by Teresa Roman
“Wake up, Willow,” I pleaded. “Wake up and say you’ll come back to me. I won’t be able to stand it if you don’t.”
She didn’t stir. I pulled the covers on the bed up to her waist and then stroked her hair. I wanted desperately to lean down and kiss her lips, but I couldn’t. Not until she awoke and told me she wanted me to. I wouldn’t violate her in that way. So instead, I just sat there staring at her, willing her to wake up. I wanted to be at Willow’s side when she finally opened her eyes, but I also wanted to make whoever had hurt her pay. Willow wouldn’t be safe until the succubus that had almost killed her was dead.
I had to start my hunt now. The longer I waited, the more difficult tracking her down would be. Even at top speed, I could run only about half as fast as the speed of a car on the highway, which meant the succubus had a long head start. I had a hunch that she had not left Ithaca. She’d tried to kill Willow, and I would be next on her list. Since the succubus had all of Grace’s memories, she knew I was looking for Willow. She would wait until I tracked Willow down to her aunt’s house, not knowing that I was already a step ahead of her.
I didn’t want to leave Willow’s side, but I had no other choice. I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I’ll be back.” Then I ran down the stairs.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Maria asked as I headed for the door.
“To find the succubus.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“You know as well as I do that I have no other choice. As long as she remains alive, Willow’s life is in danger.”
“Let me send for your brothers. There is strength in numbers.”
“No. It will take them too long to get here. The longer I wait the harder it will be to follow the succubus’s scent. And if it rains, her trail will all but disappear.”
Maria crossed her arms and stared at me before finally saying, “Just promise you’ll come back.”
I wasn’t sure I would. But my life wasn’t what mattered. Willow’s did, which was why I had to take down the succubus even if she wound up taking me down with her. Instead of offering Maria any promises, I nodded, then walked away. I got in my car and drove back to the woods where we’d found Willow. With my clothes, keys, and wallet carefully stashed in my car, I shifted into my wolf form and retraced my steps from earlier, eventually reaching the spot where Willow had been found.
Multiple scents assaulted me. Willow. Poison. Succubus. I’d come to track the succubus, so it was her stench that I followed. I tracked it through the woods, concentrating so deeply that it took me a moment to realize that someone else was in the woods with me. I heard dead leaves crunch under someone’s feet. The darkness concealed my presence, but I stilled, not wanting the sound of my paws padding through the forest to alert anyone that there was a wolf lurking around. Eventually the person to whom those footsteps belonged came into view. What was Willow doing here? Had she come after me when she was supposed to be recovering?
I quickly realized the woman walking through the woods was not Willow. There was no way she’d recovered that quickly. The fake Willow’s scent had given her away. So that was the succubus’s plan? She intended to trick me into thinking she was Willow and wait for me to walk into her trap. By the time I realized I’d been fooled, it would be too late.
I wanted to taunt the monster, to tell her she was a fool, but doing so would give her the advantage.
I stalked her as she walked through the woods and quickly realized where she was headed. She was returning to the scene of her crime. Perhaps she wanted to be certain that she’d succeeded in killing Willow, or maybe she’d come to get rid of my mate’s body. It wouldn’t do to have someone stumble on a dead woman with her arms sliced open tied to a tree. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter. This was my chance.
Treading as lightly as I could, I continued to follow the succubus, praying that she wouldn’t sense that she was no longer alone. Eventually the succubus stopped a few feet away from the tree she’d tied Willow to. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open.
She cursed, then muttered, “This can’t be.”
It was unnerving the way her voice sounded like Willow’s. The succubus took a few steps closer to the tree and then reached down to pick up the ropes that had once bound Willow’s wrists. She let out a high-pitched wail. This was my chance. My one opportunity. The succubus was too distracted by her anger to hear me padding toward her. I had to attack before this moment slipped away. I broke into a run. The succubus must have heard me, because she turned her head, but it was too late. I pounced on her and sank my canines into her flesh. With my jaw wrapped around her neck, she couldn’t scream. The only sound that came out of her was a gurgling wail. Her arms flailed as she tried to fight back. She grabbed onto me, and then claws cut into my fur and flesh. Despite the adrenaline that fueled me, the pain was intense, but instead of releasing her, I bit down harder, shaking my head from side to side to make sure that my bite inflicted maximum damage. If I lost my upper hand, I would never get it back. Blood gushed out of her neck. I released my grip and then latched onto her thigh, biting into her femoral artery. She tried to fight but was losing too much blood. I tore chunks of flesh from her body with my teeth. The succubus was dead, but I kept going. When her body was found, I wanted it to look like she’d been mauled to death by an animal, which wasn’t actually that far from the truth.
Eventually the pain from where her claws had dug into my flesh became too much to bear. I hobbled away from her and over to my car, shifting back into human form before getting inside. I healed faster in wolf form, but I couldn’t drive that way, and if I wanted to live, I needed to make it back to Delilah’s house. Without Maria’s magic the poison from the succubus’s claws would kill me. In spite of the pain, I drove as fast as I could. I skidded into an empty spot on the street in front of Delilah’s house, then I crawled out of the car and stumbled to the front door. I was so weak that I barely managed to bang on the door before shifting into my wolf form and collapsing on the steps in front of Delilah’s house, not caring that for all I knew, it was too late for me. The succubus who’d tried to kill Willow was dead. My mate would be safe, and that was all I cared about.
