Page 32 of Warrior Witch

Harlow rolled her eyes, pointing at Bruin as she spoke. “Pretty bold to assume I’d ever consider you as an option with the whole trying-to-kill-me thing.”

“Every story has its obstacles. You know my stance on the situation.” He winked at her before moving to his own bed, flopping down with a grunt.

She turned to Addie, pulling her in for a tight hug and gently kissing the top of her head. “Anyway, I’m sorry for worrying you, kiddo. I didn’t mean to be gone that long.”

Addie hugged her back, squeezing like she was afraid Harlow would disappear if she let go. “It’s okay. You brought back a boyfriend, so I guess I understand.”

“I dunno about ‘boyfriend’.” Harlow cringed at the word. “He got me out of a tough spot and wants to keep helping, so that’s enough for me right now.”

“Ooh, if he’s your fated-whatever, maybe he’ll let me get the dog!”

“Funny story. He is the dog. Wolf, actually. Raiju, technically.” Harlow grinned down at her. “So, if he decides to stick around, I guess we’ll see.”

“What? No way! I want a do-over dog! It doesn’t count if he’s your boyfriend.”

The door behind them opened, revealing a handsome East-Asian man in his mid-twenties, with long white hair tied up in a messy bun. He’d clearly been dressed by Lindsay; the sequined cat t-shirt and neon yellow shorts didn’t look like this man’s usual style.

“Hey.” He smiled, showing pearly white teeth with a little extra canine. “Just wanted to say it’s safe to come in now. Sorry about that.”

Addie pulled away from the hug, staring at the stranger. “I have so many questions for you.”

“Questions that can wait for tomorrow, kid.” Harlow chuckled, giving Addie a little push into their room, before looking up at Ranto. “Do you need to rent a room, or…?”

“I’m good with a pillow on the floor. Don’t worry about me.” He turned to Bruin and me, giving us each a long stare, like he was trying to remember our faces from somewhere. “Uh, nice to meet you and good night.”

As Ranto went back to the other room, Bruin rubbed his eyes and wordlessly walked over to the bathroom, leaving me alone with Harlow.

“Got a minute?” she asked.

I nodded, gesturing at my bed for her to sit down. “What’s up?”

Taking a seat next to me, Harlow took a moment before finally speaking. “I wanted to say thank you. You’ve been amazing the past few days, especially with Addie. I hope we haven’t held you back from your research too much, but I really appreciate everything you’ve done. You’ve turned into someone I can trust with my family, and I won’t forget that.”

“It’s no problem at all. Addie’s actually been really helpful with the research. She’s collected soil samples that tell me Spells Hollow has the right components to produce the plant I’m looking for. We’ve made progress, and I’m quietly hopeful,” I explained, excited to talk about my research. “And we were just worried about you today. Lindsay didn’t say what had you so weirded out.”

“That’s another long story. I’ll explain tomorrow, if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, then leaned in to brush her lips against mine in a gentle kiss that lit a fire in my chest, warming me from the inside.

Why was I reacting like a teenager? I’d kissed plenty of people before. But for some reason, kissing Harlow was different. It didn’t take my breath away; it gave me the air I needed to survive. How had I lived this long not knowing what she tasted like?

She pulled away before we could take it further, her cheeks pink and pupils wide. Maybe I stood more of a chance with her than I thought.

Harlow

“Shotgun!”

Addie tore past me, headed for the front seat of the Camry. I snagged the hood of her sweater, smirking at the dramatic choking sound that came out of her throat.

“Forget it, squirt. You’re in the back.”

She huffed, giving me her best teenage girl look before sliding into the backseat next to Ranto. After what happened in the woods with Ranto yesterday, then my impulsive decision to kiss Kylen when we got back to the motel, I was feeling the need for some space.

I’d felt the magic of the mating bond move through me when Ranto and I were together. There was no denying it. But the draw I felt to Kylen was on a completely different level. Everything about him felt right, and even though the kiss had been a barely there brush of the lips, my magic had reached for him the same way it had for Ranto. The sound of a scuffle broke out behind me, and I turned in time to see Kylen slide into the seat before Bruin.

“Where the hell am I supposed to sit?”

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