Page 65 of Hexmate

Relief flooded his features, and he leaned in to press a soft kiss to my lips. It was tender, a stark contrast to the frenzied passion of moments before. I savored it, marveling at how quickly this shy, powerful witch had become my entire world.

As we parted, Caden looked up at me, fear still filtering through our bond. “We still have to remove the curse,” he said, bending down to pick up the athame once more. He held it loosely in one hand. “Will… Will you stay with me?”

“Of course I will,” I replied, kissing him on the forehead. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He nodded slowly, taking a step back. With one hand he reached out, green energy swirling around his fingers as a series of purple vines grew up from the floor and wrapped aroundhis fingers, his palm, and then his wrist. They were like roots, pulsing across his skin in time with his heartbeat.

“These vines… they thrive off of blood,” he said slowly, setting the blade of the knife against his skin. “They’ll drain me until there’s nothing left. Only then will the curse be gone.” He looked up at me, his blue eyes filled with tears. “If… If this goes wrong…”

“It won’t,” I stated firmly. “I won’t let it.”

“I love you, Atlas.”

“I love you too, Caden.”

There was a flash of silver and a streak of blood across the floor. But before a single drop could spill from the wound, the vines attached themselves to his arm. His knees buckled and I wrapped him up in my arms, watching the color slowly drain from his body. Over the bond, I felt him begin to weaken.

“Take my power, Caden,” I said softly in his ear. “I give it to your freely.”

With a small nod from him, I felt the connection between us deepen. All at once my power as a werewolf and an Alpha was being drained away from me. Tightening my grip on him, I lowered us both to the ground, knowing neither of us would be able to hold ourselves up for much longer.

The feeling of having my power drained wasn’t unpleasant, but foreign. Never in my life had I felt so tired, so exhausted. And the longer the vines fed, the more tired I became. Caden was still pale and cold in my grasp as I felt myself reaching the ends of my strength. Darkness curled in at the corners of my vision, but I remained focused on Caden, not letting him out of my sight for even a moment.

“I… I love you, Caden,” I whispered.

And then, without so much as a flutter, darkness crashed in around me.

Chapter 26

Atlas

When I came to, my head was in Caden’s lap, his fingers stroking my hair in a soothing, protective manner. My eyes fluttered open and I looked up at him, smiling despite my exhaustion.

“You’re okay…” I said, feeling the relief wash over me. “I… I wasn’t sure if…”

“I’m fine,” he nodded, a smile pulling at his lips. “Thanks to you.”

I stared up at him, those blue eyes I knew so well now rimmed with green. And that wasn’t the only thing that had changed either. Caden looked suddenly my chiseled, muscular, and confident. The room around me thrummed with magic, the scent of it thick in the air. I could feel energy pouring back into my body through Caden’s touch, his fingertips swirling through my hair with each stroke. He was restoring me, giving back the power I’d lent him to break his father’s curse.

“Did you succeed?” I asked, still holding his gaze. “Is the curse…”

“Gone?” he finished. His smile widened. “Yeah. My father has no power over me now. And it’s all thanks to you and your sacrifice.”

I shook my head. “It wasn’t a sacrifice,” I said, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I wanted to be your mate. And being your familiar… well, I think it’s an honor.”

Caden’s cheeks flushed pink beneath my touch, freckles standing out against his pale skin. Even with his newfound confidence, there was still that shy, hesitant boy I’d fallen for.

“An honor,” he repeated softly, his fingers pausing in my hair. “I never thought... never imagined anyone would willingly bind themselves to me. Hell, I didn’t think I’d even make it out of Widdershins Academy alive. But now… well, it feels like I’m seeing the whole world for the first time.”

I pushed myself up slowly, my body still weak but recovering with each pulse of energy flowing between us. The breaking of his curse had taken more from me than I’d anticipated, but seeing Caden now—truly free for the first time—made it worth every ounce of power I’d given.

“Your father was wrong about everything,” I said, sitting up to face him properly. “About your power, about what you deserve. And now, he’ll never know what he was throwing away.”

Caden’s gaze dropped, those impossibly blue-green eyes fixed on our hands as he laced his fingers with mine. The touch sent sparks dancing across my skin. Even the feel of his skin had changed. Before he felt warm and inviting, but now he thrummed with power.

“I can feel the earth now,” he whispered. “Not just the small things—not just making flowers bloom or herbs grow. I can feel the whole forest surrounding the academy. Every tree, every creature.” He looked up, wonder in his expression. “I can feel your heart beat even when I’m not touching you, feel the breath in your lungs. Your power as an Alpha… it’s overwhelming. And the wolf inside you, I can feel him too.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I pulled him into my arms. “Then I’m sure you can feel how excited and happy you make me.”

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