Page 11 of Enchanted

Fuck, he was adorable. “Great-aunt Gertrude?”

“Miserable old bat,” he said by way of answer. “Never missed a chance to criticise everyone around her. Been dead years now, thank fuck.” He clapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes like saucers. “See? That’s the kind of shit that should mean I’m going somewhere…ya know, warmer.”

I recoiled at the very thought of him in Hell. “That’ll never happen.”

He might not know it, but his life span had just extended by several millennia. Or it would, once I marked him as mine. Something I intended to do immediately.

Right after I learned his name.

“You’re not dead,” I continued, firmer this time. “You were in an accident, but you’re alive and well.”

“The bus…” he said slowly, his gaze finding it again over my shoulder. “Fuck, I walked right out in front of it.”

I winced, fighting the urge to wrap my arms tighter around him. Baby steps, Rami. You might know he’s your destiny, but he can’t say the same about you. “You did?”

“I was a bit distracted.” He gave me a sheepish smile that faded rapidly. “How am I okay? I feel…fine. Better than fine, even. How is that possible?”

I went to answer him, but he shrugged out of my grip and stumbled upright. “And how is that you have wings? Either that’s the world’s most convincing costume, I’m dead, or I’m in a coma.”

I got to my feet slowly. “You’re not dead or in a coma.”

His eye twitched. “Costume?”

I smiled softly. “’Fraid not.”

I pulled my wings in tight but didn’t compel them away. I wanted my mate to know all of me, upfront. “I’m an angel. An archangel, to be specific. And you’re uninjured because I, well, healed you.”

He swayed slightly on the spot. My hands twitched, ready to catch him if needed.

“I’m sorry. Can you say all that again? I think I’m hallucinating.”

“Let’s sit down.” I steered him to a nearby bench. All around us, the crowd bustled to life. The bus driver drove off, undisturbed by the blood on his windshield. He’d clean it off later, believing he’d hit a pigeon. Pedestrians waited patiently to cross, while cars dodged the potholes I’d inadvertently added to the road. Not a single soul aside from the two of us knew that anything untoward had happened.

“This is a bit much,” my mate whispered, staring at the bus disappearing into the distance. “Did the driver not even think to check that I was okay? I mean, I am. I think I am. Am I?”

“You are.” I smiled at him again, settling onto the bench beside him. “How about we start over? Hi, my name’s Rami.”

He eyed my hand cautiously before sliding his into it. I sucked in a breath as our skin connected, my nerve endings tracing every point of contact. My hand practically swallowed his, which was apt. I wanted to wrap all of myself around him, just to keep him safe.

Then he spoke the name that would forever be carved on my very soul. “Ethan. Ethan Routliff.”

Ethan. It was perfect. He was perfect. My mate was here. Right next to me. I could reach out and touch him.

I couldn’t quite believe it. Or how close I’d come to losing him.

Thank fuck I was in his life now. Never again would he be in this situation.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, my voice practically a purr. My hand lingered on his far longer than was polite, but I couldn’t bear to let him go yet. “I’m sorry it was under such stressful circumstances.”

“About that…” Ethan broke our grip to rub his hands together. I didn’t know what I disliked more—that he wasn’t touching me, or his evident discomfort. Scratch that, I knew the answer. Anything that was making this man uncomfortable wasn’t okay with me. “What exactly happened here? What’s going on?”

“It’s a lot to take in.” I remembered how Sam had struggled. Benji had had to compel him before he’d been able accept it, something that’d had unexpected and terrifying consequences. “To cut a long story short, all the supernatural beings humans talk about? Well, we all exist.”

“What?” Ethan said faintly. “So you’re really an…angel?”

I inclined my head. “Indeed.”

“What about demons? Vampires? Werewolves?”