“You are so whipped,” Sin mutters from behind, his voice dripping with judgment and just a hint of amusement.
I glare over my shoulder. “Appreciate the moral support.”
He shrugs. “I just call it like I see it.”
I open my mouth to retaliate — but the words never make it out.
Because she walks in. And I forget how to breathe.
Kass steps through the grand doors, Sinalyn trailing at her side. I barely register the witch. My gaze locks on my mate.
A deep green dress hugs her curves like sin. Her hair spills over one shoulder, loose and soft, begging for my hands. She glows.
“Move, you idiot,”Draxis snarls, practically shoving me forward from inside my mind.“Go to our mate.”
My feet unfreeze. I cross the floor like I’m caught in a spell, meeting her halfway. She smiles at me, genuine and bright.
“Why are you so nervous, Draven?” she asks, a hint of amusement in her voice. “I could feel you going crazy through the bond for the past hour.”
Shit. Right. That whole shared feelings thing.
I scan the tether between us — searching for any trace of reluctance on her part. There’s nothing but calm. Curiosity. Contentment.
I exhale and lift a hand to her cheek, brushing her skin with my thumb. Her warmth grounds me.
“This is where we first met,” I whisper.
Her eyes widen slightly, flicking around the ballroom. I feel the recognition settle inside her. But no shadows follow it.
I take a breath and let the rest spill out.
“I can’t undo what happened that night. I can’t rip it out of time and pretend it didn’t exist. But I can try to give you something else. New, better memories.” I step in closer, my forehead almost brushing hers. “Let me rewrite that night, Kass. Let me gift you a new first meeting. The one that should have been all along.”
For a moment, she says nothing.
Then her smile stretches. “It’s a gift for you too, isn’t it?” she teases gently, resting her palm over my heart. “I accept.”
She steps back, eyes gleaming. And just like that night, she says it again.
“You’re my mate.”
“What did you just say?” I ask, repeating my own words.
She lifts her chin, defiant. “You’re my mate.”
I grin, stepping into her space, winding an arm around her waist.
“You’re damn right I am,” I growl, voice echoing through the ballroom for everyone to hear.
Epilogue 1
Sinalyn
It shouldn’t hurt this much. Not for a witch. Not for me.
Galla's words were all lies and I should have known better. She told me so many things, but only when they served her own purpose. I don’t know why I believed her about this. After everything she did to me.
When she spoke about mates, she made me think it didn’t feel the same for us as it does for shifters. It was never supposed to be this intense. This powerful. Nothing like the searing pain in my heart. That’s why she always said rejection is simple for witches. A bond so loose, so meaningless — it comes easy and leaves without leaving a scratch.
