Page 95 of Spellbound & Speechless
It’s too small for my wolf. I transform back into my human self and crawl inside, ignoring the embarrassment of sharing my naked body with her at a time like this.
She’s already seen it, but it feels too intimate considering my current state. It’s cold, too. Worrying about shrinkage right now feels ridiculous.
“What is this?” I ask, kneeling.
Aspen looks through the little cupboards and smiles to herself. “Good. Everything is still here.” She brings out a few blankets and lays them out on the floor. “This was our clubhouse when we were young. Then, when we got older, it was my hiding place.”
“From what?”
“From the overwhelm that comes with being part of the Hawthorne family. You experienced that today. I guess it’s official—you’re one of us.”
“Huh.” I cover my junk with both hands. “I guess I didn’t realize what I was signing up for.”
“That’s probably my fault. I spent a long time hiding from my family, and there’s a reason for that.” She moves closer until her knees press against mine. “I’ve always loved them, but for a long time, being a part of something sobigfelt… messy. It always is when there are multiple people involved.”
“Do you still feel that way?”
“No.” She smiles sadly. “These last few weeks taught me it’s worth it, even when it’s all a mess. Itwillget messy, too—it always does—but I want to be part of my family again and… I think I am. That won’t always be easy; sometimes we’ll have to hide away.”
I look out the window, nodding. “Maybe I can build us another cabin out here.” My gaze flickers back to hers. “A real one, just for us. What do you think?”
She tilts her head to the side, giving me the sweetest smile. “Do you know how to do that?”
I lift a shoulder. “I can figure it out.”
“I think…” She wraps her arms around my neck, holding me close. My racing heart finally slows. “That’s the perfect idea. Do you want to tell me how you feel before we keep getting distracted?”
“Uh…” I chuckle. “Like shit, and like I can’t return the suit to the boutique. So much for saving money by renting…”
“Stop. Forget the rental. Youknowit’s not your fault.”
“I know.” He shakes his head. “But there’s something I don’t know. I don’t know if I can keep you safe, Aspen, and I don’t know if I can keep your family safe. I want to. I want toso damn badly. They’re my family now, too.”
“Theyareyour family, but you can’t protect everyone. You’re only one person.”
“Fuck.”
“I know. That’s the bad news.” She presses her forehead against mine. “No matter how strong and smart you are, no single person can protect everyone—but I will protectyou. We can protect each other. I think that’s the most we can do.”
That doesn’t feel so easy to acknowledge. If it were, I would have accepted losing my father a long time ago.
I press my lips together, wrestling with my conflicted feelings. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“Iamright. It’s not your fault. Nothing is. You’re the reason we’re alive. We didn’t know how to deal with this before we found you.”
“And we still don’t. I only know how to track the corrupt witches. I don’t know what to do once we find them.”
“We’ll discover that part together.”
If she has the same fears, it doesn’t show. Aspen’s presence is perfectly calm, even through the mating bond. We can’t hide anything from each other. She presses soft kisses to my eyelids, my nose, and down the side of my face.
“She seems awfully interested in your magic…” I frown. “I don’t like it.”
“Oh, but it’s a good thing.” She kisses my neck. “It’s because she knows love is the strongest energy of all. And we have plenty of that, don’t we?”
“I guess we do.” Finally, I crack a smile. “She ruined our night. I’m sorry. We can still go to the hotel.”
She pulls away and shakes her head. “No, no. Let’s spend the night right here. It can still be just the two of us.”
