Page 19

I fucked up.

"Nayeli, wait—" I called for her, reaching out, but it was already too late. Nayeli had looked horrified, her spine stiff, and it wasn't until then that I'd realized the entire party was looking at us.

Dammit. She already had such a hard time in crowds, and I'd gone and humiliated her in front of a fuck ton of pack members.

I hadn't meant for it to happen. The possessiveness had been a reflex. Seeing her with Joe, laughing and relaxed in a way she'd never been with me made something twist in my chest. I'd reacted without thinking, the bond burning like acid, and I acted like some feral beast defending his territory.

Was that what I was becoming? A feral wolf? The thought made me nauseous.

"You need to get some fucking air," Joe growled, low enough that only I could hear. "I'll let it slide this time since you're my friend, and I know you're going through some shit, but challenge me in public again and I'll make you regret it."

A retort was immediately on my tongue—I was positive I'd be able to take Joe in a fight, but that might have been my ego talking—but I clamped my mouth shut.

He wasn't wrong. I trusted Joe with Nayeli, but that damned spell made me forget that fact.

I nodded at him once and moved through the party crowd.

Now that everyone realized the show was over, they were starting to converse amongst themselves again, but I could still feel eyes on my back.

I exited out of the back of the cafe, dragging a hand down my face.

I hadn't meant to scare or embarrass her, but I had.

Just as she was starting to be more comfortable with me I fucked it up.

I couldn't take it back, but I had to apologize.

Maybe she'd understand—after all, she had her own problems with the spell bond, too.

She wasn't outside, though, which was strange. I was sure she'd left after storming off. A few people were wandering around, and none were Nayeli. I sniffed the air, but I couldn't pick up her scent. I started moving forward, checking around the side of the building.

It was there I ran into Kiera and Gwen, both women glaring as soon as they saw me. I winced. "Hello."

"What the hell was that?" Gwen demanded, pointing a finger at me. I wondered if it was the first time I'd heard her curse. She worked for me at my other cafe and was usually overly polite. "You made her look like an idiot in front of all those people!"

"I know," I sighed. "I'm not proud of it."

Kiera crossed her arms, giving me a stern look. "Do you even understand what you just did to her?’

"I didn't do it on purpose," I insisted. "Nayeli's important to me, too."

"Well, it doesn't look that way."

I exhaled, rubbing my eyes. I was tired, frustrated, and guilty, and it was showing. "Is she inside? I can't find her."

The two women looked at each other, worried. "Uh, we were looking for her, too."

I frowned. "What do you mean? I thought she came out here after our little show."

Gwen shook her head. "We checked inside first and then came out here. She wasn't out front."

Shit. She was missing now? Could this night get any worse?

I pulled at the top button of my shirt, planning to shift and track her down, but Kiera put a hand on my shoulder. I looked down at her, and her stare was intense, significant. Gwen didn't know about the spell, but Kiera did, and she was trying to tell me something without spilling the secret.

"Think, Scott. If she wanted to get away from you, I mean really get away from you, where would she go?"

The puzzle pieces clicked together in my head all at once. The fucking treehouse.

I turned without even telling them goodbye, knowing that I had to reach her before she did something rash. Nayeli still didn't know how to break the bond, but what I’d just done might have traumatized her enough to make her try something beyond her ability.

I was a fucking idiot. I'd lost control at the party, and now Nayeli was trying to do something stupid to get away from me. I broke out into a sprint, my chest tight with fear.

"Nayeli," I breathed out when I got closer. I could feel her, the bond thrumming between us, and I tried to pour my regret into it. "I'm sorry, Nayeli."

I ran over roots, pushing past a low-hanging branch just as the treehouse came into view.

Candlelight flickered in the windows, and I climbed the ladder so fast that I barely processed doing it.

She didn't notice me at first, drawing a chalk circle on her table, but then she sensed that she wasn't alone.

Was I too late? No. The bond was still there, messed up as it was.

Her blue eyes snapped up, meeting mine. Her lips parted, but she didn't speak. Instead, she reached for a thick spell book that lay open in front of her.

I put my hands up in surrender. "Nayeli, don't—"

"Why?" She snapped, voice thick. Fuck, she'd been crying. "Just let me do this."

