Page 56 of Unbearable Attraction
"This isn't over," he said finally.
"Yes, it is." Luka spoke quietly, but his voice carried enough menace to make everyone in the room tense. "Touch her, threaten her, or show up anywhere near her again, and you'll answer to me. Personally."
Edmund's gaze flicked between them, clearly reassessing the political implications of their partnership. A necromancer bonded to a territorial shifter created complications his original plan hadn't accounted for.
"Your family will disown you," Margaret said desperately. "Cut you off completely. You'll have nothing."
"They already have. And I'll have everything that matters anyway." Leenah squeezed Luka's hand, feeling their shared future spreading out before them like sunrise. "I'll have love, respect, genuine partnership, and a community that accepts me as I am rather than trying to change me into what they want."
She turned to face her family one last time, the spirits of her ancestors still swirling protectively around them.
"I'm sorry you can't understand that those things are worth more than political alliances or social approval," she said quietly. "But I'm not sorry for choosing happiness over fear."
As they walked toward the door, Leenah felt the weight of hostile stares following them. But she also felt the warmth of Luka's presence beside her, the steady strength of their bond, and the approval of ancestors who'd apparently been waiting decades for someone in the family to choose love over political expedience.
Whatever consequences her choice might bring, they'd face them together.
The way it should be.
36
LUKA
The train ride back to Hollow Oak should have been a celebration. Leenah sat beside him, her hand firmly clasped in his, the weight of her family's disapproval finally lifted from her shoulders. Through their bond, he could feel her relief mixing with residual anger at the confrontation they'd left behind.
"I can't believe I actually did it," she said, watching the familiar mountains come into view through the window. "Told them exactly what I thought of their manipulative bullshit."
"About time." Luka squeezed her fingers. "You were magnificent back there. The way you handled Edmund's compulsion spell..."
"We handled it," she corrected, leaning against his shoulder. "I couldn't have broken free without our bond."
The acknowledgment warmed him more than any declaration of love could have. After years of her fierce independence, hearing her admit they were stronger together felt like a victory worth savoring.
But as the train pulled into Hollow Oak's station, something felt wrong.
The platform buzzed with more activity than usual for a Tuesday afternoon. Several Council members stood in heated discussion near the ticket booth, their expressions grim. Maeve Cross paced like a caged lioness, her short black hair disheveled and her guard uniform wrinkled as if she'd been up all night.
"That doesn't look good," Leenah murmured.
Before Luka could respond, Edgar Tansley from the Hollow Mercantile spotted them and hurried over, his usually cheerful demeanor replaced by obvious anxiety.
"Thank the spirits you're back," Edgar said, slightly out of breath. "We've got a situation. A fellow arrived this morning with some kind of legal delegation. They're claiming ownership of half the sacred sites in town."
"What?" Leenah's voice came out sharp with disbelief.
"Edmund something is his name. Legal documents, official seals, the whole works. Says his family has hereditary rights to the land dating back to the original settlements." Edgar's hands fluttered nervously. "The Council's been in emergency session since dawn, but no one knows what to do."
Luka felt his bear surge beneath his skin, protective fury igniting at the threat to their territory. "Where is he now?"
"The grove," Edgar replied grimly. "Set up some kind of magical perimeter around the whole area. Won't let anyone through."
The grove where they'd performed their bonding ritual. Where they'd sealed the new pact with the spirits. The most sacred space in all of Hollow Oak, and Edmund was treating it like his personal property.
"We need to get there," Leenah said, already moving toward the station exit.
The walk through town revealed the extent of the crisis. Hollow Oak's usually vibrant main street felt subdued, residents speaking in hushed voices and casting worried glances towardthe eastern woods. The Griddle & Grind's windows were dark despite the afternoon hour, and even the ever-cheerful Twyla was nowhere to be seen.
But it was the supernatural disturbances that made Luka's blood run cold.
