He leaned in, passing my lips and kissing my neck. “Yes, and when we do, not even death can separate our love.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed. “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes. For now, let’s get some sleep.”
He snorted a laugh. “Alright. Go to sleep.”
“Don’t do anything weird.”
“You have my word, little witch.”
I closed my eyes, and tucked in his arms, I fell right asleep. No tea or spell needed.
EIGHT
Xavier
Spending the night with Harlow in my arms was a slice of fucking heaven, and I never wanted to let her go.
Guilt seeped into my soul at the conscious thought of leaving Olivia behind, but I couldn’t ignore the bond forming between Harlow and me. It was nothing like what Olivia and I had. As shitty as it sounded, the connection I had with Olivia seemed surface-level compared to what Harlow and I shared already.
When I’d left Olivia for missions in the pack, I missed her but it didn’t feel like a piece of me was gone. Harlow had left to go to the village for a queen-sized bed, after less convincing than I’d thought on my part—honestly, I think the cuddling convinced her more than I did.
She told me where to find the river she bathed in so I could wash up while she was out, which was why I was walking through the forest in human form, missing the hell out of her.
Thick trees and old roots twisted among the soil. I thought there would be birds chirping and a shit ton of woodland animals roaming around, but I guess I’d gone so deep in the thick of it there were only a few here and there. The canopy of the treetops was so dense only an occasional streak of sunlight would touch the forest floor.
I heard the sound of moving water before I saw the river, but when I did, my jaw dropped. It was a ribbon of living blue, flowing amid the greens and browns of the forest. No wonder Harlow loved coming here. It was almost magical, which made sense since she was a witch.
Walking to the water’s edge, I slid off the black sweats before stepping into the cool water. A smile spread across my lips as I realized she must’ve bought them specifically for me. My feet sunk into the mud on the bottom as I walked deeper, and water moved around my limbs in swirls.
I reveled in the coolness of cleansing myself, scooping up handfuls of water and scrubbing my face with it. Sinking into the water, I ran my hands all over my body to knock the dirt and grime off from my travels. Admittingly, when you run off into the wilderness for days on in, personal hygiene goes on the fucking back burner. I was surprised Harlow hadn’t gagged from the smell of me last night.
From the hatred she’d displayed for my kind, I wasn’t expecting her to cave on my staying with her. Definitely didn’t expect her to let me sleep in her bed with her, let alone cuddle her. I mean, for a werewolf-hating witch she sure was rubbing up on one last night—not that I was complaining. I fucking loved the matebond, and how it caused us to crave each other’s touch.
Still, the hatred burned in her eyes as she spoke of us, but I didn’t miss the hint of fear. I needed to find out what happened to her. She’d mentioned senseless slaughter, and yeah, some wolves were monsters. But not all of us, and sure as hell not me. I was sure she’d sensed that because she put her guard down around me whether she’d realized it or not.
Stepping back onto the grass, the brisk wind slithered across my wet skin. I shifted into my wolf, and the pain was more noticeable than before.
I wondered if it had to do with me feeling for someone again. I wasn’t as numb since meeting Harlow, but maybe it wasn’t all good. Being numb had worked in my favor when fighting Lockhart’s pack. If I didn’t care about pain, it didn’t hurt.
I shook my heavy wolf head before grabbing the sweats in my teeth. I wasn’t about to have Harlow bitching at me for ruining those pants too.
NINE
Harlow
Xavier’s scream tore through the cottage in the dead of night. It was the kind of scream that made my blood run cold and adrenaline surge through my veins. I bolted upright and whipped my head toward him. His body was tangled up in the woven blanket as he twisted and turned in agony as if he was being tortured.
My hands slipped on his shoulders from the sheen of sweat coating him as I shook him. “Xavier, wake up. Everything’s fine. You’re dreaming.”
His bloodshot eyes popped open as he sucked in a sharp intake of breath. “Harlow?” His voice was hoarse.
“It’s me. You’re okay.”
His arms snaked around me, squeezing me into his chest like I was his lifeline. I blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the darkness and wrapped my arms around him, holding tight.
His pain radiated off him, crashing into me like waves of torment. Tears burned my eyes. What had happened to him to cause so much anguish?
We held each other like that for a while with only the sound of our breathing occupying the space around us.
He pulled away first, clearing his throat with a cough. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head vehemently. “I’m an empath.”
Fumbling with the blanket, he kicked it off him and rested his elbows on his knees as he huffed out a breath. “Like you have empathy or some shit? I don’t need your
