“Is anyone else here with you? These witches are like family to me, Bridget.”
Her lip trembles, but she doesn’t speak. Can’t speak. Lawrence’s spell still locks her voice away, and my wolf snarls at this continued cruelty.
“She’ll lie to you. She used you, Bast. Used you to get close to the coven. You were just recon for her. Wake up, Bast. She’s a trained assassin from the Salem Court who—”
“Enough!” I roar, my patience snapping like a frayed rope. The wolf in me is dangerously close to the surface, itching to defend our mate. To tear into anyone who threatens her. Even if that threat might be justified.
Lawrence takes a step back, wariness replacing some of the anger in his eyes. Good. He should be wary.
“Look,” I say, forcing my voice to level out. “I know we need answers. But treating her like a criminal before we even hear her side—”
“Her side?” Lawrence scoffs. “She’s the enemy.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the words die in my throat. Because fuck, I don’t know. I want to believe she’d tell me the truth. That whatever brought her here, whatever she was sent to do, the connection between us is stronger. But the doubt gnaws at me, sharp and insistent.
“The only messages mention Meredith. She was sent to eliminate her. She reported back that Meredith was dead. The last message tells her to hold position for further instructions.” Lawrence holds up the phone for me to read, but I don’t give a fuck. It’s nothing more than I expected.
An engine rumbling outside pulls at my attention. Rachel. And hopefully, some fucking solutions to this mess.
Rachel’s arrival feels like a breath of fresh air in the tension-filled cabin. She sweeps in, her familiar scent of coffee and herbs a welcome distraction from the cocktail of anger and fear permeating the room. Lila follows close behind, carrying a leather satchel that clinks with each step.
“Bast,” Rachel says. Her eyes flick to Bridget, then back to me. “How are you holding up?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, just great. My mate is an assassin from Salem. It’s a real party.”
Rachel winces. “We’ll figure this out. But first…” She turns to Lawrence. “Remove the binding spell. Now.”
Lawrence bristles. “Are you insane? She’s dangerous—”
Rachel cuts him off. “She’s also Bast’s mate. And she has to speak for us to complete the tether spell.”
The unfamiliar term makes my wolf’s ears prick. Rachel wouldn’t suggest anything that would harm Bridget. And if she thinks this spell will help the situation, then we’ll do it.
For a moment, Lawrence’s jaw tightens, and my muscles coil in response. If he refuses, my wolf already knows which tendons to tear first. No one’s hurting our mate again, not even Meredith’s widower.
Bridget’s pulse spikes, like she senses the violence brewing beneath my skin.
But then Lawrence sighs, muttering something under his breath. The air crackles as his spell unravels, and Bridget draws in a sharp, desperate breath. I move to stand behind her chair. Her shoulders stay rigid, but her scent changes—less terror now, more confusion. Like she can’t quite believe I’m still choosing to protect her.
Rachel levels a glare at her. “Lila and Lawrence are here, so don’t try anything stupid, yeah?”
Bridget nods but doesn’t speak.
“We need to talk about the tether spell,” Rachel says, glancing over Bridget’s shoulder at me.
“What is it? I’ve never heard of it.”
Rachel gestures to the satchel Lila is carrying. “It’s similar to the physical bond you already share, but it’ll…well, it’ll bind her magick to you.”
“What?” Bridget’s voice is small, but there’s an edge of panic to it.
My wolf surges forward at her distress, and I have to lock my muscles to keep from reaching for her. Even now, with everything uncertain between us, every instinct screams to comfort her. To protect. But I don’t trust her either and if Rachel says this spell is needed, I believe her first right now.
“Your eyes glow green in proximity to Bast, visible to everyone until it is performed. There are people in town that know about us, but the general population does not. We’d prefer to keep it that way.”
“That’s it? It’s just to stop my eyes from glowing?” Bridget asks.
Rachel gives a small sigh. “To be frank, it’s a marriage spell. It tethers your magick to Bast and gives him a layer of defense from spells—a built-in protection ward. You won’t be able to use magick to hurt him. Also, it doesn’t stop your eyes from glowing, it merely hides it from everyone but you and your mate.”
