She chewed her lip, thoughtful. "I asked Vivienne, and she said it could only be broken by the witch who cast it."
Erin nodded, shifting her weight on the armrest. "You can’t force her. If the magic’s tangled up with her emotions, you have to wait for her to untangle it herself."
Ashton met my eye, his calm unwavering. "What do you want to do, Zaden?"
I stared into the fireplace, the embers still smoldering from last night. "I want my mate, but I’ll give her a few days."
The door to the library creaked, drawing our attention to Vivienne. "May I join you?"
I shrugged, too tired to care about etiquette. Aurelia waved her in and asked, "Is there anything you can do?"
Vivienne shook her head. "Not me, but I can call Eleanor and see if she could come here and lift the spell from Krystal."
"No," I said quietly. "Let Krystal handle it." I stood and moved toward the door, pausing with my hand on the knob. "I’ll be at my place if anyone needs me."
The ride home helped. I took the long route, past the ridge and through the twisty backroads above Stock Creek, letting the bike’s growl drown out my thoughts. Every mile, the tightness in my chest eased, replaced by a clearer kind of pain, one that promised it would eventually pass.
My apartment above the bar was as I’d left it, half-empty glass on the table, the remains of a grilled cheese I’d abandoned at breakfast. I didn’t bother with lights. I went straight to the old writing desk in the corner, set my phone on the battered wood, and stared at it for a full ten minutes.
I picked up the phone and thumbed a new message.
I get that you need space. Whatever you're afraid of, I’m not going to force you to talk. But I’ll be here when you’re ready. No pressure. No timeline. I’m not walking away. My dragon knows you’re my mate, but more important, my heart knows who you are.
I hesitated. Then I hit send.
I would wait for her, no matter how long it took. But I wasn’t going to ignore her.
Chapter 12
Krystal
Three dayswithout much sleep was less a badge of honor and more a slow slide into madness. At five a.m., the world outside was motionless, every branch shivering with the threat of frost. Inside, my body buzzed with an energy that wasn’t strength, but the frantic flicker of something burning itself out.
I hadn’t seen Zaden much at the bar the last few days. He was giving me space while reminding me that he was there when I was ready. I had no clue what to even say to him. I felt stupid for not realizing that he was my one-night stand.
Bryce’s father. God, what a mess. I’ve gone from freaked out to pissed off. If what Zaden said about my mother putting a spell on me was true, then the woman had some questions to answer. Only she wasn’t answering my calls.
Figures.
Bryce entered the living room and blinked at me, hair stuck up in five directions. "Why are you up?"
I shrugged, pretending it was nothing. "Couldn’t sleep."
He yawned so hard his jaw cracked. "Can I have cereal?"
"Knock yourself out." I followed him to the kitchen, studying every movement. He poured the milk. He yawned again, a big wolfy sound, then settled in front of the TV with his bowl and switched to cartoons.
He looked normal. He sounded normal. But I couldn’t shake the certainty that I was missing something, that there was a timer running somewhere, ticking down to disaster.
The phone lit up on the countertop, screen buzzing with Zaden’s name. Not a call, he’d scaled those back after the first day, no doubt advised by one of his more rational clanmates. Now it was two texts a day, maximum.
Morning Beautiful. Hope today is better. I’m here if you want to talk. No pressure.
The lack of pressure was pressure, in its own way. I flipped the phone face down. Why did he have to be so patient? I should talk to him, tell him that he was Bryce’s dad. Hell, I hadn’t even told my best friend. Every time I talked to Tavi, I chickened out. Same with Nathan.
I poured myself a cup of coffee and sipped it as I watched Bryce. He was lost in the glow of the TV, shoveling Lucky Charms into his mouth with a rhythm so methodical I almost envied it.
After a few minutes, he squinted at me over the couch. "Are you mad?"
