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They ducked between the gravestones and ran up the hill, the wind and rain pushing back against them with every step. Finally, the old wooden doors of the church were in view.
Fern was barely on her feet as they approached. They slipped on the loose gravel pathway as they moved with dogged determination towards the entrance.
Calum threw his body weight against the hinges, shattering the lock with an impressive shove. Fern and Calum went tumbling into the church and collapsed into its sanctuary in a tangle of limbs.
For a few precious minutes, the only sounds were their labored breathing and the echoes of the storm outside. Fern and Calum lay in a heap on the stone floor, unable or unwilling to move, soaked to the bone. It was Fern who spoke first, desperate for an explanation.
She scooted away from where she had been lying next to Calum and propped herself up against a wooden pew. Her clothes made a wet, squelching sound as she moved.
“What…happened?” A fresh rush of adrenaline surged through Fern, re-energizing her. Calum grunted in acknowledgement and sat up across the aisle.
“The bean-nighe,” he leveled his stare at Fern, unblinking, “it answered my question.” Fern’s heart stopped. The lightning flashed outside, painting the church in the colors from its stained-glass windows.
“What did it say?” Fern’s pulse quickened. Calum sat up straighter, looking like he was ready to pounce. Every muscle in his body pulled tight.
“It was going to take my life as payment for its answer,” his voice was guttural as he ignored her question, “but you stopped it.”
“H-how is that possible?” Fern could hardly breathe under the intensity of Calum’s stare. Their wet clothes and the storm raging outside them were all but forgotten.
Calum bent forward and crawled towards her across the aisle on all fours. Fern subconsciously angled her body towards him as he approached, her body simmering with need.
The adrenaline from their encounter in the woods was pulsing through their veins, demanding proof of their survival—they needed to fuck or fight, it didn’t matter which. They were alive, and there was weeks’ worth of unresolved tension between them, bubbling to the surface.
“Your magic stopped it.” Calum halted just out of Fern’s reach, straightening up to his knees. He gripped the edge of his sweater and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the side. It made a heavy, wet sound when it hit the stone floor that made Fern flinch.
“That’s not possible. My magic is bound like yours. I don’t even know how to—oh!”
Calum sprung forward and wrapped an arm around Fern’s waist, hauling her up to her knees and pulling her against him. Their bodies pressed together, and Fern could feel the outline of his erection pressing into her core, sending her body into overdrive. His arm tightened around her back.
“I don’t know how it happened,” Calum trailed his lips across her jaw, “but it did. You saved me.”
“That can’t be.” Fern’s voice was shaky as her hands flew up to grip Calum’s shoulders. He let out a low chuckle that sent shivers down her spine.
“Do I not seem alive to you?” He thrust forward, grinding his pelvis against Fern. She let out a breathy moan in response.
“I don’t know… You’d better prove it.”
Calum pulled back slightly, his eyes nearly solid gold. “Do you know what you’re asking, Fern McEwan?”
The sound of her name on his lips made her tremble. She nodded, trailing her hands down his sides. Fern gripped the belt loops on his jeans and pulled him closer to her.
Calum made a feral, unreserved sound that should’ve frightened Fern. Instead, her nipples tightened in response as a rush of warmth gathered between her thighs.
“Yes,” she moaned, pressing kisses across his chest as she pulled at his pants.
“Say it. I need to hear the words.” There was a command in Calum’s tone that made Fern’s core clench. He pulled away from her as if to give her some air while she decided.
Oh, I’ve already made up my fucking mind.
Fern nearly hissed at the loss of contact and nodded vigorously. Her words started tumbling out of her before she could stop it. “I want you, Calum. I’ve wanted you since you kissed me in your office, and honestly, probably before that—”
Calum cupped her head and pulled her to him, cutting her off with a punishing kiss. Fern relaxed against him and let him take control, dominating every inch of her space and biting at the seam of her lips.
He broke away and stood up, leaving Fern a panting mess on the church floor. Calum loomed over her, every inch of him looking like a furious fae prince of myth. Any trace of the studious academic was gone.
“Stand up, take your clothes off.” A predatory smirk crossed his face as Fern balked at him. “You promised to obey me, didn’t you?” Calum stepped backward and sat on the edge of the wooden pew.
He held his hand up and twirled his finger in small circles. “I don’t have all day. Stand up, and take your clothes off.” He repeated himself, and Fern nearly tripped over herself before getting to her feet.
