Page 29 of Unbearable Attraction (Hollow Oak Mates #4)
LUKA
W ord traveled fast in supernatural circles.
By the end of the week, Leenah had received three more requests for her necromantic services, two interview requests from magical newsletters, and an invitation to speak at a conference on supernatural crisis resolution.
Watching her handle the attention with professional grace filled Luka with pride, but his bear paced restlessly at the growing demands on her time and energy.
"You don't have to accept every request," he said, finding her at her kitchen table surrounded by correspondence and looking slightly overwhelmed.
"I know." She looked up from a letter bearing the seal of the Virginia Supernatural Council. "But some of these problems sound urgent. People are hurting, and if I can help..."
"You can't save everyone."
"Maybe not. But I can try to save some." Her blue eyes held the kind of determined compassion that had drawn him to her in the first place. "Besides, the shared bond means I'm not risking my life force the way I used to. I can handle more than before."
The practical argument was sound, but it didn't ease the worry gnawing at him. Through their connection, he could feel her excitement about the recognition her abilities were receiving, but also the weight of expectations from communities who saw her as their only hope for spiritual resolution.
"Come to the workshop with me," he said impulsively. "Take a break from being everyone's savior for a few hours."
"I should really?—"
"The letters will still be there later. But right now, you need space to breathe."
She studied his face, and he felt her reading his emotions through their bond—concern mixed with the simple desire to spend time together without supernatural crises or political complications interfering.
"Okay," she said finally. "But only for a couple hours."
His workshop felt different with her there, more complete somehow.
She settled into the old armchair he'd placed near his workbench, legs tucked under her as she watched him work on a jewelry box commissioned by one of the local witches.
The piece was nearly finished, its surface smooth and ready for the delicate inlay work that would complete the design.
"What kind of wood is that?" she asked.
"Cherry, with walnut accents. The client wanted something that would protect her magical components from outside influence." He ran his fingers along the grain, feeling for imperfections. "Though honestly, the wood's doing most of the work itself. Old trees hold their own kind of magic."
"Show me."
He glanced up, surprised. "Show you what?"
"How you work with the wood's natural magic. I've watched you carve, but I've never seen the magical side of what you do."
Luka set down his tools and moved to a piece of oak he'd been seasoning for months. "It's not flashy. Nothing like spirit communication or protective ward casting."
"I don't need flashy. I want to understand."
He placed his palms flat against the wood, letting his consciousness sink into the grain patterns and growth rings that told the story of decades spent reaching toward sunlight. His bear magic flowed through his hands, not shaping or forcing, but listening to what the tree wanted to become.
"Every piece of wood has a natural purpose," he explained, his voice dropping to the quiet tone he used when concentrating. "My job isn't to impose my will on it, but to help it find its true form."
"That's beautiful," Leenah said softly. "And completely different from how necromancy works. I have to bridge gaps, create connections where none exist naturally. You work with connections that are already there."
"Different approaches to the same goal. Finding harmony between what is and what could be."
He felt her attention through their bond, her genuine fascination with his work creating a feedback loop that enhanced his connection to the wood. The oak seemed to respond to her interest, its grain patterns shifting slightly to reveal new possibilities for the piece he'd been planning.
"Try touching it," he suggested. "See what happens when our magic combines."
She moved to stand beside him, her small hand settling next to his on the oak's surface. The moment their magic touched, the wood began to glow with soft golden light. Not the harsh illumination of electric magic, but the warm radiance of living energy finding perfect balance.
"Oh," she breathed, wonder coloring her voice. "I can feel what you feel. The tree's history, its potential, the way it wants to be shaped."
"And I can sense the spiritual connections you work with," he replied, amazed by the expanded awareness flowing through their bond. "There are traces of otherworldly energy in this wood, probably from spirits who sheltered beneath the tree when it was still growing."
They experimented for the next hour, combining his earth magic with her necromantic abilities to create effects neither could achieve alone.
Wood responded to their combined touch by developing natural protective properties.
A simple carving knife began to hum with energy that could cut through magical barriers as easily as physical materials.
When Leenah picked up a pendant he'd been working on—a simple piece carved from blessed oak—the wood suddenly blazed with protective ward energy so powerful it made the air shimmer.
"What just happened?" she asked, staring at the pendant in her palm.
"I think our bond is affecting more than our emotional connection," Luka said, studying the way the carved oak continued to pulse with protective magic. "It's creating new possibilities for how our individual abilities interact."
"This is what you were making for me, isn't it?" She looked up at him with understanding. "The protective charm. I can sense the purpose behind this piece."
He felt heat creep up his neck. "I started it before we were bonded. I wanted you to have something that might help keep you safe during dangerous workings."
"And now?"
"Now it's become something neither of us could have created alone.
" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the oak medallion he'd finished the night after their ritual, its surface carved with interlocking symbols that represented both bear clan protections and necromantic ward work.
"This is the one I meant to give you originally. "
She took the medallion, and the moment it touched her skin, both pieces began to resonate with harmonized energy. The protective properties of each charm amplified the other, creating a layered defense that could shield her from both physical and spiritual threats.
"They're connected," she realized. "Like we are."
"Seems appropriate." He helped her fasten the medallion around her neck, his fingers brushing against her skin as he secured the clasp. "Partners in everything, remember?"
"Partners in everything," she agreed, and through their bond he felt her gratitude mixed with something like the growing certainty that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.
"About those requests for your services," he said as they prepared to leave the workshop.
"What about them?"
"I want to help. Not as your protector, but as your partner. Whatever supernatural crises we take on, we handle them together."
"Even if it means traveling to other communities? Dealing with problems that aren't technically our responsibility?"
"Especially then," he replied firmly. "We've proven we're stronger together than apart. Time to show the supernatural world what a real magical partnership looks like."