Nothing she could have done would have changed what she was to me, fated or not. For what we had shared hadn’t been something I could reduce to instinct or need. No, it had been something deeper, something that settled into me with a quiet certainty that felt almost inevitable. As though every moment before her had been leading me to that one point…leading me to her.
And for the first time in my existence, I had understood what mortals meant when they spoke of making love. As there had been no other way to define it. Not when it had felt less like taking and more like finding something that had always been missing.
Like coming home.
Waking with her in my arms the following morning had only cemented that truth further. Because something had settled within me, a deep, unshakable certainty I had never knownbefore. It anchored itself within my soul, leaving no room for doubt, no space for hesitation. And from that moment on, there had been no question of what came next.
She was mine.
And I was prepared to give her everything. To reshape whatever was necessary to ensure she could exist within my world without losing herself in it. I had known it wouldn’t be easy, that my existence was not one a mortal could simply step into without consequence. Which had been precisely why I had wanted the file. Why I had needed to understand every piece of her life, even if she would have seen it as an intrusion.
Even if she had been right to do so.
Because she had never needed to be anything other than herself. That had always been enough. Her laughter, her stubbornness, the way she challenged me without fear. I loved it all. Even the way she stood her ground, even when every instinct should have told her to yield. It had never once frustrated me, even though it should have. Even though it would have when coming from another.
No, instead it had drawn me in further, sharpened my focus, because she did not treat me as something untouchable. She did not bow or break beneath what I was, and I admired her all the more for it.
And because of all this, I had foolishly thought we were moving forward. That whatever stood between us had begun to settle into something stronger, something unshakable.
But clearly…I had been wrong.
Something had driven her to run, and that was something I would not allow to stand. Because I would find her. No matter where she had gone, no matter who had helped her, I would hunt her down to the very edges of existence if I had to.
That was my vow.
The car slowed then, drawing my focus outward once more as we came to a stop outside the ‘Littlest Witching Hour’. The building was exactly as I remembered it from the picture in my file.
I stepped out without hesitation, Torin already beside me as we crossed the short distance to the door, the bell above it chiming softly as we entered.
The scent of herbs and candle wax settled around us immediately, the space cluttered but intentionally so. Shelves lined with crystals, tapestries covering the walls, and an assortment of objects that blurred the line between decoration and function.
“Can I help you?”
The voice came quickly, eagerly, and when I turned toward it, I found the source already watching me with undisguised interest. His posture straightened as though he had just been presented with something far more entertaining than his day usually promised.
“Please say yes,” he added, his tone almost purring as his gaze flicked over me without restraint.
I tilted my head slightly, studying him in return, but before I could respond, Torin stepped into view behind me, and the shift in the man’s expression was immediate. His breath caught as his focus dragged upward.
“Oh my, I do love a two-for-one sale.” Torin emitted a slight growl at that, one that thankfully, the human couldn’t hear.
‘Play nice.’I told him, communicating this directly into his mind, which was often a useful tool in our supernatural arsenal.
“Don’t mind him,” a new voice cut in, bright and easy as she emerged from the back. Her presence immediately lifted the room as her energy felt totally unguarded. She approached and extended her hand toward me.
Um, brave.
I took it, my grip controlled as I inclined my head slightly.
“A pleasure to meet you, my name is, Wyedari Oblivion.” Recognition struck instantly, as I hoped it would, as her eyes widened almost comically in response.
“I see you’ve heard of me,” I observed, watching her attempt to recover as her words stumbled over themselves before she abandoned the effort entirely.
“Erm, oh… right… I see…”
Her attention shifted then, landing on Torin, and this time her confidence faltered just enough to be noticeable. Her hand lifted before hesitation could fully take hold. Torin, however, removed the choice from her entirely, his larger hand closing around hers as he shook it once. A firm, deliberate, and lingering grasp that was entirely too long and bordered on being possessive.
My brow lifted slightly at that.
