Page 46 of Charmed
Despite his frequent absentmindedness throughout most of our acquaintance, the man chosenowof all times to pay attention? It was as if my fluster acted as its own spell of notice, a shining beacon when I wanted nothing more than to hide.
I gave a nervous croak. “I’m fine.” For all my denial, I couldn’t deny that my perception of him had been steadily changing for quite some time…but surely it couldn’t belove. Yet no matter how much I tried to dismiss the notion, its persistence made it impossible.
I needed distance, which I obtained when we returned to the forest for attempt number three…which ended in the same disaster. Even so, Alden was determined to try again. Hours melted away as if siphoned by the same sinister force that had affected his powers.
The air began to cool as night drew closer. With my body’s ability to adjust to the environment I scarcely noticed the drop in temperature, but I couldn’t help but be aware of Alden’s own shivers, strangely more attuned to him than my search…butnotbecause I thought of him inthat wayas the spellbook seemed determined to repeatedly convince me of as it floated after me.
I was in the middle of digging up another armful of thekudzuplant when I felt a drop of moisture against my warty back. I glanced towards the sky. The earlier sunlight was now masked behind a grey shroud of clouds and the once caressing breeze had escalated into a biting, damp wind. Another drop fell, then another, before it began to rain at a steady pace. I searched for somewhere to take shelter.
“Mae!?” The sound of crashing branches followed Alden’s frantic exclamation before he burst panting into view.
I took in the dripping hair plastered across his brow, his widened gorgeous grey eyes, the softness of his expression even midst his worry. My stomach gave an unexpectedflip.Oh no…
He rested his hands on his knees and fought for breath as he cast his frantic gaze around the undergrowth before finally spotting me. “There you are. I’m so glad I found you before the storm worsened.”
His concern deepened the potency of my bewildering feelings that only further complicated matters. Oblivious to my inner turmoil, he used a swirl of magic to maneuver the branches of the nearby trees, forming them into a makeshift roof, and then conjured flames to create a flickering pool of warmth. Then he shifted, as if to discard his wet clothes.
Panic surged.Keep your shirt on!
But as if the man meant to kill me from an overdose of humiliation, my silent pleas went unheeded as he tugged off his soaked shirt to spoil me with a full view of his bare chest that was much better appreciated in the settling dusk than the dim starlight when I’d last seen it.
The shock rendered me still long enough for him to reach for me. Too late I realized his intentions.
With a startledribbitI tried to hop out of his reach, but he plucked me from the air. His fingers curled gently around my middle, creating the sensation that he’d stepped up from behind to wrap his arms around a human body, similar to the affections I’d witnessed from Father towards Mother.
As much as I willed the image of a couple away, it wouldn’t leave. Blasted love potion. Could it have worked its magic upon me just from its wafts of floral fumes? I could think of no other explanation for my befuddled thoughts…except the one I refused to consider.
Alden thankfully remained oblivious as he held me. His touch felt much different than it had the last time he’d picked me up; this one was almost electrifying, as if a force stronger than magic pulsed between us. I tried to wriggle free, but he cradled me against his chest, his arm pinning me in place to shield me from the wind and rain. I became instantly still.
Well, this was quite the predicament. I made another valiant effort to escape, but all I managed to accomplish was his tightening his hold until I feared I’d melt from the sensations created from his seemingly innocent gesture. I made another desperate attempt to wriggle free.
“Don’t hop away, Mae; you need to warm up. I don’t want you catching cold.”
With the heat of the blush engulfing every warty inch, I doubted I’d ever feel cold again. Our scandalous proximity had come at the worst time withloveso prominent in my thoughts.
I opened my mouth to inform him that frog’s bodies regulated the temperature around them and thus I was perfectly comfortable without his assistance…but the moment the comforting warmth from his hand gently draped over me as he held me close, I lost all ability to speak, let alone protest the embarrassing arrangement.
All that emerged was a helplesscroak. Mistaking the source of my distress, he gave my head a reassuring pat.
“It’s alright, I’ll keep you secure until the storm passes.”
I found my voice just enough to croak, “No, that’s not it. I—”
“Oh. Right, this is a rather awkward position, considering you’re human. But at the moment, your protection is more important. The last thing I want is for you to take ill—not only would I not wish sickness on you, but that would doubtless slow us down, which we cannot afford. Besides, it’s not uncommon for soldiers in cold conditions to huddle together for warmth; this isn’t so different from that.”
My fluster left me in no condition to protest further. Time passed at an agonizingly slow pace as we lay beneath the shelter of leaves shielding us from the elements. Pressed this closely against him, I could feel every beat of his heart against my body, each soft breath as his chest gently rose and fell in a soothing rhythm, lifting me with it. Each moment felt precious enough to bottle in order to preserve it forever.
Goodness, was I actuallyfalling in lovewith the eccentric but kind and thoroughly handsome wizard? I willed the emotion to leave, but it only escalated the frantic patters of my heart, a confirmation without words I’d do anything to deny.
With this alarming realization came a new mission: however I transformed back into myself, I had to ensure that Alden never found out that the frog he currently held in his arms had been his apprentice the entire time.
CHAPTER15
Sleep that had been difficult to obtain the night before now felt impossible from my current position—no longer balancing on a lily pad, but resting on Alden’spillow. His head was nestled only a few centimeters away, each of his rhythmic breaths acute in the darkness, my new night vision such that darkness was no obstacle to admiring him; no matter where I looked, I could see his softened features only a short distance away.
I’d protested the arrangement the moment Alden had suggested it, but the curse prevented my informing the overly compensating prince that it would be inappropriate for a woman to sleep so near him—an arrangement made worse when I was hisapprentice—leaving me no counterargument, especially when our cramped shelter left very few options that wouldn’t expose me to the rain.
In the end I’d been helpless against Alden’s sweet insistences to share his pillow, and though my small size provided enough room for me to effectively keep my distance, no amount felt far enough with my escalating uncertainties.
