Page 26 of Magical Mayhem

The fire in the hearth had burned low, the last embers glowing faintly. The breakfast tray Stella had no doubt bullied the sprites into preparing would arrive soon, piled with more food than Keegan could eat in a week.

I curled closer into his embrace, trying to let his warmth block it out. For now, I would take this moment. Just this.

Because even as summer should have been blooming in Stonewick, something told me autumn had already arrived.

And with it, change.

And with that change, I couldn’t resist the call to the Wilds again.

The thought had been buzzing in my chest since dawn, refusing to let me rest. What if someone needed help? Whatif the mushrooms weren’t finished with me? And most of all, where had that mule come from? A bramble mule, of all things.

A mule?

I smoothed the blankets where Keegan and I had lain and turned to him, my heart tugging at the way the light caught in his hair. “Do you need anything else before I go check in with Nova?”

He surprised me by pushing himself upright and stretching, his back arching with a low groan that was far too distracting for someone who claimed to be cursed and exhausted. His muscles shifted beneath his loose shirt, and he rolled his shoulders with a grimace.

“I'd better get ready,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Class for me starts today. I should look somewhat presentable as a professor.”

I froze. “Class.”

He gave me a sideways look as he stood, towering over the bed with that quiet, stubborn pride etched into every line of his body.

“Of course,” I breathed, realization hitting me like a bucket of cold water. “Classes. They start today.”

He quirked a brow. “And you forgot? Didn’t the students arrive yesterday?”

Heat crept into my cheeks. “It’s been… a busy week. The Wilds. The curse. Your mother returning. Gideon being…” I cut myself off before his name could sour the air further. “And somehow it didn’t occur to me that we’d be welcoming students back into their routines this morning.”

Keegan’s smirk was quick, sharp, and entirely too confident. “That’s why they have schedules. So the rest of us don’t have to panic.”

I frowned, crossing my arms. “You don’t have to do this, Keegan. We can find someone else to fill in until you’re feeling stronger.”

His hazel eyes hardened, his jaw tightening as he reached for his boots. “No.”

I blinked. “No?”

He shot me a look that was all steel and wolf, his voice low and edged. “I’m not the kind of man who gives up and leaves others to pick up my slack. I’ve taught every class of mine since the Academy opened its doors again. I’m not about to stop now.”

I bit back my protest, watching as he tugged on his boots and pulled a fresh shirt over his head, the fabric clinging in ways that made my thoughts scatter. He looked worn, yes, shadows still lingering beneath his eyes, but there was strength there, too.

Strength I couldn’t argue with.

Still, I couldn’t let him have the last word. So I leaned against the bedpost, arms crossed, lips tugging into a grin. “Even if the duties you’re so fiercely defending are the ones your girlfriend signed you up for?”

His scowl deepened, but his lips twitched despite it. “Especially those. I can’t let you see me fail.”

“You could never fail.”

He smirked, fastening the cuffs of his shirt. “You certainly think highly of me.”

My cheeks warmed, but I tossed my hair back anyway. “Well, someone has to.”

That earned me a real laugh, deep and rough, the kind that made my heart flutter in my chest.

I watched him finish dressing, every movement efficient, determined. His scowl softened when he glanced at me again, and for a moment, it was just the two of us, our eyes locked in quiet understanding.

He was going to fight for his duties, for his place, even while shadows nipped at his heels. And I was going to let him because that was who he was.