Chapter 24
Willow
The knock at the door was so faint I wasn’t sure I’d actually heard it. I checked anyway. That’s when I saw him. Nicolai. He lay on the ground with blood matted in his perfect silver-gray fur. For a moment, I feared he was dead, but then I saw his chest rise and fall ever so slightly.
I shouted for Maria and Delilah and then knelt down to put my hands on Nicolai. It was the first time I’d touched him in his wolf form. “Nicolai, wake up,” I pleaded.
He let out a soft whimper but didn’t move. I turned my head as Maria, Lisa, and Delilah gathered behind me. “We have to get him inside.”
It took all four of us to carry Nicolai into the living room. He whined the whole way, every whimper of pain cutting through me. After we set him down, Maria reached for my hands, squeezing them with hers.
“You have to be the one to heal him,” she said. “I don’t have enough strength left in me to do it.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I can’t. I don’t know how.”
She looked into my eyes. “Yes, you do.”
I glanced over my shoulder at my aunt. “Maybe you can?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so, and we don’t have any time to waste,” Delilah said. “If anyone can heal Nicolai, it’s you. You are a powerful witch, and the connection you share with Nicolai will strengthen your magic.”
Delilah was right. We were running out of time. I refused to lose Nicolai. “What do I do?” I asked, trying to slow my racing heart so that I could think clearly.
“Run to the attic. Bring my spell book. The one that’s open on the table.”
I dashed up the stairs, returning seconds later with the book. I laid it down on the floor beside Nicolai. Like it sometimes did, the book opened on its
own, landing on the page I needed. I placed my shaking hands on Nicolai’s body, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath before opening them again to read the words of a healing spell. I began chanting. I was too scared to turn my eyes from the book to check if the spell was working. I kept chanting, over and over, willing Nicolai to come back to me. Someone put a hand on my shoulder. I ignored it. Maria said my name, but I kept chanting. It was only when I heard Nicolai’s voice that I stopped and turned my head to look at him.
He lay in the middle of Delilah’s living room floor, naked and no longer in his wolf form. I had been so focused on the spell that I hadn’t felt him shift. Good Lord, he was beautiful. I sucked in a deep breath and pulled my hands off his bare skin, but he grabbed one hand back and laced his fingers through mine.
“Nicolai—”
“Ahem. I think we’ll leave you two alone,” Maria said. “You two have got a lot to talk about.”
“Maybe we should get his clothes from the car,” Lisa suggested.
“Not a bad idea,” Delilah agreed. “We’ll just leave them by the door for you.”
“Wait, no.” I pulled my hand free from Nicolai’s grasp. I didn’t want to be left alone with him. Not with him lying there, naked and beautiful, and with me wanting him and knowing he wasn’t supposed to be mine. “I’ll go get them.”
“No,” Delilah said. I narrowed my eyes at her, but she didn’t seem to care. “Maria is right. The two of you need to talk.”
Delilah, Lisa, and Maria left me alone with Nicolai before I could protest again. Slowly I turned around to face him.
“I was afraid I’d never see you again,” he said.
“You weren’t supposed to.”
“Why, Willow? What did I do to chase you away?”
My heart was beating so hard I felt like it would jump right out of my chest. I looked away, too afraid to meet his gaze. “I don’t really know what to say. Well, except thank you. Thank you for saving my life, again.”
“Why won’t you answer my question?”
I let out a deep breath. “You didn’t do anything. But we can’t be together, Nicolai. We both know it won’t work between the two of us. The sooner you realize that, the better.”
“I won’t realize that. Ever.” Nicolai put his hand on my chin and turned my head so that I would meet his gaze. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “We belong together. Nothing you say will change my mind. Deny it all you want, but I know you feel the same way.”
“Nicolai, please.”
He inched closer to me and rested one of his hands on my hip. I could feel the heat from his body.
“If you want to talk,” I said, “then you have to put some clothes on first.”
He smiled, the look on his face telling me he knew exactly what I was thinking. “As long as you promise not to run off.”
Running wasn’t an option. If I did, he’d only follow. “I promise.”
I tried not to stare as Nicolai stood and walked to the corner of the living room where his clothes had been left in a small pile on the floor. I peeled my eyes away from him as he dressed, took a seat on the couch, and rehearsed what I planned to say to him in my head.
Now fully clothed, he sat beside me. “So, where were we?”
I took a deep breath and turned to face him. “I was about to tell you what I’m sure Frederic already did. I care for you, Nicolai, I really do. But caring for someone and being in love with them are two different things. I’m sorry I can’t give you what you want.”
Nicolai put his hand on my chin and lifted it. “You are a terrible liar,” he said with a mischievous smile.
I pushed Nicolai’s hand away. It was impossible to think straight with him touching me. “I don’t appreciate being called a liar.”