"Do what?" I didn't move forward, not wanting to spook her. She was already on edge.

"I'm going to reverse it. The bond. The fact that we're mated. All of it. I don't care if it burns out my magic altogether, I just want it done. We can't keep pretending that this is working."

My throat felt tight. "You think this is pretending?"

She raised her hands over the spellbook, and they began to glow faintly, just like last time.

"We're making each other miserable, Scott.

Every time we're near each other, someone gets hurt or humiliated.

Fights almost break out. I'm your wife, sure, but neither of us would have ever chosen this if we hadn't been forced into it.

Maybe...maybe once it's done, I'll be able to breathe again. "

I'd never wanted to take her in my arms more than I did at that moment. The pain in her voice was enough to make my heart hurt. "I'm sorry, Nayeli. I'm sorry for everything. But I don't want you to burn out your magic for me."

"It's mine," she growled. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want with it."

"I know it's yours. I get it. I really do." I stepped closer, but she cut her hand through the air, and I felt the heat of her power wash across my face. I stopped, shocked.

"No, you don't," she hissed. "You've never been able to understand what this is like.

You're not the one who has to live with the shame of a rejected mate right after losing your parents.

You're not the one who's been bullied and mocked since they were a child.

And you're definitely not the one who has to constantly deal with everyone's fucking pity. "

I blinked, stunned, as she stared me down with wild eyes. "I...no. I don't know what that feels like. I'm sorry, Nayeli. I never realized how much you've been hurting."

She let out a strangled laugh, but I could see how wet her eyes were. "Of course you didn't. I made sure of it. But now I'm going to fix it all. I just need to get rid of this damned bond."

My mouth was too dry to talk. Like a coward I just stood, waiting, as she started chanting, her voice rising. Light pulsed at her fingertips, and the candle flames grew. I needed to stop her. I had to. But I couldn't move.

I couldn't take the choice away from her.

Dread hit me like a wave, heavy and suffocating as it pulled me under. The bond burned in my chest, the pain reaching unbearable levels. Christ, was she doing it? Was she actually going to break the bond?

Before I could finish the thought, a burst of energy exploded away from her, knocking me against the wall.

Nayeli screamed, voice raw, as the light around her flared like a miniature sun.

The breath had been knocked out of me, but I still tried to crawl to her as her body arched, pain etched into the lines of her beautiful face, and the light haloing her turned dark as pitch.

The magic was eating her alive. The bone-deep fear that thought caused was enough to get me on my feet, and I pushed forward, ignoring the dark sparks that burned my skin. With a swipe of my hand, I broke the chalk circle, and Nayeli collapsed forward, the scream dying in her throat.

I caught her before she hit the floor.

"Nayeli?" I brushed her hair out of her face, and her eyelids fluttered, but she didn't open them. "Are you okay? Hey—" I shook her shoulder when she didn't respond, but she just let out a soft moan, gripping her stomach in misery.

Fuck, she wasn't okay. I could feel it down the bond we shared—she was hurt. I didn't know exactly how, but the way she was curled into a fetal position told me all I needed to know. She was in pain, and I had to get her to someone who knew how to help.

My eyes scanned the room, looking for anything to help, but then she wheezed, "Just touch me. Bare skin. Please."

I didn't even hesitate to rip off my shirt and gather her into my arms, letting her press her soft cheek against my chest as her hands circled my torso to lay flat on my back.

Her fingers dug in, nails biting into my skin, but I barely noticed, because the second we touched, she sighed in relief, her eyes drifting shut.

The bond between us thrummed with life, glowing as I held her close. Her scent wrapped around me, calming my racing heart. But then I remembered she was still hurting, and my grip on her tightened. "What can I do? What's wrong?"

"Just...just hold me," she whispered, pressing her face into my chest.

I obeyed, tucking her head under my chin and breathing in her peachy scent. "I'm so fucking sorry for what I did back there Nayeli, with Joe...but this...you shouldn't have..."

"I know," she sighed, her blue eyes finally opening to look up at me beneath her lashes. "It was stupid. I just thought...maybe the first time was a fluke, and I'd succeed this time. I was wrong."

