Page 31 of Untraced Magic (Cutters Cove Witches #1)

Tyler

Perched on a log surrounding the fire, I watched the girls dance, Morgan’s hands raised to the sky as if summoning the stars. To the naked eye, it looked like she had not a care in the world, but I knew otherwise.

Her hips swayed freely to the music, my eyes raking over her curves as they moved, but I could tell she was holding back.

She slid her fingers over her necklace again.

Nervous.

In the back of my mind, I knew anything could happen when the clock ticked past midnight. As much as this night was a celebration, it was also for her safety. Be it good or bad, Morgan was surrounded by people who could help her, away from the prying eyes of humans. A safe place.

I hadn’t wanted to bleed my magic earlier. As far as Morgan was concerned, Colt helping me out was a normal thing to do, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. I didn’t need his help, and he knew it. But he went along with it anyway.

With Colt’s help, my magic would be at full strength again in minutes .

Fully clothed again, Colt approached, his heavy frame blocking the heat as he passed. “Why didn’t you tell us she was your mate?” His tone was neutral as he sat beside me.

I nearly spat out my mouthful of beer.

“Your mate?” Wesley’s voice came from behind me until he stood in view, arms folded.

“Who is whose mate?” Scarlet’s hushed tone whispered from close by.

The music dimmed.

Fuck.

Waves lapped at the beach. Fire crackled as amber hues danced across the sand.

“For fuck’s sake, Colt,” I muttered under my breath, my head shaking. This couldn’t be happening. Not this way.

Confused irises nailed me to the log, the entire group expecting a response.

“What’s a mate?”

I turned toward Morgan’s voice, curiosity buried beneath her lashes from where she stood not far from the water.

A deafening silence fell over the group.

Reid ran a hand through his hair.

Scarlet and Skye exchanged glances.

Colt flew an apologetic look in my direction.

Skye’s voice broke the silence. “One’s mate is the other half of your soul.” Her tone was soft. Cautious.

A light laugh came from Morgan. “Super cute, Skye,” she said, her sarcasm clear as day .

No one spoke.

“It’s the truth,” said Reid simply.

Scarlet bobbed her head in agreement. “When you find your mate, you’re bound to them by a love so strong you feel it in your bones.”

Morgan’s brows raised.

“Only death can sever a mated bond,” added Colt as he scratched the back of his head.

Morgan’s hip darted to the side as she eyed him, waiting for a punch line. A just kidding remark. When it didn’t come, her arms folded to her front.

“Seriously? Is this some sort of witch thing?”

Scarlet tucked her hair over one shoulder. “Supernatural in general, actually.”

Morgan swerved back to look at me. “Then who are you talking about?”

Unable to deflect the conversation, I held her gaze. There was no avoiding it.

The rest of the group moved further down the beach, Morgan briefly watching their retreat.

Confusion filled her features.

Lined her forehead.

Creased her eyes.

“Tyler?” she pressed.

I sucked in a breath, stepping closer, sand inching between my toes. “Us. ”

She stared at me blankly, and for a moment, I wondered if she’d heard me.

“Us?” she questioned, raising her brows.

I took her hand in mine, my thumb running over a small freckle nestled on her wrist. “Yes. As in, you and I.”

She didn’t seem to register the words, silent syllables moving her lips. Her skin glowed a milky white, moonlight dancing over her in delicate shadows.

I repeated myself, my hand skimming her cheek.

“Mates. Soulmates—I didn’t know. I only figured it out myself a few days ago.”

“Mates,” she repeated numbly.

A single word. A fucking breath of salt-kissed air. I wanted to catch it with my lips but cautiously, patiently, stilled in front of her.

I lifted her chin, drawing her gaze to mine, desperation tearing at my insides, against the outer calm I forced upon myself. “You may not feel it. Or maybe you do? But by the gods, you hit me hard, Morgan. Wild, like nothing I have ever experienced before.”

Her silence grated against my calm.

A hand on each cheek, I melted in her chocolate orbs. A blink, a stray eyelash. My thumb swept over it.

I continued. “I never believed in mates, not until I met you. I felt it tugging at my soul. I have walked my entire life without you, not realizing such a love existed. Then you found me. I’ve never felt a love like this, Morgan. I love you… more than I thought I could love anything . ”

Her hands slid off her hips, hanging to the ground as if the earth had some powerful grip on her. A single tear fell from her eye, trailing past her cheek. Her mouth opened, then closed.

Her voice shuddered. “This can’t be… I just… I don’t understand.” Her gaze pulled from mine to the distance.

“Morgan, look at me,” I ordered, both hands on the sides of her face.

She forced her head away, grabbing at my hands.

I couldn’t let this be it. The mate bond hadn’t even gained its full strength, but I could feel it. Once it finally snapped into place, if she rejected me, it would ruin me. I hadn’t explained that part to her yet, that the rejection of a mate had the potential to kill the other.

