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Twenty-three

Jules

“Goodmorning,Nikolai,”Igreeted him when he entered the kitchen the next morning. My Wolpertinger followed him, his little mismatched feet scrambling to keep up.

Barnabas had spent the night in Nikolai’s room. Jealousy bubbled in my stomach at the thought of my pet sharing his bed.

“Good morning, Jules.” Nikolai stretched his arms wide and yawned, causing his shirt to travel up and exposing his flat stomach.

His body intrigued me. More than I would ever let him know. After keeping away from humans for most of my life, I had forgotten how beautiful they were.

Bunny was tall and strong, but to me he was delicate.

I might prefer this body for now, but perhaps eventually he might enjoy another form. I could be anything he ever wanted.

“Sorry.” Nikolai yawned again and chuckled a little under his breath. “I don’t know what it is, but whenever I stay at your place, I sleep so well you could carry me away.”

My magic, Bunny.

I tried so hard to keep it in control around him. And I was sure I had not allowed him to become infatuated with me. Not like Friedrich. I hadn’t known how to control my powers back then. But I had learned. Not only for them. For me. But my magic was interwoven with my forest. It pervaded my house and was bound to affect him too while he dwelled within the boundaries of my magic.

All those years ago when that human had fallen for me, being with me had made him sleepy. Humans had written fairy tales about my kind.Dornröschen.Only they had gotten the details wrong. The beauty didn’t sleep; she was wide-awake. Everybody else, though? They fell into a deep slumber and eventually faded away.

I was confident that wasn’t going to happen to Nikolai, though. I kept my magic on a leash like the wild beast it was. Even if I let my guard down around him a bit more, it wouldn’t hurt him. I would hurt myself before I hurt him.

And in all the intervening years I had scoured all those books. In a few, there had been a mention of a way out. Not quite a cure, more like a chance: a mate bond, forged from love, blood, and magic. It was supposed to protect the human mate from the effects of my kind.

If I didn’t want to spend eternity alone, I would have to find someone who would willingly enter into a bond with me.

I couldn’t expect Nikolai to want that, though.

He would be tethered to life for as long as I lived unless destiny ripped us apart. If it did, the remaining mate would follow the other into the dark.

Why would he want that?

“Would you like a cup of coffee, Bunny?“

“Oh yeah, sure. That would be great.“

He folded his huge body into one of the dining chairs and rested his chin on his knee.

He’s so flexible.

“Can I offer you some breakfast, too? The chickens were so happy to see you, they surprised me with a large amount of eggs this morning.”

Nikolai threw his head back and burst into laughter.

“You think they laid all those eggs for me?” He giggled, and it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

“Well, they never lay this many eggs when it’s only me here. I think they like you.“

“I have to make sure to bring them a treat next time if they’re being such good girls for me.” His cheeky wink made me blush, and I hastily turned away to grab the eggs from my kitchen counter countertop.

How was it that Bunny calling my pets ‘good boy’ and ‘good girl’ turned me into a desperate mess? I was desperate for him to call me that, too.

He’s your friend, Jules.

“Do you think we could spend some more time in the garden? I loved that so much yesterday.”