Page 13 of Enchanted

But if it would keep him safe, it was exactly what I’d do. Thank fuck Ferry had shown me how to do it safely. I had no idea if Ethan was neurodivergent like Sam, but at least I knew how to protect him if he was.

“Before you go,” I said, my voice already trembling. “There’s something I need to do first. Something I need to tell you.”

For one minute, one damn minute, I was going to be selfish. I was going to say exactly what I wanted. What I needed.

Before erasing every word from Ethan’s mind.

Ethan’s smile faltered. “Rami, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

I choked on a sob at the injustice of it all. At the confirmation that he too felt that instinctual need to comfort his mate. “Nothing. I just need to tell you something. Is that okay?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

“I found you today because you’re my fated mate. You’re the other half of my soul. The one who’s meant to complete me. The being I’m destined to love and cherish for the rest of eternity.”

There was a stunned silence from Ethan before he spoke a single word. “What?”

I laughed humourlessly, holding up a hand before he could say anything more. “Don’t worry, I know you’ve got a boyfriend. I don’t have any intentions of pursuing anything with you.”

“Even if I believed you,” Ethan said in a tone that told me in no uncertain terms that he didn’t, “why are you telling me?”

“Because soon you won’t remember it.” A tear slid free as the reality fully set in. I had a mate, but he’d never be mine. “I’m going to give you my mark, which will grant you my strength and protection. If you’re ever in danger, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. But other than that? You won’t hear or see me. It’ll be like I never existed to you.”

“Hang on. But⁠—”

“I’m sorry for telling you,” I said, cutting him off. “But I needed to be selfish, just for a minute. Don’t worry, my compulsion is thorough. It won’t hurt.”

It’d just make him forget this. Me.

I kind of wished I could forget too. Never knowing my mate would be better than the agony of meeting him and realising fate had, once again, fucked me over, right?

“I’m just going to place my lips on your forehead,” I said, slowly drawing nearer. “I won’t do anything inappropriate, I promise.”

Ethan was frozen in place, his beautiful lips parted in surprise. I swallowed hard, hating that I’d never get to taste them.

Pull it together, Ramiel.

The worst part was that I’d have to compel him first. Part of having my mark on him meant he wouldn’t be susceptible to compulsion.

Ethan sucked in a breath. “Rami, I —”

My heart cracked anew. I couldn’t hear whatever he was about to say. Not if I was to follow through on my promise.

Instead, I unleashed a wave of power. It worked through his mind, quietly erasing every one of the precious minutes we’d spent together.

Once it was done, I lightly kissed his forehead, gifting him my mark. The ache in my chest eased slightly, knowing my mate bore my mark. That he was protected.

And, when his time on this plane was at an end, so would mine be.

“Take care, Ethan,” I said quietly, breathing him in for the final time. “Be happy.”

Then, I took off into the air.

When I was a safe distance away, I paused, unable to stop myself. I saw with perfect clarity the moment Ethan became aware of his surroundings. How he frowned at the blood on his hands in confusion.

The same blood that was coating me liberally.

He checked himself over for injuries that didn’t exist before shaking his head in bewilderment. Just then, a grey Vauxhall screeched to a halt beside him.