"We both were." I kissed the top of her head, and she hummed in relief as the rest of the pain drained away. "We both were, princess."

***

Nayeli complained about me carrying her—firefighter style down the treehouse ladder, and wedding style the rest of the way—but there was no way in hell I was letting her walk. The touching had eased her pain, but she was still clearly drained, her lips pale and her eyelids heavy.

She was quiet as I drove us home, and when I carried her from the car to the house, she didn't protest a second time. I sat her gently on the couch, covering her with a throw blanket. She was so damn pale and silent that it was scaring me.

"Don't move," I said, "I'll get you something warm to drink."

She didn't respond, but looked ahead out the bay window.

I had no idea what I was even looking for as I rummaged through the cabinets, but then I remembered the wedding gift basket that Kiera had sent over.

It was full of stuff that was clearly for Nayeli and not me—scented candles, body wash, and a set of lingerie that made my blood run hot every time I looked at it—but there was also a fancy metal tea tin with bags of tea inside.

Maybe something hot would help Nayeli feel more like herself.

I flipped through the different varieties, reading the labels quickly. There was lavender, which seemed like a good option, but then I paused on one bag. What the hell kind of tea was ‘Moon-Drenched Night? ’

I pulled it out of the tin and examined it closely. The tea bag was purple, and the label was written in a pretty script, but there was nothing about it that explained what it was. I turned it over in my hand, smelling it cautiously. It had a spicy, woodsy scent. Almost...magical.

To hell with it. Kiera wouldn't send Nayeli anything dangerous, so it had to be okay.

I filled up the electric kettle with water and let it boil as I went back to sit by Nayeli. She didn't move a muscle, not even to blink, but she glanced at me when I sat next to her.

"What kind of tea did you make?" She asked quietly.

I shrugged. "Moon-drenched night."

She hummed in response. I waited for her to say something else, but she just stared at the blank TV. Her silence worried me even more. "Are you feeling okay? Is there anything you need?"

She shook her head, but her eyes still looked far away. "The bond...I'm sorry for what I did to you. I just couldn't...I needed to be away from you."

"I know," I sighed. "You don't have to apologize for it. I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have challenged Joe like that."

Nayeli turned her head to look at me, blue eyes wide. "You're not mad at me?"

"No. Of course not." I reached out and took her hand. "I just lost control. The bond is making it hard for me to think sometimes, but that doesn't change how important you are to me. I'm going to do better."

She blinked. "Oh. I just...I thought..." She shook her head, looking down. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have tried to reverse the bond again. At least not so soon."

The kettle whistled, and I got up to pour Nayeli's tea. When I returned, I couched in front of her and handed it over. She wrapped her fingers around the warm mug like a lifeline. She inhaled deeply and smiled for the first time since I'd found her in the treehouse for the second time.

"Kiera's been making her own blends," Nayeli explained, taking a small sip. "This is one of my favorites."

I nodded, sitting next to her again. The silence between us wasn't awkward, but I could still feel that she was uneasy. There was a hesitancy about her, like she didn't know what to say to me.

I cleared my throat. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "Not right now."

"Do you need—"

"Scott," she sighed, "Please just touch me. That's all I need."

Her voice was so vulnerable that it made my chest tight.

I shifted so she could curl up against my side, sipping her tea and simply breathing.

When the cup was half empty, she held it out to me and I took it, setting it on the side table without saying a word.

Nayeli pulled the blanket back up around her shoulders and laid her cheek on my still bare chest, closing her eyes.

Her color had returned, and her skin was warm and glowing with health once more.

I breathed a sigh of relief. My heart was still racing, even though she was here, safe and sound, but Nayeli's pulse had slowed along with her breathing.

I looked down to see her sleeping, and smiled softly, brushing her hair back from her face.

There were a million things I wanted to say to her, but I let her sleep instead, just drinking in her closeness and wrestling with a feeling that both surprised me and filled me with dread.

Our bond wasn't right, and it wasn't a normal mating bond, but once it was gone...what would be left? I was shaken as I realized I didn't want to live without Nayeli anymore. I cared for her, and I didn't want to let her go.

Fuck. I was in trouble.