I’m tired, I’m exhausted, and I want to find the blossom fox so I can be rid of all my problems, but I continue riding the glowhorn stag until suddenly, a familiar scent wafts into my nostrils—a blend of sandalwood, patchouli, and musk. My gaze darts up, and through the bushes, I catch sight of the circular clearing dominated by the towering ancient tree, its branches adorned with ethereal chains. Warrick sits against the tree. His gaze is hollow and distant as he gazes at the clear sky. Yet, the moment my presence is detected, his eyes lock onto mine, a glimmer of hope flickering within their depths.
'Darn it,' I mutter under my breath, turning my stag around to face the others. 'How on earth did we end up back here in the West again?' I ask, exasperation seeping into my voice.
Xander takes a deep breath, his response laced with annoyance. 'It must be the mate bond, pulling you back to him,' he explains.
Janie slides off her broom and approaches me, placing her hand on my shoulder. ‘Perhaps you should talk to him. Maybe if you explain your situation, he will accept why you can’t be together,’ she says softly.
‘I suppose it might help lessen the bond if he accepts what I have to say, right?’ I ask everyone.
‘I don’t know,’ Xander replies, ‘But we need to get out of here and search for the fox before nightfall,’ he adds.
Turning to face Warrick, who now stands upright, still unclothed as ever, I take a deep breath, preparing to confront him and explain the complexities of our predicament. Suddenly, something soft collides with my head. It's a pair of long breeches, Xander retrieved from his saddlebag.
‘And for goodness sake, tell him to cover himself up. He doesn’t need his member on display for all the Felderian creatures and people to see,’ Xander scowls.
I take the trousers and walk towards Warrick, fighting my eyes to stay upright and not dawdle down his sexy masculine chest, to his toned abs, to his phallus, where my eyes land.
Spells and hexes, Rose, you had to look, didn’t you, my conscious shouts at me. Trying to contain my composer and force my blush away, I take a deep breath and stop close but a big enough distance to Warrick so he cannot reach out and touch me.
'Make it quick, Rose!' Xander's voice rings out in the background, reminding me of the urgency of our mission.
'Rose? That's your name?' Warrick's voice resonates with a hint of curiosity as he speaks my name.
The way it rolls off his tongue sends a shiver down my spine, intensifying the rapid beating of my heart.
'Yes,' I reply, my voice barely above a whisper, my gaze averted.
Warrick's smile radiates warmth, his words dripping with endearment. 'Your name befits your beauty,' he compliments, causing my heart to beat even faster than I thought was possible.
I turn, placing my hand on my chest to calm my heart. I don’t want Warrick to see the effect his words have on me, but somehow, I feel he already knows. Gathering my resolve, I face him once more, tossing the trousers towards his chest, which he deftly catches.
'Cover yourself up, and then we can talk,' I instruct, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside me.
'If it pleases, my mate,' Warrick responds, his eyes still locked with mine. Although my stomach is doing somersaults, I manage to conceal it, refusing to react to his words. I avert my gaze as he slips into the breeches, pulling them up snugly.
'They're a tight fit, but they'll have to do,' he remarks.
Though the prominent bulge at the front of his pants continues to distract me, I maintain my composure and focus on his eyes.
Warrick stares at me with longing and appears sadder with each fleeting moment that passes silently between us. 'Last night, you never returned. I called out to you all night, but you fought against the bond, fought to stay far away from me. You seemed surprised to find yourself back here. It wasn't your intention to return, was it?' Warrick asks, his voice laced with a mixture of sadness and confusion.
I shake my head, ‘I’m sorry. Maybe if I explain my situation, you will understand why this can’t happen. Why you and I cannot be,’ I tell him.
'The bond has already pulled you back to me. A bond between werewolves is sacred, Rose. We are fated mates, chosen to be together by the moon goddess herself. You can fight the bond all you want, but it will always bring you back to me,' Warrick states, his voice resonating with conviction and sadness.
'Then I will keep fighting it,' I assert, my voice firm, even as doubt lingers in the depths of my heart.
Warrick gazes at me, his eyes reflecting a myriad of troubled thoughts. 'I don't understand. I have so many questions that need answers,' he says softly, his voice filled with melancholy.
I sit down opposite him, ‘The sooner we clear this up, the better. So, ask all the questions you need to while you can because I must go before I run out of time,’ I inform him.
Warrick sits and stares at me for a moment in silence, his eyes scanning my ears and tail.
‘Why are your ears and tail a purple hue? You’re partly shifted. Why? It’s not how standard werewolves go about their day. Why are you fighting the bond? How are you here when Gretchen’s curse said my mate would not be born of this world, that only your touch could break my wolf form? Why is Xander one of my arch-enemies with you? Why is there a vampire with you? Why does the redhead smell like a human?’ he sighs heavily, pondering, ‘I’ve lost everything, my pack, my friends, my reputation. Gretchen ensured I was to lose you too, but now you’re here. I have a second chance to be with my fated mate, to be with you, yet you’re in such a rush to leave me, to abandon me, just like the rest of this hexed world did,’ he says with grief-ridden words. His midnight blue eyes bore into mine, ‘Please, Rose, don’t leave me,’ Warrick begs softly. I can see he’s fighting himself from trying to reach out and touch me. He must know it’s of no use.
My breath hitches with pain as his words pierced through my heart, threatening to bring my world crashing down. I fight back the tears that well up, refusing to let them spill over and avert my gaze. 'I'm not from Felderia. I'm not supposed to be here,' I confess, my voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes widen with surprise, but he remains silent, urging me to continue.
'My name is Rose Peregrine. I'm human, just like my friend Imogen standing behind me. We come from the human world. Janie is also from my world but recently discovered she's a witch. She started having these uncanny predictions that kept coming true,' I explain, my words spilling out in a rush.
'She has the sight?' he interjects, his astonishment evident in his voice.
I nod, taking a deep breath to steady myself.
'It's been centuries since any witch possessed such a gift. It's incredibly rare,' he says, and his expression shifts to concern and curiosity, urging me to reveal more.