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“It’s her!” Tavik cried when the door cracked open.

I quickly turned away, unsure of what state Cerise would be in if I saw her. My blood heated as I thought of her undressing…

No, I didn’t want to think about that. And I didn’t want to fuel the fire raging within Tavik, either.

“Let me see her, Alaric,” he begged. “Please.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore his whining. Cerise and the servant exchanged a few words before the latter entered the room, the door shutting behind her.

Tavik went silent, and I closed my eyes, mentally exhausted from the ordeal of the past few days. Rubbing my forehead, I said to him, “Do you think it’s true, what Dulsa said? Do you think Cerise and I are Soulbound?”

Tavik paused before replying. “I don’t know. But… it would explain why I feel so drawn to her.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t make any sense. She’s not a Mage! She has no wolf. If—if we are truly Soulbound, then that means you have no mate.”

Tavik sighed, the sound just as weary as I felt. “Don’t you think I’ve considered that? But Alaric, this connection to her is undeniable. I can sense her emotions. Her nearness. I feel a pull toward her. Whether or not she has a wolf, these things are true. We have to be open to this as a possibility.”

I disagreed. There were plenty of witch spells out there we didn’t know about. It was very possible some kind of foreign magic was at play here. I didn’t necessarily believe Cerise had done it intentionally, but she’d made it clear her magic was uncontrollable.

Perhaps the Soulbound connection was real. But I hadn’t ruled out other alternatives yet.

I refused to believe that the Goddess would bind me to someone without consideration for Tavik.

A few minutes later, Cerise and her maid emerged, the latter curtsying before she disappeared down the hall. I steeled myself for Tavik’s explosion of emotion at the sight of the witch, but he was strangely silent. I was about to ask him what was wrong, but I froze as I took in Cerise’s appearance. Her hair had been tied into a long crimson braid that trailed down her back. Her dress was simple but beautiful. Maroon skirts swished around her legs as she walked, the color complementing her hair. The bodice was white with lace around the neckline, and she wore a navy blue mantle that matched the blue corset cinched at her waist. My attention was inexplicably drawn to the rising swell of her breasts, emphasized by the corset. When I realized where I was looking, I cleared my throat, quickly shifting my gaze upward toward the ceiling.

In my mind, Tavik was still quiet. He hadn’t reacted to seeing the witch at all.

I frowned. “Tavik? Are you well?”

After a moment, he said in a subdued voice, “Yes, I am fine. The feeling has passed.”

What the hell? I glanced over Cerise, trying to see if anything was different about her, besides her change in wardrobe.

She shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “Is something wrong? Does the dress look hideous on me?” She glanced down at her torso and adjusted her bodice slightly.

I cleared my throat. “Not at all. It—I mean, the dress—well, it… it looks quite lovely on you.” The words escaped my lips before I could think better of it.

Cerise met my gaze, her eyes widening slightly. A faint flush crept into her cheeks as she bit back a smile. “Well, thank you.”

“Did you… Ah, I should say…” I broke off with a groan of frustration, rubbing the back of my neck. My skin felt hot, and I couldn’t seem to form words. After exhaling a long breath, I tried again. “There is something different about you. Did you alter something?” I wasn’t sure how else to ask. She claimed she had bewitched Tavik on accident last time. Perhaps she had done it again. “My wolf was acting strangely earlier, but now he is fine,” I added.

Cerise’s brows furrowed. “I… Well, I took my tonic. That must have been it. It suppresses my magic. Keeps me from expelling too much of it.”

I nodded, recalling her saying as much at the cabin.

After I’d threatened her. And pinned her to the wall by the throat. I could still recall her widened eyes, the smell of her fear so potent it had stung my nostrils.

Damn it. My eyes closed, my temples throbbing from the chaotic thoughts and emotions swirling within me. I took another deep breath and opened my eyes to find Cerise peering curiously at me. She almost seemed concerned.

Gods, I did not deserve her sympathy.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice breaking. “I was a complete ass to you when we first met. You had just lost your grandmother, and I was callous and violent and… unreasonable. Please understand how much I regret my behavior.”

Her eyebrows shot upward, her lips parting. Her breath hitched as she stared at me as if waiting for me to say I was joking. After a moment, she huffed a dry laugh. “Wow, two apologies in one day. I feel so honored. I suppose you’re only saying these kind things because of what the Oracle said, is that right?”

I frowned. “No, I⁠—”

“I’ve been saying this whole time that I was innocent,” she continued, crossing her arms over her chest. “But it wasn’t until your precious Oracle said so that you finally believed me.”