Page 30 of Unbearable Attraction (Hollow Oak Mates #4)

LEENAH

T he protective medallion Luka had given her hummed against her skin as Leenah worked in her cottage, its warmth a constant reminder of their growing partnership.

Through their bond, she could feel him in his workshop, completely absorbed in carving a set of chairs for the Hearth and Hollow Inn.

His contentment flowed through their connection like honey, making her smile as she organized her correspondence.

Three more communities had requested her help with spiritual disturbances. The recognition was flattering, but what made her pulse quicken was knowing Luka would be beside her for each case. Partners in everything, just as he'd promised.

"I could get used to this," she told Minerva, who was sprawled across her desk in typical feline disregard for human work priorities.

The cat purred, apparently approving of her human's improved mood.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Luka appeared in her doorway, sawdust clinging to his flannel shirt and satisfaction radiating through their bond.

"How's the furniture coming?" she asked.

"Finished the last chair an hour ago. Miriam's going to love them." He settled into the armchair across from her desk, his presence immediately making the room feel more complete. "How many requests today?"

"Two more. One from a community in North Carolina, another from somewhere in Tennessee." She gestured at the letters scattered across her workspace. "Word's definitely spreading about what we accomplished here."

"We," he repeated with satisfaction. "I like the sound of that."

"So do I," she admitted, surprising herself with how easily the words came. "It's strange, after years of working alone, how natural it feels to include you in everything."

"Not that strange. We're good together."

"We are." She looked at him sitting in her armchair like he belonged there, his amber eyes warm with affection, and felt something shift in her chest. "Luka?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

The words were honest and unguarded in a way that would have terrified her months ago. Through their bond, she felt his joy bloom like sunrise, bright and overwhelming and absolutely right.

"I love you too," he said simply. "Have for weeks now. Was just waiting for you to catch up."

"Waiting for me to catch up?" She laughed, the sound light with happiness. "How did you know before I did?"

"Because you've been looking at me like I might disappear any moment, and the only reason someone looks at another person like that is if they're afraid of losing something precious."

The observation was so accurate it made her breath catch. "I was afraid. Afraid of wanting something I might not be able to keep."

"And now?"

She considered the question, examining the warmth flowing through their bond and the way his presence had become essential to her sense of home. "Now I think maybe being afraid was just another way of recognizing how much you matter."

"Good." He stood and crossed to her desk, pulling her up from her chair to wrap his arms around her. "Because you matter to me too. More than I thought was possible."

Standing there in his embrace, surrounded by the scent of cedar and the steady comfort of his love, Leenah found herself imagining things she'd never allowed herself to want before.

A shared home where they could work side by side, combining their abilities to help supernatural communities throughout the region.

Perhaps even children someday, little ones who might inherit both his earth magic and her necromantic gifts.

"What are you thinking about?" Luka asked, his voice amused. "Your emotions just went somewhere very interesting."

"The future," she admitted. "Our future. Things I never thought I wanted but now can't imagine living without."

"Such as?"

"A house big enough for both our workshops. Maybe a garden where you could grow wood for carving and I could cultivate herbs for spiritual work." She felt heat creep up her neck but continued anyway. "Maybe even a family to fill all that space."

His arms tightened around her. "I'd like that. All of it."

"Even the family part? Children who might inherit abilities from both of us?"

"Especially that," he said firmly. "Kids who grow up knowing they're loved and supported, who never have to hide what they are or pretend their gifts don't matter."

The quiet conviction in his voice told her he'd been thinking about this too, imagining a future where their bond created something lasting and beautiful. Through their connection, she felt his absolute certainty that whatever challenges parenthood might bring, they would face them together.

"I used to think independence was the only kind of strength worth having," she said softly. "Now I think maybe the real strength is in choosing to build something with someone else."

"Took you long enough to figure that out," he teased, kissing her.

"Well, I'm a slow learner when it comes to matters of the heart."

"Lucky for you, I'm patient."

A sharp knock echoed through the cottage, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps on her front porch. Through the window, she could see a messenger in formal livery holding an envelope sealed with red wax.

"Expecting official correspondence?" Luka asked, releasing her reluctantly.

"No. And nothing good ever comes from messengers who dress like they're delivering royal proclamations."

A stern-faced man whose bearing suggested he took his duties very seriously was standing at her door. "Miss Leenah Carrow?"

"That's me."

"I have a message from the Carrow family of Salem, Massachusetts. I'm instructed to wait for your reply."

The envelope he handed her was heavy parchment, sealed with the family crest she'd hoped never to see again. Her name was written across the front in her aunt's precise handwriting, the letters sharp enough to cut.

Leenah's hands trembled as she broke the seal, dread pooling in her stomach as she unfolded the message within.

Leenah,

Your recent magical activities have drawn unwanted attention to our family name and endangered our standing within the Salem supernatural community, as much as we have tried to distance ourselves from your capabilities.

Leenah could tell by the way ‘capabilities’ was written that it wasn’t a compliment, but the hindrance her family couldn’t escape.

Reports of your "reckless experimentation" with forbidden necromantic practices have reached the Council of Mages, who are now questioning our family's oversight of your training and conduct.

You will return to Salem immediately to answer for these transgressions and submit to proper evaluation of your abilities. Failure to comply will result in formal charges being filed against both you and our family for magical misconduct.

This is not a request.

Aunt Margaret

The letter fell from her numb fingers, floating to the floor like a death sentence. She felt Luka's immediate concern, his protective instincts flaring as he sensed her distress.

"Leenah? What is it?"

She stared at the messenger waiting on her porch, his expression expectant and impatient.

Behind him, she could see the life she'd built in Hollow Oak—the cottage where she'd finally found peace, the town that had accepted her gifts without question, the man whose love had taught her that some things were worth the risk of vulnerability.

All of it threatened by a family who'd never understood her and now wanted to drag her back into a world where her abilities were seen as dangerous aberrations rather than precious gifts.

"They want me to come home," she whispered, the words tasting like ashes in her mouth.