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“That was so…so effortless,” she said. “The way you shifted between one step and the next. I can’t even do it on command, much less change without falling on my face. Why do wolves have such big paws?!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “They do,” I acknowledged. “But you’ve only shifted twice, Celeste. Pups struggle when they start, and any shifter who manifests their wolf later in life has a harder time than a pup. You aren’t any different.” I could only imagine how frustrating this felt for Celeste, but this was no failing on her part. “Besides, given how quickly you picked up on spellwork once you removed the barrier to your magic, I’m quite confident in your ability to pick up shifting with ease.”
Celeste’s cheeks turned a little pink, but the smile returned to her face. “Thank you,” she murmured as she briefly looked away. When she glanced back at me, she had an entirely different question. “Hey…I was just wondering…would you like to go on a date with me sometime? It doesn’t have to be right now or anything. I know you’re busy, and there’s the eclipse, and—”
“A date?” I repeated, tipping my head to the side.
Celeste paused, chewing the inside of her bottom lip for a moment. “Yes,” she finally said, sounding a bit more confident than before. “When we met, we sort of skipped right past ‘dating’ or ‘courting’ and jumped straight to ‘whisk the distressed damsel away for her safety’, you know?” She took a breath, seemingly settling her nerves before continuing. “I thought it would be good for us to try and start from the beginning. Like, what if you’d come to the planetarium, gone on my tour, and then asked me out for a drink afterward? Something like that.”
The corner of my mouth twitched. “If I recall correctly—” and I was certain I did “—I did offer to take you out for drinks.”
Celeste frowned. “And the rest of my colleagues,” she countered. “Well, I meant in a more normal way, not in the ‘kiss you senseless’ and ‘have a vampire hypnotize you to escape the other one’ way.”
My expression softened, and I leaned in to kiss her temple. “I see,” I said quietly. My actions hadn’t bothered me at the time—in fact, I’d been pleased to ensure Celeste’s safety—but I could see this was weighing heavily on her. “I am sorry we got off on the wrong foot,khuya.” I frowned. “And I amquitesorry I asked Piers to hypnotize you.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. “What would you like to do for our first official date, then?”
It was Celeste’s turn to look a little puzzled. “I…well, I guess I’m not entirely sure. Most first dates suck. They’re either really awkward and no one talks, or only one person does. The only thing I remember about my time with Ben is that he said I couldn’t pull off red lipstick.” She made a face, her shoulders slumping slightly. “I haven’t worn it since. Hell of a thing to say to your date.” After a moment, she shook her head as if she could get rid of the memory. “Either way, it’s just—well, it’s a very normal thing to do, and if I’m going to be immortal in a few months, I want to enjoy my last weeks of normalcy.”
I wrinkled my nose when she’d brought up Ben, displeased not only that she was thinking of him but that the man had the audacity to put her down, even on a first date. I knew he’d been under some sort of spell, but that was no excuse for making a woman feel undesirable. Especially Celeste.
“I will plan the date,” I decided. I would make this outing one for the books. “But I would like you to consider wearing red lipstick for it.”
Celeste rolled her silver eyes, giving me a wry look. “That wasn’t supposed to be a sob story, Fenris, and I don’t have any red lipstick. Even if I did, it’s not like I grabbed all my stuff from my apartment before I left. I just wanted to do this with you. I just want to be normal for a little while longer. Try not to let hunting the Solar Sovereign take over everything.”
I shrugged. “As you say.” I wasn’t sure if her hesitation was because she was uncertain about becoming immortal or doing sowith me,but I suspected it wasn’t the right time to ask. I nodded toward my house. “Perhaps we should go inside and get some sleep while we can.”
Instead of retreating inside, though, Celeste glanced up at the moon. “Actually, I was thinking of coming out to practice. The moon’s still pretty full, and I need all the help I can get, given the timeline I’m on.”
“You’re welcome to train however you want,” I replied, not wanting to dictate to a witch. Even I knew better than that. “However, you’ve been through alotlately, and with no time to recover, either. Consider resting with me, just for one night, and returning to train under the moon tomorrow while I’m away.”
I headed back inside, pleased to hear Celeste’s footsteps following me as I walked through the entrance and moved toward the stairs. I hadn’t exaggerated when I said I was going to rest.
“Where are you going? The States?” she asked once she closed the door to the master bedroom behind her.
“Hm?” I began to undress, taking off my shoes and pulling my button-down over my head.
“Oh, Abi and I were just talking about checking in with people back in Florida,” she said. “Obviously, my aunt is missing, but Abi has family who will probably start getting concerned if they don’t hear from her after a while. Her grandfather was in the hospital, too.” When I glanced over my shoulder, I realized Celeste had frozen in place while looking concerned. “And our friend, Liana. I still owe her for my wedding dress—plusshe broke up with her boyfriend. It’s just…a lot to disappear from.”
“I understand,” I said, inclining my head. “Unfortunately, I am not heading to Florida tomorrow. However, I will be meeting with the Order of the Stars soon. You are welcome to join me.”
“And Abi?”
My mouth twitched. I didn’t like the idea of any of Celeste’s friends in harm’s way, especially after Sabine’s attempt to drown my mate by controlling her best friend. Still, Abi was probably much more likely to be careful now, and I suspected she’d be easier to keep an eye on. “I will consider the feasibility,” I decided, not wanting to promise too much and have to go back on my word.
“Okay,” Celeste replied, evidently satisfied. She began to undress before slipping into the bed. “If you’re going to be away, come here and cuddle me.”
My mouth twitched, and I did as I was told.
I woke up with a start before jolting into an upright position. My muscles were tense, and a rivulet of cold sweat ran down my spine. I had been running, running,running, my paws churning up the damp earth. There were howls and snarls behind me, teeth tearing at my pelt. A never-ending forest surrounded me. I was no longer on a peaceful run but a—
It was just a dream, I told myself, forcing my wolf back from the surface.No. Just a memory.And it was centuries in the past. My wolf and I were in my bedroom now. There was no danger.
I glanced over to reassure myself that Celeste was still there, only to realize she was also awake and staring back at me. My mouth pulled downward. “I’m sorry,” I said, ignoring how gruff my voice sounded. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Celeste watched me for a moment longer, licking her lips. She opened her mouth but said nothing, clearly struggling with the words. “I…I think I saw your dream,” she said softly as she stared at her hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I…I honestly have no idea how I did that while I was asleep.” She took a deep breath and looked back at me, concern written across her face. “Are you alright? Was that—?”
