Page 104 of Spellbound & Speechless
“Iama wolf.”
But I know that’s not what she means. I’m not a lone wolf anymore. I’m part of a pack now, which is enough to change my scent. Other wolves can tell; of course, my mom can, too. She knows me too well.
Her eyes meet mine, and there’s sorrow behind her gaze. “I understand why you did it. I hope it works better for you than it did for me.”
“You do?” I ask. “You understand?”
“I do.” She runs her fingers over the cover of the grimoire, resting on the blue stone on the front. “What do you think? Are you going to be a leader like me?”
I snort. “Doubt it. I’m walking into a pack. Taking over as the leader wouldn’t be right.”
“Mhm. If you say so.” She rocks in the chair. “I spent the day with Aspen. Lovely girl. Anyone would want to protect her.”
“Ma…” I gesture around. “This whole family is worth protecting. They’re part of my pack now.”
“I know,” she says. “I can’t keep you safe from the rest of the world forever. At some point, you were always going to make your own mistakes.”
“You think this is a mistake? Having people on my side is amistake?”
“I don’t know. I certainly hope not.” She leans forward and places her hand on mine. It’s rare for us to touch at all. “But I don’t want to see you get hurt; that witch is the least of my worries. There are other kinds of pain. It’s gruesome, a hurt you can only imagine.”
I scoff. “No imagination needed. I know you lost your husband, but I lost my father. I already know what it feels like to love and lose.”
“I know.” She leans back. “This isn’t a lecture. I’m giving you my blessing.”
It still doesn’t feel like her approval, but I know it’s the most she can give me. Losing her mate meant losing a part of herself. That’s a part she may never get back.
I won’t lose Aspen, not like this. I won’t become my mother. I’ve already lived like her for too damn long.
Creepinginto our room late at night makes me feel like a kicked puppy begging for forgiveness. Again.
Aspen and I haven’t seen each other since morning, and while I was only trying to let Aspen know my priorities, she didn’t seem to understand. I don’t know how to make it clearer.
Sheis my priority. Always. For the rest of our lives, she comes first. Her safety is the most important thing to me, and that hasn’t changed since the day we met.
I still need to see her. It’s not a want anymore, but a need. The desperation to be close to her isn’t only my wolf’s. It’s mine now, too.
Ending the day without her feels wrong. I can’t wait to see her, but?—
There’s a stranger in her bed.
“Sorry!” My eyes widen. “I didn’t mean?—”
“Mac.” The stranger’s expression flattens. “It’s me.
Oh…oh.
ItisAspen, but her hair is different. The color issomewhere between Rowan’s darker auburn and Maple’s lighter copper, but it’s hers—completely Aspen.
“Wow.” I sit on the edge of her bed.
Her flush deepens, and she looks away—it may be the first time I’ve seen her appear bashful. “What? Do you hate it?”
“No.” I glare playfully and hold her face, guiding her to look at me. “I don’t hate anything about you. You should know that by now. You could have Laurel’s green hair, and I would still think you’re fucking stunning.”
“Oh, but I hate her hair!”
“I know.”
