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“I couldn’t imagine being without my gifts,” Willow began, surprising me just by speaking. “Witches are born with their powers just like shifters are, so I have only ever known this life. Even if they’ve been a bit of a nuisance, thanks to the premonitions, I wouldn’t feel like myself. And that is why I really am sorry for what you and your men are going through.”
Nodding absently, I rubbed my palms together. “Even if we clogged the streets of Rose Valley with our motorcycles?”
Willow stifled a laugh at that. “Even so.”
Glancing over at a clock hanging on the wall, I read eleven and realized I likely overstayed my welcome.
“Well, I should probably let you rest,” I said, standing up with a sigh.
But Willow’s gentle hand against my forearm stopped me before I could leave. Her eyes met mine, and despite their exhaustion, I found a glimpse of warmth within them.
“You can stay if you’d like,” she said, lip pulling upward slightly. “It’s getting late anyway, and I want to talk more.”
That poor, aching kernel of hope within my chest warmed at her request. It felt a pull towards her, like a limping dog returning to its owner after being found.
Smiling without inhibitions, I sat back down and allowed myself to soak in how good it felt.
It felt like a positive step, and I had no mind to leave her.
Chapter 12 - Willow
While the exhaustion had draped over me with all its weight, I didn’t seem to notice it after a while, especially now that I was home.
One way or another, Rowan’s company helped me feel at ease, and after hearing his sincere apology, I felt that resentment easing away from my bones.
As much as I didn’t necessarily want to hear him out just yet, my pure tiredness was to blame for letting it happen, but it still felt good to give him the chance to talk.
Even if that slight annoyance remained in my heart for him, seeing the rawness of his emotions, especially his regret, made me feel ridiculous for being so angry.
Despite pestering me earlier, Rowan had looked after me during the premonition, and he even brought me back home without thinking twice about it. That glass of water had been such a small gesture, yet it felt like a sort of truce—the chance to see eye to eye and reach a mutual understanding.
Even if I didn’t want to believe it before, I couldn’t help but see a different man in front of me. Someone who truly had changed.
“Why did your dad target witches?” I asked, leaning into the comfortable sofa cushions.
Rowan did the same as he relaxed. “I wish I knew. I thought it was more like he threw a dart at a board and decided on whatever group he landed on. He just wanted Rose Valley, and to get everyone on board with his plans, my dad needed us to be angry at someone. So, he convinced us you and your coven cursed us all the way from here.”
The very thought of it made my blood boil, but that anger wasn’t for Rowan.
“That’s ridiculous,” I said with a scoff. “We didn’t even know he or your group existed until the attacks started.”
“I know, and that’s what I’ve been trying to get the others to understand, too.”
“Did many of them believe you?”
He nodded. “After some convincing, most came around to it. My dad managed to do a lot of damage, and some of them still don’t trust anyone here. My hope is to help everyone see that there’s no reason to make anyone our enemy. Especially not when the man who orchestrated it all is gone.”
Recalling how his father had died in the last attack here, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Rowan. Even if they didn’t have the greatest relationship, he still lost someone. It was never an easy thing to deal with.
“And after your dad passed, you were made the new leader then?”
He nodded as his gaze grew distant while he thought about it. “We were completely lost after it happened, and when they decided it was my time to step into the role, I was left to pick up the pieces.”
“That must’ve been hard.”
“It was, but it’s been worth it,” Rowan said, meeting my eyes with unwavering sincerity. “Having the opportunity to change their perspectives has been everything to me. I’ve wanted a truce between our groups the moment I stepped out of my father’s echo chamber of manipulation.”
After hearing him admit how sorry he had been for it all, it was impossible for me to hold on to my own pre-existing beliefs. And seeing the look of despair on his face at how his father had gone about things made me empathize with him.
