Page 55 of Unbearable Attraction
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LEENAH
Leenah stood in her family's oppressive parlor, watching Luka face down her relatives with the kind of quiet strength that made her heart ache with gratitude. His presence filled the room with warmth that cut through years of accumulated coldness, showing her what it was like to truly have someone in her corner.
"We're leaving," she said quietly, moving toward him. "Both of us. Together."
Edmund's expression shifted from calculated charm to something far more dangerous. "I'm afraid that's not an option, Miss Carrow."
The air in the parlor grew heavy with magical pressure as Edmund raised his hand, dark energy crackling between his fingers. Leenah felt the compulsion spell building before it struck, a web of necromantic magic designed to override her free will and force compliance.
"Accept the arrangement," Edmund commanded, his voice carrying supernatural authority. "Your family knows what's best."
The magical compulsion slammed into her mind like a sledgehammer, seeking purchase in her thoughts. For a moment, Leenah felt her resistance wavering as the spell tried to convince her that Edmund's proposal was reasonable, logical, the only safe choice.
Then her bond with Luka blazed to life.
Power flooded through their connection, warm, steady, unshakeable. His bear's protective fury merged with her necromantic abilities, creating something neither of them had experienced before. The compulsion spell shattered against their combined strength like glass against stone.
"No." The word left her lips with such force that every candle in the room flickered. "I said no."
Edmund's eyes widened as he felt his magic rebound, striking him with enough force to make him stagger backward. "Impossible. No necromancer can resist properly applied compulsion from?—"
"From someone stronger?" Leenah's abilities surged higher, drawing on Luka's earth magic to ground and amplify her power. The temperature in the room plummeted as spirits began manifesting around her—not the ancient, peaceful souls she usually communicated with, but something far more protective and fierce. "You're not stronger than me, Edmund."
The ghostly figures of long-dead Carrow ancestors materialized in the parlor, their translucent forms radiating disapproval aimed squarely at Edmund. Her great-grandmother Sarah stepped forward, her spirit blazing with indignation.
"Compulsion magic used against family blood," Sarah's voice carried across dimensions with crystal clarity. "Shameful. Cowardly. Unworthy of our lineage."
"This is impossible," Margaret gasped, her face white with terror as more spirits filled the room. "Leenah, stop this immediately."
"I'm not doing anything except defending myself," Leenah replied, though she could feel Luka's amazement through their bond as he witnessed the full extent of her abilities. "Edmund chose to attack me magically. My ancestors take exception to that."
Robert stepped forward, his expression desperate. "Leenah, please. Edmund's family has connections that could protect all of us from?—"
"From what, exactly?" She turned to face her father, spirits swirling around her like a protective honor guard. "From the consequences of my own success? From other necromancers who might challenge my work? Or from the political fallout of having a daughter who won't be controlled?"
"From families who see powerful independent practitioners as threats to the established order," Edmund snarled, his composure finally cracking. "You think your little mountain town can protect you from centuries of supernatural politics?"
"No," Leenah said simply. "But I think love and genuine partnership offer better protection than fear-based alliances with people who view me as a commodity."
She reached for Luka's hand, feeling their bond strengthen as their fingers intertwined. The spirits around them hummed with approval, their ancestral magic weaving into the protective barrier surrounding the couple.
"This is your last chance," Edmund warned, dark energy crackling around him again. "Accept the arrangement willingly, or face the consequences of defying established magical contracts."
"There are no established contracts," Leenah replied firmly. "Because I never agreed to any of this. And I formally reject not only your proposal, but any claim my family thinks they have over my romantic choices."
The words carried magical weight, binding and official in the way formal declarations always were among supernatural families. Her father flinched as if she'd slapped him, while Margaret looked like she might faint.
"You're making a terrible mistake," James said quietly. "The protection Edmund's family offers?—"
"Comes with chains I won't wear." Leenah felt Luka's thumb brush across her knuckles, steady and reassuring. "I choose love over duty. I choose partnership over politics. I choose him."
Edmund's face twisted with rage. "Then you choose to endanger us all. When other families come for you—and they will—remember that you had a chance to prevent it."
"When other families come for me," Leenah replied, her voice carrying the cold authority of someone who'd faced down ancient spirits and won, "they'll discover what happens when they threaten someone protected by both necromantic power and a bear shifter's devotion."
The spirits around them pulsed with agreement, their combined magical signature creating a warning that Edmund couldn't ignore. He stepped back, his expression shifting from rage to calculation as he recognized the true depth of power arrayed against him.
