“What the hell? Why did you do that?”
Lucien dusted all four of his hands together with a smug grin. "I caught the fox!" he announced, as if he'd performed some heroic deed. He swept into an exaggerated bow before leaning against the cabin post. "Payment accepted in all forms—cash, credit, or gift cards. The wolves will be furious when they hear I nabbed him first." He tugged at one of his antennae, which bounced back into position. "My tracking skills never fail."
Atlas's wings fluttered with irritation, sending a small gust of air between us. "Don't pretend this was about tracking," he said, narrowing his glowing eyes at Lucien. "You came to spy on me, to make sure I was giving Kassie enough rest between matings.” Atlas looked away in embarrassment. “Finding the fox was just dumb luck."
Lucien pressed two hands dramatically over his heart, his other pair raised in mock offense. "My tracking skills are legendary. I followed that fox's scent all the way here, thank you very much."
"Are they unharmed?" A woman's voice called from the shadows, familiar yet just beyond recognition. "I've brought healing salve for her... delicate areas. I do hope their mating hasn't caused any tearing."
I whipped my head back and forth between them, jaw hanging open. "One of the witches is here?" The words came out higher than I intended as my pulse thundered in my ears. Something fierce and territorial surged through me, hot and unfamiliar. My fingers curled into fists at my sides. The thought of anotherwoman—especially a witch—anywhere near Atlas made my skin crawl in ways I couldn't rationalize.
Lucien's shoulders sagged. "Ugh, fine. Yes, they're here,” he shouted behind his shoulder. “After a match forms, the medical team insists on examining the humans—supposedly to verify proper healing and confirm the bond's completion." He flicked one of his antennae dismissively. "They don't share the specifics with me."
“Fully completed?” Altas asked, stepping forward.
Meanwhile, my teeth were on fire. The strange itch felt like I needed to pull out my teeth, or rather, sink my teeth into something to make them feel better.
My body felt hot, and my mouth salivated.
Fenwick grunted from the ground, his head bumping against my calf in a desperate plea for help, but my mind was elsewhere entirely.
My tits were tingly, and my pussy was… trying to grab onto something that wasn’t here.
What the hell was wrong with me?
Lucien retreated toward the tree line, peering into the shadows beyond. The cabin's warm glow barely reached this far, leaving the forest a wall of darkness. Only the Mothmen's luminous eyes… like floating lanterns in the black, gave any definition to the night around us.
Atlas tilted his head, tracking me like prey as I paced the clearing in frenzied circles, my fingernails digging half-moons into my palms. Each step away from him sent needles of panic through my chest until I'd whip around, drawn back by an invisible tether that yanked harder with every heartbeat. My skin burned everywhere—not just hot but scorching, like I was being branded from the inside out. My teeth chattered despite the heat, my body rebelling against itself as the fever clawed deeper into my bones.
Do I need a root canal? Since when does needing a root canal make you horny? Maybe I needed someone to drill my vagina canal because obviously something was up.
Fuck, I couldn’t think straight.
Lucien waved into the darkened forest to someone I couldn’t see, and Elowyn, the witch who had helped Harlow with her period and cold, stepped out from the trees. My back straightened, and I hissed.
It wasn’t my normal hiss when I try to keep people away, but a hiss that was completely involuntary and downright “stay the fuck away.” It wasn’t for her to stay away from me, though, but from Atlas.
I positioned myself between Atlas and the witch, my body instinctively backing against him like a shield. His hands found my hips to steady me, and something wild awakened inside me. An obsessed creature I'd never known existed until this moment.
My voice came out as a feral snarl. “Get the fuck away from him, he’s mine!”
Oh, I was growly and possessive.
Damn, I was hot.
Elowyn clicked her tongue disapprovingly, clutching her leather satchel against her hip. Her fingers drummed an impatient rhythm against the worn material. "The bond remains incomplete," she said, eyes narrowing. "The mayor keeps the coven in the dark about these matters. His idea of the town's best interest rarely aligns with what couples truly need."
I lunged toward her, teeth bared, a feral snarl tearing from my throat. My body moved without permission, possessed by something primal and unfamiliar. The rational part of me watched in horror from somewhere deep inside, screaming at my limbs to stop, but this new, wild creature wearing my skin wouldn't listen.
Atlas grabbed me. “Kassie? Are you alright?” He held me against him, his dick pressed up against my ass. He was hard, so it was all turning him on, but I was downright panicking right then, not having any control.
Elowyn set her bag on the ground with a dismissive flick of her wrist. Her purple eyes caught the lamplight, gleaming with ancient knowledge as she studied me. "The rational Kassie is still in there, isn't she? Watching in horror while your body rebels," she said, her voice unnervingly calm. "Your soul recognizes its match but hasn't sealed the bond. Until you claim him properly, this protective frenzy will only worsen."
Atlas continued to hold me as I tried to get closer to her. It was like my body didn’t listen. It wanted to push her away, get her away from Atlas.
She was a threat.
“Get away!” I screamed at her.
