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“You’re in for a treat then.”
Securing it over my head, I watched Rowan swing a leg over and move forward to let me do the same. I tentatively put my hands on his waist, aware that we were pushing against that line. The boundary I had set.
The engine roared to life and sputtered, sending its power through me.
He revved it multiple times and reminded me of the uncomfortable visions I had experienced the last little while.
But his voice pushed those thoughts away before I had to fight them back. “Hang on tight.”
Sensing how smug he was about the fact that I was participating in something that felt exclusive to him, I heeded the warning and wrapped my arms around him.
Even if it was something unknown and seemingly dangerous to me, I felt safe. Holding onto him steadied me, and I relaxed into it.
As we pulled away from the bar and headed to my house, the wind pulsing against us, I couldn’t deny how freeing and exciting it felt.
The road was open and unencumbered by traffic, which made it feel even better.
Despite the thrill of it, my mind drifted back to that haunting face, and I couldn’t help but wonder just how doomed we really were.
Chapter 11 - Rowan
With Willow’s presence behind me, her arms tightly wound against my middle, I felt a sense of duty to make sure she got home safe. I drove as carefully as I could, pushing through the darkness around us.
I was glad for the clear night as I took in the full moon and the stars scattered throughout the sky.
That, paired with the smooth drive, wasn’t something I thought would make me feel content, but having Willow with me, it was undeniable.
I wanted Willow to trust me, even if it took forever to get to that stage. I wanted to be someone she could lean on, no matter when she might need it.
Showing how much I cared through acts of service felt like a good place to start.
She had really alarmed me back at the club, but I was relieved to know she was okay and she just wanted to be back home. It felt like the perfect opportunity to show Willow I didn’t want to hurt her any more than I already had.
Glancing at her through one of my mirrors, I was blown away by how ethereal she looked behind me with her hair blowing in the wind and her face alight with a smile. I imagined how mortified she would be if she knew I could see it.
Taking in her beauty had me wishing everything between us hadn’t failed so spectacularly before it could even begin. I had caused that all on my own, and it was likely one of the worst mistakes I had ever made.
I wondered if I would still have the ability to shift if I hadn’t turned her away.
I wished I could’ve had the chance to dance with her at the club, even if she wanted nothing to do with me at the time. It felt like her premonition had gotten in the way of it happening, but at the end of it all, she was with me and hadn’t pushed me away.
It was a start, and enough to give me a flicker of hope in my chest.
We rolled through town, driving by the dark shops and the rare few restaurants that were still open to serve whoever was awake at that hour. When we went by her shop, I was thrown back into those old memories at the creek.
There was no avoiding thinking about how much I missed after rejecting her. All the time I could’ve spent getting to know her, discovering what it meant to have a bond, and letting it guide us forward together.
Instead, I shattered all the brief hope she had for something pure and divine, and ruined that fleeting trust.
Letting myself be consumed by anger at knowing she was a witch was the worst thing I ever could’ve done. I ruined everything from the start, and that was a burden I carried alone.
Even just looking through the mirror at her, that sense of yearning consumed me. She was magnetizing, and while I knew that had something to do with our bond, I couldn’t help but feel like her allure was a contributing factor.
Willow was more beautiful than I had initially allowed myself to see. I couldn’t look past the fact that she was a witch, capable of casting spells and seeing the future.
I let that prejudice blind me, and I would regret it for the rest of my life, whether I found a way to make it up to her or not.
A faint glow of warmth inside my chest reminded me of the connection I once had with my wolf. The gentle reminder that there was life within me beyond my own consciousness.
