Page 29 of Dark Witch: Entangled Fates

As he and Marina approached, Larissa's head snapped up, her eyes widening with concern as she took in Marina's disheveled appearance.

Marina was still wrapped in his jacket, which looked like a coat on her, and her hair was a mess.

He should have told her that she needed to fix it before they went inside, but he'd been too busy freaking out inside his own head to think straight.

"Chto sluchilos'?" Larissa asked in Russian, her brow furrowed. "Ty v poryadke?"

Marina waved off her friend's concern with a somewhat shaky smile. "Ya v poryadke," she assured Larissa. "Luchshe, chem v poryadke, na samom dele."

At Larissa's questioning look, Marina elaborated in English. "Everything's fine, Larissa. Better than fine, actually. I just had a little too much to drink on an empty stomach, that's all." She reached for a piece of bread from the basket on the table, tearing off a small chunk and popping it into her mouth. "I think I'll stick to bread and olives for now," she said to Peter. "And water. Lots and lots of water. But you should fill your plate from the buffet before your friends and family finish it all."

Peter squeezed her hand under the table. "I'll get both of us plates."

Marina shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea for me to eat anything other than bread. Maybe later, I'll try something else." She smiled up at him. "When you go for seconds."

"As you wish." He pushed to his feet.

"I'll come with you." Jay looked at Larissa with affection in his eyes. "Do you want me to bring you another serving of beef Stroganoff?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Yes, please."

As Peter made his way towards the buffet table, Jay fell into step beside him. "I love watching Larissa eat. It's so erotic. She eats so daintily, and she looks like she's orgasming after every bite. I've been as hard as a rock the entire time you were outside."

Peter shook his head. "TMI, my friend. TMI."

Jay laughed. "Yeah. I have no filter. Is everything okay with you two?" he asked quietly, his gaze darting back to where Marina and Larissa were sitting, heads bent close together as they talked.

Peter hesitated for a moment. Soon, Marina would move in with him, so their love wouldn't be a secret anyway. Besides, he was a male in love, and he wanted to shout it from the rooftops, not hide it just because everyone he knew was going to think that he had lost his fucking mind.

"We're good." He let out a sigh. "Better than good, actually. We're in love."

Jay's eyebrows shot up, his expression shifting from surprised to skeptical. "You are in love with a human?"

Peter ran his fingers through his hair. "When it hits, there isn't much you can do about it. I don't know why the Fates chose a human for me, but I hope they know what they are doing and that it's not punishment for something I have done." He looked over his shoulder back to where Marina sat, her blue hair gleaming like a beacon. "She wants to move in with me."

Jay's eyes widened. "Kian will never agree."

"Why not? Marina knows who we are, and she wouldn't be the only human in the village. Several of those who served the Kra-ell moved into the village from Safe Haven, and Kian is contemplating inviting more. Atzil needs people to work in his bar, Callie needs servers and assistant cooks for her restaurant, and there are many other jobs that our people don't want to do."

Jay remained silent for a long moment. "What about you, Peter? What happens when she grows old? There is a good reason we don't form long-term relationships with humans, and it's not that we think of ourselves as superior."

Peter closed his eyes, a dull ache blooming in his chest. "I'll take whatever time she can give me, and I'll cherish every moment. And who knows? Maybe we'll decide to part ways after a while. It's not like we are fated mates. We can't be. So, it might end like it ends for many humans."

Even as he spoke the words, Peter was aware of the lie. Deep down, he believed that Marina was his one and only truelove mate.

Kagra's words echoed in his head again, "You are enamored with love, Peter. You are lying to yourself."

Was he?

Not really. He would be lying to himself if he denied what he felt for Marina.

There would be no parting ways, no amicable split. He was hers and she was his, and they were bound together by a force that transcended their differences, but he couldn't say that, not yet.

Instead, he clapped Jay on the shoulder. "Let's get some food. I'm starving."

21

MARINA

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