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“Styx got a cloaking spell, and I used it here. If anyone comes looking for us, they’ll never see anything. Just an empty part of the forest. We can wait out the primal hunt in secrecy. Everyone will think we’re doing what we’re expected to do, but no one will end up finding us.”
“Does that happen sometimes?”
I nodded. “It’s a big forest. It’s not unheard of.”
“And if they try to walk through the clearing? They’ll just end up in here with us,” she said, nervously biting her lip and glancing around the trees.
“No, they’ll end up turned around, and likely confused by it. Only you and I can get in here.”
She blew out a breath, sighing in relief. “How long do we wait?”
“We have a while. Styx will come get you and sneak you into the castle before the moons hit mid-sky,” I said, holding out my hand for her to take a seat on the blanket.
“Where will you go?”
I hesitated to answer, but she deserved to know. “Away. I know you don’t believe it will happen, but when you go into heat, it will be hard to deny you. I just want to be prepared.” Ha.Prepared. It was going to happen, whether she liked it or not. I blew out a harsh breath. “You said we needed to talk. Here’s our chance.”
Reagan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, sitting down cross-legged and tucking her skirt between her thighs, relaxing fully for the first time. I sat beside her, not knowing how to start the conversation.
“Thank you,” she said, finally breaking the silence. “For this.”
“Of course.”
“The entire concept of the primal hunt seemed fine up until yesterday when I asked Styx for more details. It just made me really uncomfortable.”
“I could tell.”
“And then when we were standing in the circle, I realized we hadn’t planned on how to do this, and I didn’t know what I was supposed to come into the forest and do because we didn’t talk about it.”
“We didn’t have a chance to, no.”
“I suppose that’s my fault.”
“Sure, it can be your fault.”
“Hey.” She threw a grape at me, and I picked it up and ate it with a smile.
I sighed. “We are both at fault. I wasn’t ready to talk to you. The anger was too close to the surface.”
“I, uh, realized a few things when I was talking Styx,” she said softly.
“Oh?” Great. She confided in the one person who thought mates were worse than death. This should be good.
“I invalidated your feelings.” She met my gaze, and a sadness crossed her features.
I raised my brows in surprise. “Styx was talking about ... feelings?” She hummed in response.
“Well, yes, but it was in between strikes while she was beating me up with a wooden sword.”
“That sounds about right.”
“Caius, I’m not ready to leave Tartarus,” she began, shifting to tuck her legs underneath. “I do want to be with you. I meant what I said, and it wasn’t a heat of the moment, post-orgasm, hot and heavy sex thing. I’m sorry for dismissing everything you said, and for saying your feelings aren’t real. It’s just . . . hard.”
“I’m sorry too, but I can’t apologize for believing you’re my mate.”
“No, I don’t expect you to. I thought I’d moved past a lot. I know I mean something to you beyond the . . . soul thing, otherwise . . . you know. But maybe some of the elders and the past still influence my beliefs. I may not know jack shit about primordials, but in all reality, I don’t know jack shit about myself either. Witch, unicorn shifter, guardian. The truth is, I only know what I’ve been told, and I was told I couldn’t have a mate. I haven’t experienced anything. I don’t have full memories. Hell, I’ve never even left The Crossroads until I came here.”
“Really?”
