To my surprise, it was Giro who answered through his tears. “If the witch is getting close to dangerous grounds, the brand will change color from blue to yellow, and if it turns dangerous, it will be orange. And finally… red. If it ever reaches that color, the witch only has seconds left before the tattoo claims their life.”
Chapter 28
Severin
We were left with more questions than answers when dinner ended, and I found myself walking with Samantha outside. She seemed to want to talk with me alone, so I followed her out, hoping with us alone she would tell me more.
She stopped walking just as we reached the roses. “I’m embarrassed by what I’m about to ask you,” she said,not meeting my eyes.
“Okay,” I said, waiting for her to elaborate. Was it regarding the Silver Lock Coven?
“I’m fated with Liam,” she said, finally looking at me.
“Ah,” I replied, finally getting where this conversation was headed. “Him or you?” I knew one of them had to be the reason they had not bonded yet. With werewolves it was clear from their scents if they were mated or not, and neither of them were.
“Both, I think.” She seemed to gather her thoughts before she elaborated. “I was all for bonding when we first met, but he wasn’t. He was in love with someone else, a girl he’d brought with him to join my pack. He felt like fate was forcing him to do something he hadn’t decided himself, and he was very vocal when he told me I wasn’t the one he chose.”
That had to hurt. Liam was no doubt hurting, too. Knowing the woman he loved wasn’t supposed to be his forever, but all supernaturals knew this. Some waited for their mate to show, not daring to get attached to someone they knew wasn’t meant for them. Others wanted to experience love no matter what fate had in store for them. I had decided to love if my heart desired it, but that had been centuries ago. And now I had my Felix.
“What happened then?” I asked kindly, knowing it was far from the end.
“His girlfriend found her fated,” she sighed the words like they hurt more than the first part. “She left Liam and when Liam told her she could choose; that he’d picked her over his fated, she lost her shit, to say it mildly, calling him names for keeping me a secret and then for not picking me when fate had told him we were meant to be. It was all very dramatic and happened in view of most of the pack.”
“Was she angry with you for this?”
She smiled. “No, she actually became a close friend after that. Her fated is one of my oldest friends, and she is perfect for him.”
“Then why have you yet to bond?” I questioned. It seemed Liam had learned his lesson by now.
“We were going to,” she admitted. “He told me he was ready, so we agreed to do it in front of the pack, which is tradition, if you didn’t know. But as we stood there, ready to bite each other and claim eternal love and companionship, he said‘I’m ready to do what fate demands of me. I’m tired of being alone, so this seems like the only thing left to do’.” I winced; those words were not what you wanted to hear before bonding for life. My reaction made her laugh. “Exactly! The bonding ceremony stopped right there. I held out my hands forsilence and told him I was worth more than to be someone’s ‘only thing left to do’.”
“I do not judge you for that. I would not have wanted to bond with Felix if he had told me that. And after your strained start, it was already a fragile relationship.”
“It was. I haven’t even kissed him. I told him we would wait until we bonded, maybe a part of me knew I shouldn’t give him anything. That it would only hurt me more.”
“I have to ask,” I started, not sure how to voice my question without sounding cold and heartless.
“You’re wondering why I’m telling you all of this?” She asked, knowing exactly where my mind was. I nodded, my smile sheepish. She laughed softly at my expression before answering with a dejected posture. “I guess I was hoping you’d have some wisdom to share. Knowing you’ve finally found your fated. I’m at a loss on what to do.”
I hummed, thinking it over. After a few moments of silence, I answered truthfully. “If I were you, I would start out as friends. See if you actually enjoy each other’s company. Maybe he is struggling with this, too. I would bet he even regrets it.”
“You think so?” She sounded so hopeful, I could not hold back a soft smile.
“He feels the same pull for you, remember that.”
We spent a few minutes walking around the garden in silence. The sun was setting, cooling the air around us.
She chuckled softly, then pointed to our newest garden bed. It was where Giro, Felix, and Dina had their herbs and other plants for potions. “It seems like a rabbit or deer went to town on those plants.”
“Bloody hell,” I cursed, knowing Felix would be devastated if he saw. Just as Samantha had said, the plants were cut off, like an animal had chomped down on them. It was just the green ones at the edge and thankfully not everything. Sighing, I said, “I might need to tell Felix we have an unwanted garden guest. He will not be happy about it.”
She grinned. “I would take it as a compliment if I were him.” I just shook my head and smiled as we walked back inside. I had not learned anything further, but it seemed Samantha had needed this chat, and I needed her allegiance. She was a nice person, and I found myself hoping we could see ourselves as friends in the future and not just allies. I had met her briefly before, but never where we talked as freely and personally as we had done tonight.
“Dina has a room ready for you,” I informed her, holding the door open for her.
“Thank you. I don’t know how long we’ll stay, but I want more answers before we leave.”
“I can safely say that we all do.”
