was until they noticed how he wielded authority like God himself blessed him and that was just when taking into consideration his charisma.

And Asimi herself would like him better than she did now - if he didn't make her so damn uneasy at times.

The man was a childhood friend of her mother, he was always kind and generous to her but the sensation of emptiness she would get from him at times freaked her out.

It was almost worse than the feelings of those fabricated - almost synthetic - emotions he sometimes put out. Just the thought of it made her shiver.

Dija turned and looked Alejo up and down before he smirked and Asimi decided to end this farce before it could get started.

Her empathy couldn't stand the taste of testosterone.

"Mr. Escarcega, would you like to wait for mi mamà in the sitting room?" She piped up from her perch on the counter and Alejo smiled at her. "I can prepare your favorite tea?"

He gave her a nod and Asimi ignored Dija's surprised expression as if he didn't just hear the man call her mother a nickname and receive a jolly greeting in return.

"If that's not a bother." The man began modestly and without preamble the pale child slipped off her perch and moved towards the back room.

"It's okay," She told him as she pushed open the door. "besides I think that other guy was gonna start something with you so I decided to split you two up."

Alejo laughed.

"Well I thank you." He said. "It's far too early in the morning for a quarrel with a man who thinks he's owed something."

Asimi snorted.

"He's been here for an hour," The young girl grouched as Alejo moved to the kitchen to put on the tea kettle - he never let her make it, something about it being a safety hazard. "an hour."

"Well," He started. "he should be on his way out soon, after all isn't Antoinetta going to prepare your midday snack soon?"

Asimi scowled.

"No." She denied before she shifted in place. "Well, yes but I can make it myself if I wanted to."

He spared her an amused glance.

"I'm sure you could." He chuckled and she rolled her eyes before slinking over to the couch.

"Just hush up and make your tea." She mumbled grumpily just as her mother breezed through the door.

"Sorry for leaving you alone baby," The woman grinned, dark eyes twinkling as she pressed a kiss to Asimi's pudgy pale cheek. "the store was very busy today."

"It's fine." She shrugged. "I wasn't bored."

Antoinetta hummed.

"How about I make your favorite lunch to make up for it anyways?" The elder witch asked slyly and Asimi perked up. "Paella?"

Silver eyes twinkled.

"You drive a hard bargain." She said solemnly. "Deal."

Antoinetta nodded happily and turned to view Alejo.

"Did you want to stay?" She asked him as she moved towards the pantry. "I can make tapas for you."

"Perhaps a few if they are done before I have to return to work," Alejo allowed. "but I actually came to talk to you about some private matters."

All at once, her mother's countenance turned serious.

"Then come," She said. "we can talk out on the terrace."

Sparing her child a look she told her to stay put and enjoy the cookies in the jar while she spoke with Alejo and Asimi sighed.

And to think, she really wanted that Paella. Now she'd have to be patient.


Finally a new chapter! Sorry for the wait lol.

Sorry for the repost but deleted this chapter for some reason so I had to fix it. The next chapter should be coming soon though.


Also if you like Patricia Briggs and her Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series, I made an SI-OC for that fandom. Go check it out! It's called It's All Going To The Dogs.