Page 137 of Craving Carla

Her eyes grow distant as she recalls the story. “Aya was hunting them, so they knew the best way to keep me safe was to send me away. They placed me in a cot in the forest, and that’s how my adoptive parents found me.”

She stares at her hands, fingers twisting together in her lap. “Tabatha watched me grow up and even leave the village when my parents kicked me out. Tabatha even saw me in the shadows with the spiderlings and watched me grow up with them.”

“She didn’t show up again until...” Her voice trails off, and she bows her head. I wrap my arms around her, feeling the tremor that runs through her body.

“Until you were murdered,” I finish for her.

She looks up at me, and I smile, trying to ease the pain I see in her eyes.

“Tabatha didn’t step in because it was somehow better for me to die first and be brought back to life,” Carla explains. “Shenever explained that part. But she made a deal with the children and... here I am.”

“What now?” she asks, her voice small. “This veil isn’t lifting, and I don’t know what kind of readiness I need to have.”

Suddenly, she stiffens in my arms and looks up at me, her eyes widening.

“What is it?” I ask, concerned by the sudden change.

“I asked Tabatha about what was going on with King Amir and Queen Anora’s son,” she says. “Our children Yara and Kofi have been fighting souls from limbo from coming after him.”

Her brow furrows as she recalls the conversation. “Tabatha was cryptic about that and said that was one of the many thankless battles I will fight for Wintermoon. It feels like I’m a weapon or something.”

I shake my head and press a kiss to her forehead. “No, it sounds like you’re a guardian. A guardian of realms.” I smile down at her, my eyes meeting hers. “And I will happily serve you as Queen of that.”

“You’re insane,” she says, but there’s no heat in her words.

I narrow my eyes at her. “I’m in love. There’s a difference.”

She laughs, the sound washing over me, warm and soothing.

“Right now, you rest,” I tell her, stroking her back. “But after, we’ll work something out to figure out how to get you ready so the veil can lift. I’m not going anywhere. I’m building a life with you here on Wintermoon.”

I continue, sharing the plans that have been forming in my mind. “I’m even considering building a technology center, helping the little shifters, witches, and warlocks at the Academy navigate in this new digital age. It’s going to keep evolving, and the children need to be ready for it.”

She smiles and leans up for a kiss, her lips soft against mine. “I love you,” she says, and my heart skips a beat at the words.

“I love you too,” I reply, my voice rough with emotion. “More than you know. And I felt the pull of the mate bond when you left for limbo.” I close my eyes, remembering the agony. “I pray I never feel that shit again. It felt like my heart was being ripped right out of me.”

She presses her hand to me, right over my heart. “Sorry,” she whispers.

“Next time, take me with you,” I tell her, only half joking.

She giggles and rests against me, her body warm and solid in my arms. “Taking my blood during the claiming process has allowed you to read spells,” she muses. “I wonder what else you can do?”

I grin at that, my arms tightening around her. “We shall see.”

As I hold her, I think about Tabatha, this mysterious Blackwood witch who changed everything for Carla. From what Carla described, Tabatha was a powerful figure—her magic strong enough to bridge the gap between life and death, her wisdom deep enough to recognize Carla’s true nature even when Carla herself couldn’t see it. Now trapped in limbo, she waits for Carla to accept her destiny.

I wonder what she saw in Carla all those centuries ago that made her choose her for such an important role. But then again, I only needed one look at Carla to know she was extraordinary. Perhaps Tabatha simply recognized what I now know with absolute certainty—that Carla’s strength and compassion make her perfect for a role beyond what either of us initially imagined.

Queen of Limbo. Guardian of the realms. My mate.

46

Carla

Two Months Later

The winter chill nips at my face as I sit in the forest, my back against a frost-covered tree branch. Ice crystals cling to the bare branches around me. My breath clouds the air, but the cold doesn’t bother me much. After centuries of living in caves and sewers, a Wintermoon winter feels almost comfortable.