I knew what I needed to do.
To figure out how to ask him to stay.
Because I didn’t want to give him up. Didn’t want to live in a world where he found a different mate, where I had to live with the idea of knowing he wasn’t mine.
After tonight, I sure as hell felt like I washis.
CHAPTER TWENTY
barrett
“So nice of you two to join us,” Cait said, looking between the two of us as we walked into Willow’s house the next day, fingers interlaced.
Eryne blushed at my side. “Sorry.”
Willow, Damien, Cait, Rina, and Wendy were all already here, with Ezra in the corner, leaning against a wall. I wasn’t sure how he’d gotten himself invited, but figuring that out wasn’t my highest priority right now.
We’d slept in this morning—she was worn out, even though I knew she didn’t want to admit it. No matter how ready she’d been, I could tell she was moving a little slower this morning. I’d fully intended on making it up to her, waking her up with my mouth, but we’d been sidetracked with a barrage of texts from her coven, so my plans had been put on pause. For now.
At the moment, it felt like we were two teenagers who’d been caught doing something bad, and I hated that. We were two consenting adults—what we did in our free time was no one’s business but ours. My wolf was restless, wanting me to claim her.
I planned to tell her everything—after the wards were fixed. After this situation was under control. Once I knew there was nothing else standing in between her and I being together. Besides, I didn’t want to add any more stress to her plate.
Later,I promised myself.
“So, what’s going on?” I asked as we settled into the two open chairs at the table. It was storming outside, and it added to the general gloominess that had settled over the gathering. Everyone’s mood felt sour, and I had an unpleasant feeling settle in my gut. My wolf whimpered, wantingout.
Damien crossed his arms over his chest. “When were you going to tell us that you knew what was living outside the wards, feasting on the town’s magic?”
I cursed. Dammit, Ezra. “I only found out yesterday.”
“But you suspected,” Willow stated, frowning.
Nodding, I looked at Eryne. There was hurt in her eyes—hurt that I’d kept this from her. “I didn’t want anyone to worry until I was sure.” I went on to explain everything we knew about wraiths. Ezra and I had never faced one ourselves, but we’d been trained with how to deal with them.
“Knowing that, we’re not sure it’s still a good idea for us to destroy the wards. This being, thiswraith?” Cait practically spat out the word. “Whatever is keeping it out there is the only thing keeping us safe. We have to put the protection of the town first.”
Eryne slammed her fist on the table. “No. The wards need to go. We can recreate them, right? They’re keeping us isolated and not in a good way. We’ve been kept in the dark for hundreds of years, and for what? To keep us safe from the others like us?” She shook her head. “I don’t want to live like this any longer. We need to know the truth.” She looked to Damien, and then Ezra, though she avoided my eyes. “Last year, we all thought demons and vampires were bedtime stories told to keep us from acting out. None of us had any idea until Damien came into town thatthere was even anything we were missing. But now we know. And I can’t go back to that.” She looked at me. “It might have taken one injured wolf shifter for me to find out, but I know we deserve better than this.”
My mate had a point. It was time to change that—for us to stop being hidden and secluded from each other. After all, witches and wolves weren’t so different. I could imagine wolves living here, frolicking through the woods and finding their own places in the community. It would be their choice, but I knew what I would choose.
I’d choose Eryne every time.
Though my job as a huntsman could put her at risk. I knew it, and yet I couldn’t stop from wanting to be around her. From wanting to keep her. I knew what could happen if we didn’t complete the bond soon, but was she ready for that? WasIready for it?
I wanted her to want me. To care about me. Not because I was her mate, but because she loved me.
Love.I shut my eyes. It was too soon for something like that. Too soon, and yet… I’d loved her from the first moment I set eyes on her. As soon as we bonded, she’d know exactly how I felt. All of our thoughts and feelings would be shared, and it would be impossible to keep anything from her.
Willow nodded. “You’re right. And it’s not just us who deserves better. Pleasant Grove could be a haven for all of us—shifters and vampires and witches alike. Locking ourselves away from the paranormal community may have been our ancestors choice, but it doesn’t have to be ours.”
“Should we put it to a vote?” Rina asked. I noticed she was sitting on the opposite side of the table as Ezra, and she’d been glaring daggers at him or pretending to ignore him most of the time we’d been here. I was intrigued to know if something hadhappened between them, why she seemed so disgusted by his presence.
Wendy looked between all of us. “I agree with Eryne. And I want to unwrite the wrongs of my ancestors. I think we owe it to everyone in town.”
Everyone murmured their agreement.
“So, we’re still doing it then?” Cait asked.
