Font Size:

My breath hitched.

Ancestors, she didn’t even realize what she was doing to me. The way her robe had slipped, the way her voice went all soft like she was handing me her heart and pretending it was nothing.

“Yes,” I said, the word leaving before I could stop it. “I’d want a second one.”

Her lips parted slightly, but she didn’t speak. She just looked at me like she wasn’t sure if I was joking—or if this was the moment everything changed.

“I’d want it to be better than the first,” I added. “No pastry proposals and maybe a dress that doesn’t end in powdered sugar in compromising places.”

She let out a breathless laugh. “You liked that, admit it.”

I arched a brow and smirked. “I would have liked it even more if I’d gotten to taste the sweetness caught in those compromising places.”

Her cheeks stained pink as her lips formed a perfect O.

My hand lifted—slowly, giving her time to pull away—but she didn’t. I brushed a single curl behind her ear, and my fingers grazed her skin. The spark between us pulsed.

But I didn’t kiss her.

I couldn’t. Not yet.

Because if I kissed her, I knew I’d never be able to stop.

“Goodnight, Maple.”

She stumbled back into her room, and I closed my eyes as I turned away from the one thing I wanted more than anything else.

Rune had almost kissed me.I was sure of it, and it was the only thing I could think about as I prepared for the full moon in the coming weeks. Rune insisted I go visit my family and celebrate the baby coming soon, but I knew that I couldn’t leave… Not now. This coven needed me, and I needed to see that through.

“Halloween!” Adelle let herself into my room. I didn’t mind. It was nice to have a friend who knew no boundaries. I’d never had one like that before. “That’s when the full moon is. Are you ready for it? Do you need anything?”

She eyed me sitting on the bed with my grimoires out around me. Rune had graciously sent me my beloved trunk, and I now had access to all of my precious belongings.

Her question was a loaded one. I needed a lot more than I could ever admit out loud. “Uh, I’m not really sure.”

“How did you prepare at home?” Her eyes landed on my trunk, and I was glad it was magically spelled. I didn’t think she would ever snoop, but I didn’t trust anyone else in this coven. I was almost sure a few had tried already, but I couldn’t prove it with my lack of magic.

My mouth went dry. “I baked.”

It wasn’t a lie. I had baked so that the others in the coven could prepare for the full moon.

“You could do that here.” She looked over at the little kitchenette with a skeptical look.

“Yeah, no, I can’t and don’t get me started on Maggie. She still won’t let me lose in her kitchen.”

Adelle walked over to the tiny half oven and opened it. A puff of dust erupted in her face, and she sneezed. She coughed and waved her hand in front of her face. “Yeah, and I regret everything. That oven looks like it predates magic.”

I laughed softly, but it died quickly. “It’s fine. I’ll figure something out. Baking’s just… how I made myself useful.”

Adelle sat down on the corner of the bed and looked at my books. “They didn’t treat you badly there, did they?” When my eyes shot up from the books I was mindlessly staring at, she held her hands up in surrender. “Rune mentioned me taking you home to see your family, but you’ve been insistent about staying here. You’re never on your phone.”

“They never hurt me physically, Adelle. But some emotional cuts are worse than physical ones. They never knew where I fit in, so I think it’s better for everyone that I’m not there anymore.”

Adelle frowned. “Can I hate them?”

I shook my head. “My parents are great, and they text me and send me pictures, but that’s my old life. This is my new life. There’s no point in staying stuck in the past. I want to grow here.”

She nodded but didn’t look too happy about it. “Fine, but if I ever meet them… I won’t be friendly.”