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She bit her lip, those piercing green eyes never leaving mine. "So, you're telling me that it's normal for you to turn into a champagne bottle? And now, somehow, I've set you free?"
"Not nearly," I replied, my voice full of frustration. "Shifters don't usually turn into inanimate objects. That was a curse placed on me."
Tess's breath hitched. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes as she grappled with the unbelievable reality before her. But there was also an undeniable spark of excitement, a connection we both felt the moment I first ran into her shop, and it continued to grow since.
"Can you tell me more about what being your mate entails?" She whispered, stepping closer. She was close enough for me to touch, but I didn't dare reach for her. It wasn't worth frightening her away.
"Anything for you," I murmured, trying to maintain control over the intense emotions coursing through me. So much for keeping things light. "Shifters have a kind of... soulmate. I think that's the human equivalent. We're destined for each other by the gods. Our souls are intertwined, and nothing can break our bond."
"Even if I'm only human?" Tess asked, her voice trembling with an emotion I couldn't decipher, but needed to understand.
"Human or shifter, the gods don't care." I replied, my inner beast roared for me to finally claim her, but she didn't know everything yet. And if she did, she wouldn't choose to mate with me. "You are my Tsigo, my fated mate. I can't help but love you fiercely for all eternity. Not even death can break our bond once we claim each other."
Tess's jaw dropped open a bit. I wanted to comfort her, but I wasn't sure how she was taking the news yet. She'd thought herself crazy just a moment ago, so I didn't think pushing her would be the best move right now.
The moment my gaze caught sight of my reflection in a nearby mirror, I froze. I was dressed in a snug, red velvet Santa outfit, trimmed with white fur. The memory of Tess placing a bottle cozy over me while I was a champagne came flooding back. She had adorned me with this absurd getup… festive outfits for every holiday while I'd been trapped.
"Ah, now that's a look," I said with a chuckle, trying to ease the tension. Tess, however, seemed unfazed by my wardrobe, her attention drawn to something else. When I turned to dramatically pose, Tess let out a strangled noise.
"Wait," Tess's eyes focused on the floor beneath me. "Hadrian, you're bleeding."
I looked down and saw crimson droplets pooling around my bare feet. As I shifted my weight, shards of broken glass from my former prison crunched underfoot, slicing through my skin. The sharp sting of pain pierced through my nerves, but it paled in comparison to the agony I had endured for an entire year as I watched my mate while being unable to claim her.
"Here, let me help you," Tess insisted, guiding a chair toward me. I hesitated, reluctant to accept her assistance. As her Tsigo, I should be caring for her. But the concern etched on her face wore down my defenses, and I allowed her to care for me.
She knelt at my feet as I sat in the chair and she gently lifted my injured foot onto her lap. Her warm hands tenderly examined the small cut, cleaning away the blood with a damp cloth. The intimacy of her touch sent shivers up my spine, igniting a fire within me that had been stoked every moment since I'd first seen her.
"Thank you, Tess," I murmured, struggling to contain the desire coursing through my veins. She met my gaze, her eyes shimmering with unspoken emotion.
"Of course," she whispered. "I can't bear to see you hurt."
As she bandaged my wound, I knew it was time to reveal the truth about those who pursued me. "Tess, I need to tell you why I ran into your shop," I began, my voice strained with the weight of my secrets. "The shifter council is… very stern with their rules and rather corrupt when it comes to what they want. And they wanted to use me for espionage due to my unique shifted form. A bottle of champagne would fit in and go unnoticed in a lot of places that a shifter operative wouldn't. That's why they chased me."
"Espionage?" she questioned, her eyes wide with fear and disbelief. "Why would they want to do that?"
I hesitated, not wanting to burden her with the dark world I came from, but knowing she deserved the truth. "There have been rumors that the council is going after cursed shifters like me. Because we can blend better, making it easier for them to infiltrate and manipulate different packs and clans. I couldn't find out more before they trapped me at your shop."
Tess stared at me, and I saw the uncertainty in her gaze. But there was also a quiet strength beneath it all, a fierce determination to stand by my side even as the world crumbled around us. The gods had been too good to me.
I glanced around the dimly lit room, taking in the soft glow of the lamplight. Tess still knelt at my feet, silent as she struggled to comprehend everything I had just revealed to her. The air between us crackled with tension, a mixture of fear, uncertainty, and an inexplicable attraction that neither of us could deny.
"Maybe they used some kind of spell to trap me," I speculated, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of it all. "I felt something hit me in the back and a strange feeling came over me. Which is why I ran into your shop."
"So why were you able to turn back now?" Tess asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
I shook my head, feeling a mixture of frustration and despair. "I don't know. But I suspect the spell wasn't intended to last forever, just long enough for them to catch up to their target. If the shifter council finds out I'm still alive, they won't stop until they capture me."
A knock on the door startled both of us. When Tess moved to get the door, I stopped her by catching her wrist. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why?"
I listened, but I didn't hear anything that would clue me into who was on the other side. "Because it's only a matter of time before the council finds me. They're not known for letting go of things once they make their mind up." Her fingers slid into mine as she stood next to me, content to listen to my request.
The knock returned, this time louder and more persistent.
My breath caught in my chest as I tried to form a plan. It had been an entire year since I'd been a man. Not only did I not have access to any resources, I didn't know if they even still existed. On top of that, I didn't have a clue what had changed in the shifter world in the year I'd been gone.
The knocking grew insistent.
