Page 42 of Witch Bound and Down

"The bond can go to hell," Hazel said quietly from beside Smokie's car. "I'd rather be with someone I don't love than magically connected to someone I can't trust."

Smokie opened the passenger door for her with exaggerated gallantry. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Once we're married, we can look into having that nasty bond broken. I'm sure Daddy knows some specialists."

"Actually," Sheriff Lawman said thoughtfully, "those potions are the ones that break witch-familiar bonds, aren't they?" He gestured toward the trailer. "Might solve one problem, at least."

"What do you mean?" Smokie asked, looking confused.

"Well, if she's magically bonded to her little frog friend there, and these potions break those kinds of bonds..." Sheriff Lawman shrugged. "Might make her more... agreeable to family life."

The threat was clear. Bullseye could see Hazel's face go pale through the bond as she realized what the sheriff was suggesting.

"You touch Hopper and I'll turn you into a toad," Hazel said quietly, but there was steel in her voice.

"Now, now," Sheriff Lawman said with false concern. "No threats necessary. Just thinking about what's best for everyone involved."

"Hazel, please," Bullseye said one last time, the bond making it physically painful to watch her get into Smokie's car. "Don't do this. We can figure it out together."

"No," she said simply, sliding into the passenger seat. "We can't. Because there is no 'we.' There never was."

Smokie practically skipped around to the driver's side, pausing only to call out, "Thanks for taking care of my fiancée, Mr. Criminal! I'll be sure to put in a good word for you at your trial!"

"Son," Sheriff Lawman said sharply, "get in the car. We need to secure these suspects and call for backup."

"But Daddy, I want to get Hazel home before—"

"GET IN THE CAR, BOY!"

Smokie jumped at his father's tone and scrambled into the driver's seat. Sheriff Lawman shot one last satisfied look at Bullseye before climbing into the passenger side of his son's car.

"This isn't over," the sheriff called out as Smokie started the engine. "We'll be back with federal agents and proper warrants. Don't even think about running."

As the patrol car pulled away, Bullseye felt something die inside his chest. Through the bond, he could feel Hazel's resignation, her complete loss of hope, her bitter acceptance of a life she'd tried so hard to escape.

The woman he loved—the woman he was magically bonded to for life—had just chosen to go back to a man she didn't love rather than stay with him.

And the worst part was, he couldn't even blame her for it.

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