Page 73 of Hexmate

My blood ran cold as my father’s words cut through the night air. I kept the vines steady around Rowan, whose eyes now bulged with terror as he looked between me and Damien.

“Mr. Cromwell,” Rowan gasped. “You came! I did what you asked—I found him!”

My father didn’t even glance at Rowan. His piercing blue eyes—so similar to my own—remained fixed on me, calculating and hungry.

“Father,” I said, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. “I wondered when you’d show yourself.”

A small smile played at the corner of his mouth. “My son. Look how you’ve grown into your power.” He gestured to the writhing vines that held Rowan captive. “Impressive. Though your methods lack... finesse.”

I felt Atlas shift beside me, his body tense and ready to spring. Through our bond, I could feel his primal protective instinct surging. I sent him a silent warning to wait.

“So, you’re the one behind the curses,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite the rage building inside me. “Using Rowan as your puppet.”

Damien waved his hand dismissively. “Rowan is merely a tool. A rather desperate one at that.” He looked at the struggling student with disdain. “Did you really think I’d reward you for doing the bare minimum? Finding my son wasn’t the challenge—molding him was.”

“Molding me?” I tightened the vines around Rowan, who whimpered pathetically. “Is that what you call sending someone to terrorize me? To try toassaultme?!”

Atlas growled low beside me, his shoulders broadening slightly as he fought to contain his shift. The moonlight caught his golden eyes, making them glow with supernatural intensity.

My father’s gaze flicked to Atlas, his lip curling with disgust. “And this must be the wolf you’ve been rutting with. How disappointing.” He sighed dramatically. “Centuries of careful breeding, only for my heir to spread his legs for a mongrel.”

Atlas snarled, taking a step forward. “Watch your fucking mouth.”

I placed my hand on Atlas’s arm, feeling the coiled muscles beneath his skin. “Don’t,” I whispered. “That’s what he wants.”

“Listen to my son,” Damien smiled. “He understands the gravity of his position.” My father circled us like a predator, each step deliberate. “Though I see he’s developed a rather... primitive taste in companions. Still, now that you’ve obviously made him your familiar, there’s no doubting the power it’s brought you.”

Atlas’s skin burned hot beneath my fingers. I could feel his wolf pushing against the surface, desperate to protect what it considered its own.

“What do you want from me?” I demanded, keeping my voice steady despite the tremor in my chest. “I did what you asked, now leave us alone.”

Damien stopped, his eyes flashing with something ancient and terrible. “I want what any father wants—for his son to fulfillhis potential.” He extended his hand, palm up. “Come home, Caden. Your little academic adventure has served its purpose. You’ve discovered your power. Now it’s time to learn how to truly wield it.”

From behind us, Rowan made a choking sound. “Mr. Cromwell, please! I did everything you asked!”

My father’s expression darkened. With a casual flick of his wrist, the air around Rowan seemed to compress. The vines I’d summoned withered instantly as Rowan clutched at his throat, his face turning purple.

“Stop!” I shouted, instinctively reaching toward Rowan, but my magic felt suddenly weak, like trying to push through thick molasses.

“Your compassion is misplaced,” my father said, his voice eerily calm as Rowan’s knees buckled. “He would have killed you if I’d ordered it.”

Atlas moved with supernatural speed, placing himself between me and my father. “Let him go,” he growled, his voice deepening as the shift began to take hold.

My father’s eyes narrowed. “You dare command me, wolf?”

The air crackled with power as Damien Cromwell raised his hand. I felt it before I saw it—a surge of dark energy hurtling toward Atlas. Without thinking, I threw myself forward, palms outstretched. Green light erupted from my hands, colliding with my father’s spell in a shower of sparks.

The force of it knocked me backward into Atlas’s chest. He steadied me, his breath hot against my neck.

“Interesting,” my father murmured, looking genuinely surprised. “You’d protect a werewolf over your own blood?”

Rowan collapsed to the ground behind us, gasping for air. I could hear his ragged breathing as I stood my ground.

“You’re not my blood,” I said, the words coming from somewhere deep inside me. “Blood is more than genetics. It’s loyalty. It’s love.”

My father’s laughter was cold, echoing through the night. “Love? That’s what the bitch who raised you filled your head with? Pathetic.” He took a step closer, and I felt Atlas’s muscles tense against my back. “What you feel for this animal isn’t love, Caden. It’s magic recognizing power. Nothing more.”

Atlas’s breath was hot against my ear. “Don’t listen to him,” he whispered, his voice rough with the partial shift. “He’s trying to get in your head.”

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