I sigh. “It’s done. The shipment is on his boat, Seabound. Marina in South Port.”
“I’ll send the men.”
The line goes dead, and I look down at my screen. “Thanks, Ash. I appreciate all your hard work. Grumpy-ass dragons,” I grumble to myself.
My phone buzzes in my hand, and I quickly glance at the screen to see a message from Kai.
You almost here, beautiful?
A giddy sensation wells up in my chest, spreading warmth as I break into a wide grin. Memories of last year flood back—Kai and I had hooked up a few times, and things seemed promising until the truth came out. When he found out I’m a powerful dark witch—one who has lived for two centuries, no less—he completely freaked out. I remember the way his eyes widened in shock, and how he started avoiding me like the plague, unable to reconcile the person he thought he knew with the reality of who I truly am.
It hurt more than I expected, watching him pull away. But I reluctantly gave him the space he wanted, even though it felt like a knife twisting in my chest. I resigned myself to the idea that he would never accept me—not the real me. But then, everything shifted when I helped rescue his sister two months ago. It was a turning point, a moment where I saw a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, he could see beyond the surface and accept the darkness and complexity that comes with loving someone like me.
I text back:
Be there soon.
Chapter three
Kai
“I saw magic in her eyes. Dark, dirty, beautiful, unbridled magic.”
“Dude, where is Ash?” Declan asks, pouring me another beer.
I’m wondering the same thing.
“She said she’d miss the ceremony this afternoon but promised to make it to the reception.”
As I scan the crowded bar, my eyes move over the familiar faces of regulars mingling with our family and pack friends. The place is full, buzzing with the energy of celebration. Salena and Logan finally got the wedding they deserved, and seeing my sister’s radiant smile brings a wave of happiness.
Off to the side, the happy couple stand with Logan’s family from Portland—Sander, his wife Kyra, and their two kids. The atmosphere’s lively, filled with laughter and warmth, but something is missing. That something is my girlfriend.
I take another sip of my beer, savoring the cold bitterness as I watch them. It’s a scene I could get used to, everyone happy and at peace.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Naomi heading in my direction. My stomach tightens, and I groan into my beer. Before she can catch my eye, I quickly turn around, giving my back to the room full of people, hoping to avoid an awkward conversation.
“Is she coming this way?” I ask Declan, leaning my elbows on the bar.
His eyes flare as he looks over my shoulder and chuckles. “Salena told you this would come back and bite you in the ass.”
I grumble under my breath and roll my eyes. “I clearly wasn’t thinking.”
“You never are.” He gives me a wink and moves down to the other end of the bar, abandoning me. Fucker.
Naomi comes to a stop next to me, her strong, overpowering perfume filling my nostrils. She deliberately leans forward, pressing her generous cleavage against my arm, but I choose to ignore her and casually take a sip from my beer. However, that approach proves to be ineffective. This woman is persistent. I’ll give her that.
Naomi’s fingers trail over my arm, making my teeth clench.
“Something I can do for you, Naomi?”
“I can think of a few things,” she says, reaching for my hair.
I move my head back, narrowing my eyes at her. “I have a girlfriend.”
“Where is she then?”
I don’t answer her, finishing off my beer instead.
