Page 67 of Magic Betrayed

“A mate bond,” he repeated calmly. “Not all shifters experience them, but a small percentage form a telepathic or empathic bond with their partners. All gryphons have them, but with dragons, it depends on the individuals.”

“I’m… not a dragon,” I said, not even sure how I managed to find the words, given that his hand wasstill holding mine.

“Considering the nature of your magic, it makes sense that you wouldn’t conform to any particular expectations.” He didn’t sound disappointed or upset about that. Just calm. So stinking calm, I wanted to smack him.

“So what does it mean?”

I could do calm too. I absolutely could.

“It means,” he said, while carefully avoiding my gaze, “that we may be at a bit of a crossroads. One where we can choose to accept or reject what our magic is offering.”

I immediately decided that I didn’t care for the sound of “reject.” But I needed to understand what he meant before I said anything else utterly embarrassing. “So, whatever this is, it’s just our shifter magic reacting to each other. Has nothing to do with…” I wasn’t sure I could say the word.

“Feelings?”

Yep, that word.

“It has everything to do with feelings.”

Oh.

He wasn’t avoiding my eyes anymore. His face was tilted up towards mine and it felt as if he looked directly into my heart. “And that’s the second thing you need to know. Just in case you’ve somehow missed it? Raine, I do have feelings for you.”

I hoped Faris had a defibrillator somewhere close at hand, because I was about to need it.

The king of the freaking shapeshifters. Had feelings. Forme.

“And before you suggest that those feelings might be confused, or something other than what they are, let me be clear.” His amber gaze snared mine, and I couldn’t have looked away if the world was ending around me. “I like you a lot, Raine Kendrick, and if I’m not entirely mistaken, I think maybe you like me too.”

Well, that might be the understatement of the century.

“I know this is a weird time to bring it up, with all that’s going on, and I hate that this might make things more difficult for you. But with the mate bond, I knew I needed to say something. Before it formed too strongly to break. If you don’t want it, all you have to do is say so. It won’t change the promises I’ve made. I’ll continue to help, but I’ll keep my distance as much as I can, and the bond will eventually fade.”

“And if we don’t… keep our distance?” I asked.

“Then, at some point in the near future, the bond will become irrevocable.” He said it so calmly. As if he were entirely nonchalant about the outcome.

I took a long breath and then let it out slowly. “You’re right,” I said. “This is not great timing.”

Because on the one hand, I knew exactly how I felt about him. Callum-ro-Deverin was everything I’d never dared allow myself to hope for. Powerful, but also kind. Dedicated, protective, but also completely supportive. He would never make me feel small to bolster his own ego. Never abandon or betray me. He had the power to destroy cities, but he used it to protect, never to divide. And he could be devastatingly gentle, despite his stubborn nature.

But I also couldn’t forget all of the reasons this would never work. His position in Idrian leadership, the laws against stolen magic, and my essential humanity—none of those things had changed, nor were they likely to anytime soon.

To have him for my own felt like an impossible dream. One that could only come true if I were willing to be deeply selfish.

I was a no one, with nothing to lose by choosing him. But Callum? He stood to lose everything. Everything except his family, who I knew by now would stand by each other unto death and beyond.

“I feel like I may have pushed you too hard,” Callum said carefully, removing his hand from mine and leaning back, as if giving me space. “I’m sorry if I scared you, or if this comes as a complete surprise. And I apologize for adding so much pressure at a moment when you’re already anxious. I would never have mentioned it if it hadn’t seemed urgent.”

“I’m not afraid,” I said quickly, reaching out almost by instinct and catching his sleeve, tugging him towards me as if to call him back. “Callum, it’s not that.”

I didn’t expect him to take my hand again and stare at it for a moment. Didn’t expect him to set his palm against mine, then lace our fingers together, so slowly that I felt it with every wild beat of my heart. It felt so… right, the way they fit. And I knew he would feel my hand trembling, but I didn’t want to let go.

“Was I wrong?” he asked quietly.

I couldn’t lie to him. “No,” I admitted. “You’re not wrong. But Callum, I…”

The door burst open and Kira flew in. “You guys, we did it! Seamus said…”

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