Page 94 of Freed By the Witchbone Knife

“Suppose I could manage a dance or two.”

“With other people watching.”

“Let them watch.” His voice dropped lower, rougher. “Let them see you’re mine.”

My heart stuttered. There was that word again. Mine. But this time he didn’t take it back. Didn’t amend it or qualify it or slap an expiration date on it.

“Okay,” I said softly.

“Okay?”

“You can come. But if you get overwhelmed⁠—“

“I won’t.”

“But if you do, you’ll tell me. Deal?”

He held my gaze for a long moment, then nodded once. “Deal.”

He finally slammed the door, rounded the truck, and got inside. He set his coffee in the holder and put his cookie bag on his lap to buckle up. Then he put the truck in reverse, pulling out of the parking spot. As we drove out of town, I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips.

Axel at a harvest festival. This was going to be interesting.

He ate his cookie and sipped his coffee while he drove. Me, on the other hand, I gazed out the window, already rethinking the outfit I wanted to wear. Because if Axel was going to be my date, then I wanted to drive him crazy. And that meant I needed to be strategic.

Saturday afternoon, I stood in front of Axel’s bathroom mirror, second-guessing myself for the fifth time.

The morning had been good. Better than good, actually. We’d made another attempt at the cave, and Axel had lasted a full hour before I saw the signs creeping in—the tight jaw, the shallow breathing, the way his eyes kept darting to the shadows. I’d called it before he had to, and he hadn’t argued.

Progress!

We went a full hour. Deeper than we’d ever been. Which meant we were getting closer. I could feel it.

The last two days had passed quickly. Axel had been...softer. More open. Stealing kisses when I walked past him in the kitchen. Pulling me against him on the couch while we watched the fire. Holding my hand during our drive to campus Friday like it was the most natural thing in the world.

There hadn’t been any more messing around, though. Not since Wednesday night. But the distance from the beginning of the week? Gone. Replaced by something that felt almost like dating. Like we were a real couple figuring things out.

Tonight definitely felt like a date. Our first real one, if I was being honest.

I smoothed down my skirt one more time. It was a burgundy skater style piece that came mid-thigh—short enough to be flirty, long enough to be appropriate for a family event. I’d paired it with sheer black tights and a chunky cream sweater that was cozy but fitted, showing off my curves without being obvious about it. My ankle boots with a low heel completed the look, ideal for dancing and walking around on uneven ground.

I’d curled my hair, let it fall loose around my shoulders. Added a bit more makeup than usual—some mascara, a touch of blush, a berry lip that matched my skirt. All in all, I looked...good. Festive. Like someone who had a date to the Fall Fling with a gorgeous, complicated werewolf.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the bedroom door and stepped out into the main room.

And promptly forgot how to breathe.

Axel stood by the fireplace, and he looked...

God.

He looked like something out of a magazine.

Or a fantasy.

Dark jeans that fit him perfectly. A charcoal button-down that stretched across his shoulders, the fabric straining just enough to hint at the muscles underneath. He’d rolled the sleeves up to his elbows—of course he had—showing off those forearms that did things to me. His hair was brushed back from his face, still a little wild but intentional now. And his beard—he’d trimmed it close, neat, framing that sharp jaw in a way that made my mouth water.

The scar cutting across his face didn’t diminish anything. If anything, it made him look dangerous. Powerful. Like someone you didn’t want to mess with.