Page 286 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

“Really? But you want to break the bond and leave me without this connection. That would be a fatal wound.”

The witch coughed. “Breaking the bond requires the witch to surrender their magic. It can be traumatic.”

“He’s not going to give up his magic. I love him even if he is being stupid about this.”

“Bailey…”

“No. You don’t get to decide this. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. We’re meant to be together.”

“Then why are we always apart?”

Sharp frustration scraped over Bailey’s skin and it wasn’t his, but he understood. And he’d had months to dwell on everything. He stared at his hands; fingers laced like he was trying to hold himself together. It wasn’t just him he was holding anymore.

“You were right when you said I was too young.” But the bond wasn’t an accident because it had saved both their lives. He glanced at the witch, then at Kass. “What if it is fated, but we found each other too soon to make it work?”

“The Fates don’t make mistakes.” She glanced at Kass. “You were shot and survived. And you were stabbed. Without the bond, would you both be here?”

Kass was silent. “I don’t know. I hate leaving people behind when I go away. I don’t even want to leave this time. I’m dreading it because I want to be here…or wherever you end up,” he said to Bailey.

“When you leave, we’ll still have the bond.” It would be like last time, enough to feel something, but a reminder about what was missing.

“Yeah, something neither of us chose.”

“So you’d go back and change it? You love me, but don’t want me?” How did that even work? They were having this argument in front of someone else, but Bailey couldn’t stop. “I don’t get it. I want to be with you too, but your job takes you away. I can deal with that.”

“We’ve had a handful of hours—”

“In person.” But they had days, weeks even, of using the bond in ways a serious magical bond should not be used for. “I won’t let you surrender your magic for me. I’m not worth it.”

Kass grabbed his hand. “But you are. Don’t you see. I want you to be safe, and I don’t know how else I can do that. I didn’t think I could ever give up magic, but while you slept last night, all I could think about was something happening to me and you pining away, alone.”

That’s what Kass had been thinking about? Bailey’s dreams had been far more delightful—running through the snow, fucking in the snow. He wanted to experience snow.

“It would be nice if every witch cared as much about their familiar, Kassidy, but the breaking of a bond is a serious thing and can take many months of recovery. Not only that, but your familiar doesn’t want to break it, and you’ve both confessed to loving and caring for each other so in this situation breaking the bond goes against everything the Coven recommends.”

“And if I die?” Kass said like he thought it would happen. The anxiety had become a cold dread that filled his bones. “I have two more years before I’m done.”

“Why are you being so morbid?”

Kass glanced away. “Maybe I’ve lost my nerve.”

“Maybe because you had nothing to really lose before. Now you have a mate.” She rested her elbows on the desk. “I can offer you a protection amulet.”

Kass sighed and nodded.

“Bailey, I’ve accessed your parole requirements and I understand you want to move states.”

Kass’s response was like a kick to the gut. No matter what he said, he didn’t want Bailey to move away, which only made it harder even though he had to.

“I can’t stay in Sydney, my family...” He shook his head.

“And I can’t ask you to.” Kass said. His lips turned down like this meeting was pressing on every bruise. “If we can’t make it work with magic and love, then what chance do we have?”

“We have time,” Bailey said. He’d had six months with nothing to do but think. He wasn’t even nineteen yet. He didn’t know who he was. He needed to find his own life. “You told me I was too young, but without meeting you and starting this thing, I wouldn’t have gotten away from my family and I couldn’t be the kind of man you want to be with. Imagine if we’d met in five years. I’d be trapped. You wouldn’t look twice at me. And the connection would go unfulfilled. This way it’s made. The Fates got things started because they needed to.”

“You believe in the Fates?”

“I don’t know, but we work well together. I want to be better. I want to be the one you can take home to meet your parents.” He looked away, unable to take the intensity of Kass’s gaze. “And I’m not that person yet.”

---