“I’m your only girl,” she teased him with a grin. “One more?”
The smile on his face was perfect, lighting up his whole face and stealing her breath. He carefully picked up her braid, and tugged on it gently before leaning forward to kiss her again. Kissing Henrik was like magic, real magic. Everything felt brighter and warmer. Everything felt alive.
She had never felt better.
“I have to go soon,” he murmured against her lips, and pulled back to press a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll come by in the mornin’. We’ll do the spell first thing, then—“
“Promise me nothing will change,” she begged, pinching her eyes closed. She had a bad feeling, suddenly, that nothing would ever be the same again. Well, of course it would change. He was about to shift.
But everything else... their connection...
“Nothin’ could ever change how I feel about you.”
Jerkingupright,Violet’sheartpounded in her chest. A memory. It was only a memory.
A memory that she should have treasured. A memory that should have made her smile.
Instead, the moment was bittersweet, even all these years later.
After that night, everything had changed.
After that night, she had never kissed him again.
Chapter 4
Violetsatperfectlystillon the floor, trying to remember how, exactly, her mother had performed the spell. It was never something she had learned to do herself, given how, after that day, her magic had started to go haywire, but she had to try. There was something about their wrists being tied together and there were herbs, and they both lit candles that were then separated...
Why was her mother not answering the phone? They talked somewhat regularly, and by somewhat, it was only when Violet called, given how she was still angry with her mother about everything.
How could a witch give up on her daughter? Of course, her mother said she hadn’t been trying hard enough, but now that she was thinking about things, remembering, that didn’t feel quite right.
She had been new to her training when the spell was performed, keeping the desire between her and Henrik at bay, according to her mother. They would be unable to complete their bond until Violet finished her training, which was good, because it would take a few years.
And instead, what happened was a disaster. Violet struggled to do the basics of her craft while Henrik became bigger and meaner. Not to her, of course, but to other wolves. It was like them being separated and yet close made them lose control of themselves.
The fact that Henrik wasn’t shifting on the full moon shook her. A wolf who didn’t shift? It was unheard of, unless there was a medical reason, but it wasn’t like Henrik was pregnant, nor did he have young children to care for. Those were generally the only reasons a wolf wouldn’t shift on the full moon. He’d said he didn’t shift at all anymore. Violet knew, from others, that Henrik’s wolf was always a problem, but he hadn’t conquered it in all these years? He had been able to shift for almost two decades.
Were their struggles because they were two halves of a whole, both struggling to become what they were meant to be, and supposed to bond over it? Or was their separation causing them both to struggle to become their true selves?
Shaking her head, Violet turned her thoughts back to the matter at hand, breaking the spell her mother had cast all those years ago.
Obviously, fire would be involved in some way. It was always fire with her. Always had been, even while her mother was pregnant. Always the heat. Perhaps something symbolic to represent the fissure between them, something else would be needed to break the ties separating them, but whatever it was, she would have to be sure that it wouldn’t actually break their soulbond.
Was it possible to break a soulbond? She didn’t think so.
And that thought made her pause, sending a chill down her spine. She knew their bond wasn’t broken, given how she could still sense him, and knew him immediately. The very thought of his touch made her heart race and the scent of him drove her insane, or at least, it had fifteen years earlier. And when she had seen him the day before?
Their bond definitely wasn’t broken.
She had seen spells breaking bonds between two people or creatures or things. That was not what her mother had done. No, she had been binding their bond until such time as Violet could master her abilities as a witch.
Fire, candles, but what else?
Screw it. She had to try something.
Grabbing a box from her closet, one which she very rarely touched, Violet pulled out three candles, one of which was larger than the other two. Also in the box were a few trinkets, including the rope that had bound her and Henrik when the spell was cast. She didn’t really know what she was doing, which she knew was a mistake, but she had to try. Intent was always the most important element of any spell. True intent.
She wanted to break the binding keeping her from Henrik, whatever was keeping them from touching, keeping them from being together. From there, they could finally be together, and mate in both his way and hers.