Bea’s expression transforms, her smile widening until it lights up her entire face, something like fierce pride flickering in her eyes. “Good,” she says simply, but the single word carries the weight of absolute confidence. “Then you’re not starting from scratch. You’re already on your way to becoming what you’re meant to be.”
The front door opens again before I can respond, and the now familiar tug at my heart tells me exactly who it is before I even turn around.
Excusing myself from the dining room, I walk toward the front of the house and stop in the foyer, my breath catching the way it always does when I see them together like this. The sight of the three of them never gets old, never stops making my heart race with a combination of desire and something deeper, something that feels like coming home.
Maceo steps in first, already loosening his heavy work jacket as his gaze sweeps the room with that automatic awareness that comes from years of being responsible for pack security. When his eyes land on me, his expression brightens immediately, and I feel that familiar warmth spread through my chest. Ezra follows close behind, quieter as always, but his attention settles on me with that intense focus that makes me feel like I’m the mostimportant thing in any room. Lucien closes the door behind them.
All three men pause when they spot Bea and Zane peeking out from behind me, clearly curious about the unexpected gathering.
“Well,” Maceo says, a slow grin spreading across his face as he inhales deeply, his shoulders relaxing as he takes in the aroma of Bea’s cooking, “I knew I smelled something incredible the second I hit the porch. My stomach’s been growling since I parked the truck.”
Bea snorts, clearly pleased with herself as she gestures toward the dining room with a flourish. “You’re welcome. Since someone decided to shut herself away like some kind of hermit, I figured she needed feeding before she withered into nothing but stubbornness and attitude.”
“Oh please, as if I could wither,” I mutter, even as Maceo crosses the space between us in three long strides and wraps me in his arms. The embrace is warm and solid and exactly what I didn’t know I needed, his familiar scent surrounding me like a security blanket. He pulls back just enough to mouth “Hi” before kissing me soundly, his lips warm and slightly chapped from the cold air outside.
He pulls back with that beaming smile that never fails to make my knees weak, taking my hand in his and tugging me gently toward the dining room.
“That depends,” he tosses over his shoulder at Bea, his voice warm with amusement, “are we talking about emotional withering or actual starvation? Because I can definitely fix one of those right now, and I’m pretty sure the other one requires a more comprehensive approach.”
Ezra’s mouth twitches at the corners, clearly fighting back a smile as he takes in the scene, the abundance of food, Bea’s determined maternal energy, Zane trying to hide her ownamusement at her sister’s tactics. Lucien’s hand settles lightly at the small of my back as we all cluster around the dining room table, the gesture possessive but gentle, grounding me in a way that makes me realize just how much I’ve missed him today.
Stepping away from Maceo, who’s already loading his plate with biscuits and what appears to be the entire container of fried chicken, I let Lucien wrap me up in his arms. His embrace is different from Maceo’s, less overwhelming, more careful, like he’s always aware of his own strength and the effect he has on people. His thumb brushes once across my cheek, and I know he can read my face like a book, can see exactly where my thoughts have been trying to spiral for the past three days.
“You’ve been quiet, Sweetness,” he says softly. “People have been coming by the shop, asking about you. Some concerned, some just nosy, all of them wondering where Ruby Springs’ newest resident has disappeared to. I know there’s a lot going on. The break-in, the ongoing issues with the wards, the town politics. I get it. Don’t pull away from us, Kiesha. Not when you don’t have to.”
“Contemplative,” I correct, lifting my chin slightly so I can rest it on his chest, feeling the thump, thump of his heartbeat against my cheek. “There’s a difference between hiding and processing.”
“Mm,” he hums, clearly unconvinced but choosing not to push the point. He leans down and brushes his lips against mine, the kiss soft and sweet and tasting faintly of the peppermint tea he drinks in the afternoons, and I hum in approval.
Ezra steps closer, his presence quiet but intense as his gaze moves over me with that careful attention that always makes me feel like he’s reading my magical signature along with my expression. “You’ve made progress,” he says, and it’s not a question. “I can see the change in your aura, it’s stronger, more defined. Less suppressed.”
I suck in a sharp breath before I can stop myself, surprised as always by how easily he can read the magical changes in me. “I felt the town,” I admit, still somewhat in awe of what I discovered. “I felt the magic running through everything, the manor, the Spring, each and every supernatural person in Ruby Springs. It was like seeing the whole network laid out in front of me.”
Ezra’s eyes move from my face to my hands then back up in surprise, one brow lifting in question. “Where did you get that?” he asks quietly.
I follow his line of sight, my breath catching as realization hits. “I didn’t,” I say, lifting my hand up for them to see. “It came to me.”
Saying it out loud still sounds strange even to my own ears, but it doesn’t make them any less true. “I was sitting on the floor feeling sorry for myself and then it was just, there.”
Lucien looks down at me, his hand tightening at my waist for just a second. “Of course it did,” he says, voice laced with awe and pride. “It was always meant to.”
He glances down at the ring, then back to me with a slow, knowing smile. “That’s why she entrusted it to me,” he adds. “No, she didn’t know exactly what descendant it would go to, but she told me it would find the right one. That right one was you.”
Lucien looks at me with such obvious pride that it makes my chest tight with emotion. “I knew it would come to you, Sweetness. It was only a matter of time before your power called for it.”
Ezra picks up my hand, bringing the ring closer to examine. “It’s amplifying your signature,” he murmurs. “That’s why you were able to reach as far as you did.”
“This is good,” Maceo says from the table, not even looking up as he stuffs a forkful of mac and cheese in his mouth, “thatmeans we’re getting somewhere. No more of this ‘broken Witch’ nonsense.”
Lucien’s pulls me in closer, resting his chin on the top of my head. “The town’s been stable for the past few days. No new disturbances, no additional problems with the wards. Even the gossip about the couple is starting to die down.”
“Which means we have a window of opportunity,” Ezra adds quietly. “Time to work on your training without the pressure of immediate crisis management. The pages that hold the spell are still missing, but with your progress, we might not need them.”
I nod, feeling the weight of everything still there but somehow more manageable now, distributed among people who actually want to help rather than judge.
Bea claps her hands once, the sharp sound cutting through whatever heavy thoughts might have followed. “Right. Enough brooding and magical talk for five minutes. Everyone sit down, eat like normal people, and let’s have some actual conversation before you all go back to saving the town from mysterious supernatural threats.”
Maceo laughs, a rich sound that fills the dining room as he grabs a plate and starts serving everyone. “Did I mention I really like her?”
