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“I don’t mind.”
“Is this you wanting to ‘not handle things’?” Calum raised a brow, and Fern’s mouth dropped open at the use of her own words against her.
“That’s low.”
Calum shrugged, turning back to the sink. His instincts insisted he provide for Fern, even if all he could do in the moment was make a cup of tea.
The pair waited in comfortable silence. All the emotional turmoil aside, Fern was pleased to find that she was relaxed in his presence—as long as she didn’t think about how badly she did, in fact, want to kiss him again too.
A few minutes later, Calum and Fern were sitting across from one another with steaming mugs. He waited for her to speak.
“This is a lot of pressure, Calum.”
“Which is my fault.” He took a sip and continued. “You are the only person who carries the genetic ability to break this curse, and I need your help. But I don’t intend for you to do it alone. You’re new to this world. My expectations are low.”
Fern recoiled. “Oh well, gee, thanks.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Calum shook his head. “What I’m saying is that I don’t want you to feel you need to come in and solve another problem for someone else. I’d love to see your perspective on the situation.”
Fern frowned. “I don’t know what perspective I can offer you. You’ve been studying this for centuries, and I’ve only just learned that it…exists.”
Calum’s grip tightened on his mug, but his voice remained calm. “That’s the beauty of it. You don’t need to know. I just need you to try.”
The silence shifted between them. Fern looked away from Calum, unable to stomach the hopeful look on his face.
I can’t imagine what he’s gone through to get to this point. She turned over her options in her head. But I can’t do this. I’m not the one. It’s too much. I came here for one reason, and I intend to see that through.
“I can’t do it, Calum.” Fern’s voice cut through the room like a knife. She didn’t sound convincing, but he didn’t push her. “My life got put on hold when my parents died. Nothing mattered except for Saoirse and Finn. A doctorate is finally my chance to do something for myself and this… It’s too much. I have to say no.”
Calum hardly reacted, his face devoid of emotion. He moved slowly, placed his tea on the coffee table, and stood to his full height.
“I understand.” His voice was stoic. “Then I look forward to seeing your success at this university, Ms. McEwan.” He began walking towards the door.
“Calum, wait—” Fern called out after him, but he raised a hand and silenced her. There was a soft, placating smile on his face that made Fern nauseous.
“I understand completely,” he assured her. “Mara and Emmett will see that you have your class schedule.” Fern opened her mouth to stop him, but he opened the front door and was gone.
She sank back down on her couch with a defeated sigh. It was like she lost something important, but she didn’t know what it was.
Outside, the wind picked up and cried like it was in mourning.
Chapter Eleven
You don’t live for over four-hundred years without developing a strong sense of patience. There was no other option. Everything about Dr. Calum Welsh’s life had come down to playing the long game. Sitting in his office the next morning, however, he was anything but patient.
Last night, he could see in Fern’s eyes that he had come on too strong. It was his own fault—he should’ve expected that the last thing Fern McEwan wanted to do was take on more responsibility in her life. Why would she want to play hero for people she didn’t know?
He didn’t regret kissing her, either, but he’d pull back on his brazen seduction, too. He couldn’t help it. Calum had been waiting for his mate his entire life and waiting for a curse breaker for almost three-hundred years; now they were both here, in one person, and she had rejected him. It stirred up old wounds and feelings of failure that Calum thought were locked away.
He could wait on Fern, his mate. At least, until she accepted they were inevitable. She could deny being Fern, the curse breaker, all that she wanted, but he couldn’t keep himself from her in that way forever.
The fae that Calum Welsh had once been was rioting under the surface, shaking the bars of his cage. Without his magic, Calum was better off navigating life as Dr. Welsh. Now, his mate had stumbled right into his office and was the key to breaking him free—breaking them all free. If only she could see it.
His conversation with Fern had turned their situation into a hunt. She didn’t know it, but he did.
I always did enjoy a hunt.
Now that Fern knew she was a witch, she’d feel tremors of her gifts—if she hadn’t already—but they were still bound under the same curse. He just had to get her started and let fate do the rest.