“I can hear your heart as it beats and see the blush in your cheeks. Your face is an open book, and when I read it, it tells me that you want me as much as I want you.”
“Well, wanting something to be true doesn’t make it so.”
“If anyone knows that, it’s me,” Nicolai replied. “But that’s not what’s happening here. I know you care for me. What I don’t understand is why you won’t admit it.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“Actually, I do. I know that you heard me the other night. I’m not sure how it happened, but it did. I was thinking about you, missing you, aching for you, and then there you were. I could see you. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted to hear your voice, so I talked to you, hoping you’d answer, and you did.” Nicolai laced his fingers through mine. The contact took my breath away. “It was how I was finally able to find you. Maria said reaching you that way wouldn’t have been possible if you and I did not share a strong connection. So say whatever you want. I know you have feelings for me. What I don’t get is why you won’t admit it.”
I pulled my hand away from Nicolai and stared down at the floor. This was why I didn’t want Nicolai to find me. Because I knew if he did, he’d wear down my defenses. “It doesn’t matter. We can’t be together. Deep down you have to know that. Despite our feelings, the two of us will never work.”
Nicolai reached for my hand again. “What makes you say that?”
“You’re a prince. And I’m nothing.”
“You’re not nothing. Don’t ever say that about yourself.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I know I’m not nothing, but that’s how your family sees me. Your father has a wife picked out for you already. She’s who he and your brothers want you to marry, not me. I don’t belong in your world.”
“You are my world, Willow. I don’t care what my family thinks.”
“You say that now. But you haven’t seen your father in years. I don’t want to come between the two of you after all this time. And then there are your brothers. They don’t like me either, especially Frederic. What if your family decides to cut you out of their lives because of me? What will you do then? Have you ever had a job? Do you know what it’s like to have to work for a living?”
“As long as you are with me, I wouldn’t care.”
I shook my head. “You say that now, but until you’ve lived that way, you can’t really be sure that you won’t resent me for causing you to give up so much. I don’t think I could stand you hating me.”
Nicolai brushed his fingers through my hair. “Hey,” he whispered. I turned my head to look at him. “I could never hate you.”
“You’ve already been through so much. You’re finally free from that awful curse, free to return to your family, to your country. I don’t want to take that from you.”
Nicolai took my hands in his. This time he held them too tightly for me to pull them from his grasp. “Silly woman. What must I say to get you to realize that the only thing that matters to me is you? I love my brothers and my father, but if they can’t accept you, then it’s their problem. You and I will make a new family, our family. Even if it’s just the two of us. I don’t care. The only thing I care about is being with you. My mate.”
“Nicolai, I—” Before I could finish what I wanted to say, Nicolai kissed me. I’d almost forgotten how blissful his lips felt. My head spun, and my heart pounded. God, I’d missed him.
He broke the kiss a moment later and looked into my eyes.
“This is all wrong, Nicolai. Why can’t you see that?”
“The only thing I see is that I cannot live without you. Please don’t ask me to,” he said. “Maybe it’s too soon to tell you this, but I can’t stop myself. I love you, Willow. I love you with every cell in my body. I loved you yesterday and the day before that, and I love you now. I will love you tomorrow, and I will love you until the end of time.”
Nicolai was right. It was too soon, but at the same time it wasn’t. Or maybe I just didn’t care about the way things were supposed to be. I cared only about the way they were.
“Come home with me, Willow. To Sarabia. Be my princess.”
“What are you saying?”
“That I love you
. That the only woman I will ever marry is you. That you are my mate, the woman I want to spend the rest of my days with, whether it be in a luxurious castle or a one-room shack.”
“I … I don’t know what to say.”
“We don’t have to make wedding plans right away. I can wait until you’re ready. We don’t even have to share a room.” Nicolai smiled. “Unless you want to.”
His grin was heart melting. And resolve melting. But letting my heart make all my decisions for me would be a mistake. “I don’t know, Nicolai. Moving to a different country is a huge step.”
“You’ll love it there. Sarabia is so beautiful. I will hire a teacher so you can learn our language. If you want to work, I can help you find a job. And if you ever decide that you want to leave, then we will. We can move wherever you want. I promise. You want to go to Hawaii, then that’s where we’ll go. I don’t care where we live. All I care about is that you’re with me.”
I shook my head. What Nicolai was offering, it seemed like a fantasy. “I’m scared, Nicolai.”
“Of what? Think about it, Willow. Do you really want to return to Beaver Falls? You told me once that you wanted to leave, that you wanted to see the world. But if coming with me to Sarabia is too big of a step, then I’ll stay here with you. Wherever you are is where I want to be, whether it’s here or in my country.”
“You say that now—”
“Stop. You don’t get to decide my life for me, nor do you get to decide that one day I’ll change my mind or grow to resent you. That’s not fair. We’re both adults. We make our own decisions. I told you what I want. I’ve made my decision. It’s your turn to do the same.”
I thought about his words and struggled to come up with an argument to prove that he was wrong, but I had no more fight left in me. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have left without talking to you first.”
“Apology accepted.” Nicolai lifted his hand to my cheek. “So, what’s it going to be?”
