Page 12 of Spellbound & Speechless (Witches of Starbrook #2)

I clutch the quilt with white knuckles. The rollaway bed is less comfortable than the one at the motel, but I’ll sleep anywhere if it means I can keep Aspen safe.

Aspen tucks the grimoire into bed next to her, propping it up on a pillow. “There.” She beams at me. “Now we can keep an eye on it together.”

Her bedroom is fit for a princess, complete with a canopy and mountains of fluffy pillows in silky pink cases. She wears a matching eye mask on top of her head, and after the day she’s had, I hope she can sleep well.

I doubt I’ll be able to.

“Great,” I grumble.

She rolls her eyes. “You can at least pretend not to hate the idea of being roommates with me.”

“Can’t do that.” I stare at her flatly. “I’m not an actor.”

I do hate it, but she doesn’t know why. She can’t know that my sweatpants are usually loose and comfortable, but around her… the magic is overwhelming. It’s hard to say if it’s her magic or the magic of my mating bond. Either way, my pants are too fucking tight.

She can’t know that every time she smiles at me, I want to return it, but I won’t. It’s all too dangerous. Knowing me is risky, and if I let her bond with me… the way I have with her… it will only put her in more danger.

This corrupt witch already has a grudge against my family, even if it seems like she doesn’t recognize me. She doesn’t know she was the one who took my father’s life all those years ago. What will happen when she realizes she can zap me of my life and strength like she did him?

“Fine!” Aspen throws her hands in the air. “Then we’ll just keep hating each other. Is that what you want?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“Then what? What do you feel for me?”

Everything . More than I’ve ever felt, and more than I want to feel. My heart is always racing around Aspen. How will I ever rest now that we’re sharing a room?

“Nothing.” I grit the words through my teeth, willing them to be true. “I feel nothing for you. All I’m here for is to keep you alive. Is that not enough?”

“No.”

“No? What else do you want?”

“I don’t…” She closes her mouth and stays quiet for several long moments. It’s longer than I’ve ever known her to be silent. “Nothing. I want nothing from you.”

“Sounds like we’re on the same page.”

Something flies through the window.

I sit up, looking at Aspen with wide eyes, seconds from jumping to my feet. “Bat?”

“No.” She glares at me as a white dove perches on the grimoire. “My familiar—a dove. How could you confuse the two?”

I let out a slow sigh. “Right. Sorry.”

“Ask her for forgiveness.” She strokes the bird’s neck with a graceful finger. “This is Erie.”

Erie cocks her head to the side.

“I’ve never heard of a bird familiar,” I grumble. “Isn’t it usually cats? ”

“Familiars can be any animal.” The bird preens under her touch. “Erie is no ordinary dove. She’s special.”

“What? Can she carry messages?”

“Yes, she can.” She glares. “I would say she’s more useful than you.”

“That would be weird to say, considering I saved your life a few hours ago.”

She glares at me without fully turning her attention away from the bird. “Erie is here now to keep me safe, so… you can go.”

“Fine.” I stand carefully, hoping she doesn’t see the tent in my pants. Arguing with her, somehow, is only making the problem worse.

There are a million ways we can silence each other. My wolf is happier each time I think about it—about kissing her, or even better, her silencing me with a kiss. She seems like the type to make the first move. She’s confident, bold, and…

Fuck, I’m doing it again.

Bickering with her feels like foreplay. The tension between us rises to unimaginable levels. I need a moment alone—and maybe a cold shower.

“Where are you going?” Alarm taints her voice. “You’re not leaving, are you? I was joking!”

I remember everything she’s been through tonight—the state I found her in. She needs comfort. I shouldn’t be the one to give it to her, but once again, I’m the only one around.

Even if I wanted to leave, I wouldn’t.

“You can’t get rid of me that fast.” My expression softens. “I’m just taking a shower. I’ll be quick.”

“Promise?”

I nod. “Promise. Keep the grimoire safe for me, alright? ”

“I’ll try.” She rolls onto her side and drapes an arm over the book.

My thoughts are too foggy to worry about leaving her alone. A cloud of lust settles over me. I no longer feel human. My wolf howls for relief, and I know he won’t shut up until I take care of myself.

A cold shower is the plan, but that isn’t what happens. The water is hot, steamy, scalding. I stand under the stream and press my forehead to the cool linoleum, wrapping my fist around my cock.

“I’m a piece of shit,” I grumble.

My thoughts wander to her, where she lies in bed, so soft. She’s lying on her side, and I think about coming up behind her and letting her feel how hard just talking to her makes me. A growl rips from my throat, and I stroke harder, imagining burying myself in her.

“That’s right,” I grunt. “You can take it all. Be a good girl.”

We’re so interconnected already, our souls mingling and intertwining until it feels like she’s taking my every inch and begging me to fill her with my hot cum. The sound of her pleas, of her cries of pleasure rather than fear, fills my mind as I pour my seed down the drain.

Fuck… I’m fucked.