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Sylvie tried to answer, but words clogged her throat.

She turned to Nicholas, meeting his gaze.

A thousand questions seemed to pass between them, none that made sense.

The candle was supposed to repel love, not…

bond people together. But the swirling purple ring around both their wrists was impossible to deny.

“What did you do?” Nicholas asked, voice hushed. He pressed a hand to his chest as though trying to calm his breathing. Even though he was known for his laid-back charm, he looked distinctly rattled.

Sylvie didn’t have an immediate explanation, which chafed at her.

Her magical training had begun at a young age, and she prided herself on her thorough knowledge of enchantments.

Yet here she was, fumbling for an answer.

“I—I was making a warding candle,” she finally managed, her breath hitching.

“Something to banish… romantic feelings. But it looks like it backfired.”

He stared at her, eyes narrowed in confusion. “Are you telling me we’re stuck together by some sort of love-repelling candle?”

Her cheeks burned at the absurdity of his statement.

“I don’t know if it’s a love spell or a bond spell or something else entirely.

” She touched the faint glow around her wrist, only to flinch when the ring flared and sent a warm tingle up her arm.

It felt intimate, almost like a pulse that matched her own.

Junie stepped closer to examine Sylvie’s wrist, though she kept a cautious distance. “That’s wild,” she whispered, biting her lip. “Maybe it’s best if I… slip out? This looks a little above my pay grade.”

Sylvie nodded stiffly, not wanting an audience for what was sure to be a messy unraveling. “Yeah, Junie, that might be for the best.” She shot the younger woman an apologetic half-smile. “Don’t worry about the tea. I’ll drop it by the café later.”

Junie set the muffin box on the counter with trembling hands. “Okay. I—I’ll see you around. Good luck.” With that, she hurried out the door, the bell jingling behind her as she practically sprinted onto the sidewalk.

Silence stretched between Sylvie and Nicholas, thick with tension and confusion. She wanted to swear, to demand that Nicholas back up, to do anything that might restore her sense of control. Instead, her emotions fizzled in her throat. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Nicholas was the first to break the stillness. “Well, that was… unexpected.” His usual cockiness had dulled, replaced by a genuine unease. He rubbed a hand over his face. “What exactly happens now?”

Sylvie shook her head. “I need to do some research. Figure out what went wrong.” She started collecting scattered bits of herbs and placing them back in jars, trying to keep her hands busy.

The ritual of tidying soothed the swirling anxiety in her chest. “I can’t say for sure, but this definitely feels like a binding. ”

He let out a low whistle. “A binding. As in… tying us together magically?”

She nodded. “Pretty much.” She didn’t trust herself to say more than that.

Her entire body felt jittery, like she’d drunk too much strong coffee.

She chanced another look at Nicholas, only to find him watching her intently, eyes still bright with that tiger alertness.

The air between them crackled like an unspoken admission.

She swallowed, hastily shifting her gaze.

A thought crashed through her mind. “That means… if it’s truly binding, we might not be able to separate until we break it.” Her heart pounded heavier.

“And do you know how to break it?” Nicholas asked carefully.

She closed her eyes, exhaustion already creeping in.

“Not off the top of my head.” Her magic knowledge spanned a wide range of spells, but this particular mishap?

It was new territory. “I’ll have to consult some older grimoires.

I might have to ask Aunt Missy.” She winced at the idea.

Missy would undoubtedly gloat that she’d been right about meddling with love-based spells. “But I’ll figure it out.”

Nicholas let out a breath that was almost a sigh. “Well, that’s good. Because as much as I enjoy your company”—he shot her a tentative grin that didn’t quite reach the mischievous heights she was used to—“this is… intense. My tiger is going crazy inside me.”

Sylvie’s eyebrows shot up. She had limited experience with shifters, but she knew from living in Celestial Pines that their animals had strong instincts, especially around matters of the heart or territory. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, not sure what else to offer.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, eyes flickering with fleeting sparks of amber. “It’s not your fault. Well”—his lips curved in a half-smile—“it kind of is, but I doubt you did it on purpose.”

Sylvie’s cheeks heated again. “Trust me, I had no intention of roping you into anything. I was just trying to help a paying customer keep love at bay.”

Nicholas snorted softly. “Irony at its finest.” He stepped closer, and Sylvie felt the faint pulse around her wrist grow stronger. It was as if the enchantment recognized the lessening distance between them, fueling an odd, magnetic pull. “But I guess we’ll figure it out together, yeah?”

She exhaled shakily. “I guess so.” Her gaze snagged on the faint ring of violet light on his wrist. As much as she disliked the chaos Nicholas brought into her life, she couldn’t deny a spike of fascination at the magic trembling between them.

It felt… alive. And she hated how a part of her tingled at the thought of being bonded to him, no matter how accidental.

Outside, footsteps passed, and the door’s bell tinkled again—someone pressed their face to the glass, curious.

Sylvie quickly turned away, not wanting the entire town to realize what had happened just yet.

Gossip spread like wildfire in Celestial Pines.

She wanted a plan before Missy or anyone else caught wind of the fiasco.

She cleared her throat, determined to salvage some sense of professionalism. “Look, we can’t solve this right this second, but we should at least compare notes. If you notice anything strange—like changes to your shifter abilities—tell me. I’ll do the same.”

Nicholas nodded. “Sure. I’ll come by later?”

Sylvie pressed her lips together. She liked her solitude, but it seemed that was a luxury she wouldn’t have until this bond was broken. “Alright. I’ll do some research now, see if I can find a quick fix in the shop’s reference books. We can… regroup this evening.”

He grabbed the sachets he’d originally come for, tucking them under one arm. “Sure thing.” After a moment’s hesitation, he brushed his fingertips over her wrist, where the violet ring shimmered. Heat burst up her arm so suddenly that she gasped. He jerked away, wide-eyed.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, voice low. “Guess we gotta be careful.”

She nodded, throat tight. “Yeah. Very careful.” Her mind buzzed with a thousand half-formed questions she didn’t dare speak aloud.

Nicholas gave her a final searching look before walking to the door. He turned the knob, paused for half a heartbeat, and then slipped out into the bright morning. The door’s bell chimed behind him, and for the second time that day, the apothecary sank into silence.

Sylvie sank into a chair, hands still shaking as she clutched the table’s edge. The lingering hint of pine and warm spice hung in the air, dangerously comforting. A wry laugh escaped her lips as she stared at the flickering remains of the so-called “love-repelling” candle.

She’d wanted a neat, tidy morning spent enchanting a single candle to keep romance far, far away. Instead, magic had other plans—and now she was bound to Nicholas Whitmore, the flirtiest tiger shifter in Celestial Pines.

Perfect, she thought, resting her forehead in her palms with a groan. Just perfect.