Page 106 of Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me 7

“You say that like the curse has already consumed him,” I said with a frustrated grumble. “Until the day it does, there’s still hope.”

“I agree with the captain, Ev.” Callum expelled a breath. “I know you care for Onyx, but the risk is too great.”

“I love him, Cal.” My sternum yanked as though attached to a heavy anchor. “I refuse to give up on him. Not if there’s a way I can fix this.”

“We’ll speak more on this come morning,” Maddox gently said before guiding me back down beside him. He held me tighter than before though, his worry over me felt in every tense muscle and shaky kiss to my hair.

Hope blossomed in my chest. When Lupin told me about the possibility of one of my mates killing me, he’d mentioned another path where that mate loved me instead. Which meant there was a future where Onyx and I were happy. A fifty-fifty chance of either love or death.

Not the greatest odds, but what bothered me most was the thought of Onyx returning to a cold, sad life where he denied himself any warmth or the possibility of love. It was a risk worth taking.

Chapter Nineteen

Muffins Shouldn’t Play with Matches

Dark golden rays of sun filtered in through the windows in the reading parlor as the day came to a close. I sat with Lake on the couch, relaxing with a book as he whittled. The soft scrape of the blade against the wood joined the soothing crackle of the fire in front of us.

The book was a collection of fables. The first story spoke of an island that couldn’t be found on any map. It appeared and vanished throughout the vast sea and was believed to contain immense riches. The second story was about a magical seed that blossomed into a beautiful weeping willow. A small illustration showed a knight in black armor standing beside her. Guarding his queen.

I smiled and kept flipping through the book. It made me curious though. If the story about the willow was true, what about the others? The mysterious treasure island. The sea creature that lived in the deepest depths of the sea, big enough to swallow ships whole.

Oreo lay on the rug and yawned, showing his canines and floppy tongue. A new leather collar adorned his neck. Lake had finished the wooden charm he’d been making for the pup and had fastened it to a strip of leather armor and one of Callum’s boot laces, along with a tiny white stone he’d found while working with Koga in the garden.

“He loves it,” I said, peering down at the puppy. “I saw him prancing around the castle earlier with his little head held high like he was showing it off.”

Lake’s responding smile veered on shy. “I suppose it’s not bad for my first attempt.”

He was modest when it came to his work. Too modest, I’d say. Not long ago, we had sat in this very same parlor as he told me about his dream of owning his own shop. The Shadow Realm didn’t treat demi-wolves horribly like Bremloc did. It was a place where he could walk in daylight without worrying about anyone seeing him—where he could have an actual life.

“So, about this woodshop you want to open…” I rested my head on his shoulder and smiled up at him. “We still thinking of naming it Lake’s Hard Wood?”

A tight smile touched his lips. “The name matters very little. Life has other plans for me. Plans that don’t involve me settling in one place while the human I love is in peril.”

“In peril?” I sighed, trying to keep the mood light despite the ache in my heart. “The only danger I’m in at the moment is from Fane when he sees the chicken casserole baking in the oven.”

“Did you add bacon?” he asked, amusement ringing in his gruff voice.

I grinned. “Maybe.”

He roughly laughed.

“Speaking of the casserole, it should be ready soon.” I sat up on the cushion and closed the book, placing it on the side table. “I should head to the kitchen.”

“I’ll come with you,” Lake said, then tucked away the whittling knife and project he’d been working on.

As he and I left the parlor, the castle felt different. I no longer saw creepy corridors and gloomy rooms long since neglected. Fading daylight trickled in through the windows, breathing life into what once felt so cold and desolate.

“It’s as though I’ve been trapped in ice for centuries and can finally feel the sun on my skin.”

A tear slipped free at the memory of Onyx’s words. A dwelling reflected the soul inhabiting it was what he once told me. It was why his castle had once seemed so desolate, mirroring the way he’d shut himself off from the world. But now there was warmth, albeit small. And I would do everything in my power to prevent that chill from sweeping back in.

Just had to… you know, figure out how to break his curse. No big whoop. Where there was a will, there was a way and all that. The weeping willow believed in me at least.

Lake and I reached the kitchen several minutes later, led by an excitable puppy, who was still prancing around and holding his head high. He puffed out his little chest too.

“You’re banished from this kitchen hence forth,” Fane told me, both hands on his hips. He had already taken the casserole from the oven and sneered at it.

I laughed so hard I had to lean on the counter to stay upright.