“Morgan,” I repeated. Low, desperate. “Look at me.”

She obliged, her eyes finally boring into mine, a torrential storm brewing in that beautiful gaze.

“Please don’t freak out,” I said, my breath so close to her lips that hers brushed my own.

“I know this sounds crazy, and a little scary. But it’s also exciting, intoxicating, and a little wild even,” I continued, my gaze traveling south to her lips and back up again.

“Tell me what you felt when you first met me.”

Her hands still rested on mine, cupping her face. No longer trying to tear me away.

She sucked in an unsteady breath. “When I met you… I felt drawn to you.” She stared up at me, moistening her lips. “I tried to ignore it, but it’s like you were hurling towards me and I was powerless to stop it. ”

My fingers moved a stray hair behind her ears, trailing her jawline. “Like you had no control,” I offered.

“Yes,” she breathed. “When I’m around you, I can’t explain it.” She spoke honest truths, vulnerability in her words. “When you touch me…” She shook her head. “You’re right; this is wild.”

Time lapsed, fading everything outside of our connection to a blur.

“Mate.” She whispered.

My heart soared .

Morgan raised onto her toes, moving her lips against mine with force, an inferno of relief washing through me at the contact.

My lips tempted hers to open for me, and she greedily obliged, a fierce passion pulling us under. She moaned against my mouth in a way she hadn’t before, pushing her hips against mine, desperation in her kiss, her touch.

I couldn’t think straight, my mind consumed by every kiss, every sigh.

At last, I pulled away, catching my breath.

Glassy irises stared back at me as she gasped for air, the reflection of the moon on the face of my watch catching my attention.

12:01 a.m.

I stilled, my breathing becoming harsh, compelled by a feeling so carnal I had to rein in my self-control.

“Mate.” The word escaped me before I could stop it, a whisper coasting in the sharp breeze that licked our necks. I could feel it, everything .

The mate bond pummeled its way through my bones, almost knocking me to the ground. I grabbed Morgan’s shoulders to keep myself upright, her hands clinging to me as I did to her. The mate bond, forced away for so long, punched its strength into us as if making up for lost time.

Morgan stared into the distance, unfocused. Like she was somewhere else, the sand lodging her in place.

I dipped my head, looking at her closer. “Morgan?”

Like a shell of the person standing before me, she stood eerily still.

My hands gripped her shoulders, harder this time. A light shake.

“ Morgan .” I said louder.

My hands roamed over her face, her cheeks, her neck.

No response.

The ground thumped as another presence fell behind me.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Colt’s voice registered in my mind.

A swift gasp collected in Morgan’s lungs, and she regained focus momentarily.

“Tyler.” She registered me for a fleeting second.

Her body quivered, and just as suddenly, a violent shudder rocked through her, causing her to fall against me, her spine contorting as if it no longer belonged to her.

Fuck.

I collected her in my arms, looking to Colt with uncertainty. “Is this normal?”

Colt shook his head, bemused.

I didn’t know. No one did .

“Holy shit,” I heard Skye’s voice beside me. “Get her on the ground.”

Dropping to my knees, I lowered Morgan onto the sand, tipping her to the side, my hands hovering above her as we watched her convulse, helpless to stop it. I hated seeing her like this. Hated knowing I could do nothing to help.

The rest of the group ran over, a circle forming around us. Then she fell quiet. Still.

“What’s going on?” said Reid, his forehead mirroring my own confusion.

I pulled my jacket off, tucking it behind her head. “It’s midnight. The spell must have broken.”

An almighty streak of desire charged through me, followed by an all-consuming need to protect her. Protect my mate.

My breath shuddered as it left me. “The mate bond… I was right.”

Scarlet glanced worriedly around the group. “What do we do?”

“Morgan,” I said, pushing the hair from her face until it lay fanned around her, like an angel in the sand, fallen straight from the sky above.

Please let her be okay.

I swung my gaze to Wes, who stood back a few paces from the rest of the group, lips pressed together.

“Wes, I need to know if this is her magic, or something else,” I urged.

He rubbed his hands over his forehead, forcing them lower until his fingers pressed together beneath his chin. His gaze moved to Morgan’s fragile frame, lying between us in the sand, his emerald glare wide and unwavering.

“Wes!” I repeated.

“Yeah, okay.” He stepped toward us, the group shuffling aside to let him closer.

He dropped to his knees, molding into the sand on the other side of her. Our eyes met, a fierce understanding between childhood friends. Warning bolting from me to him.

Only this time, Morgan wasn’t a stranger new to the town.

She was my mate.

My everything.

Mine.

I was trusting him with my heart.

His head bobbed in a swift nod, then his arm drifted to hers.