Page 126 of Seduce Me in Shadow

“Do?” I ask.

“He’s nearly out of energy and can’t locate his mate,” the witch explains. “Thus far, he’s only skimmed the barest amount from a surrogate. I hope he finds this mystery woman. Or takes more energy. He’s too important to the cause to go on like this.”

How horrifying. “What will happen if he doesn’t?”

“He’ll die. It’s why I’ve been tending Caden’s brother. Technically, he’s no longer mated since Anka broke with him, but he rejected all females until I duped him into believing I was her. His condition is still acute. He’s keeping his strength now, but his mind… I don’t know if he’ll ever recover.”

That’s what has Caden so dismayed? He never explained, but I see the truth he avoided telling me. Sabelle’s explanation makes all the pieces click into place. Lucan’s magical “divorce” caused Lucan’s condition. Caden is rejecting a future with me, not because I wrote in the diary, but because he fears becoming like his brother.

Suddenly, Sabelle spears me with a direct stare. “You’re right. Sorry to read your mind. Terrible habit. Caden is terrified of becoming like Lucan.” She shakes her head. “I hope Caden finds Anka before it’s too late.”

I have to see the man, know what spooked Caden. Trying to fight something I can’t see is impossible.

“When Caden left, I told him I would be by once they were both settled in at Lucan’s house. I think it’s time you see the dangerous side of magic,” Sabelle says.

I hardly need more proof to understand magic’s potential peril. But perhaps this will unravel the rest of the Caden puzzle.

“Please.”

“No pictures. No story. I simply want you to understand, not report.”

Naturally. If I reported on Lucan’s condition, it might spur Mathias to take the mates of other Doomsday Brethren.

“Just Bram,” Sabelle provides. “Marrok isn’t a wizard, and none of the others are fully mated.”

“Fullymated?” I ask.

Graceful as always, Sabelle ascends the stairs. “Typically, when a wizard Calls to you, you Bind to him, and you’re mated. But sometimes a wizard Calls…and he’s Renounced.”

“How can he be partially mated if the bond wasn’t established?”

“To him it was. When a wizard speaks those words, his mate is imprinted on his heart, regardless of whether she reciprocates those feelings. He’s bound by that Call. Until the woman dies, he is hers exclusively.”

My jaw drops. “And one of these big warriors?—”

“Shock. He Called to Anka shortly before Lucan did. She eventually Renounced him.”

Another jaw dropper. Lucan and Shock quarreling over the same woman?

“For over a century. When Lucan slipped into mate mourning, we called Caden here to care for his brother. He’s afraid because he knows you’re his, but has seen firsthand the tragic possibilities of mating.”

Sabelle reaches the top of the stairs and heads for a corner room in the family wing, where I’ve never been. When the witch pushes her way into a glamorous space, my jaw threatens to drop once more.

Sabelle’s bedroom is a symphony of luxury. Sumptuous cream silk bedding, kissed with golden accents, spills across the bed like liquid sunlight. Rich, melted chocolate hues provide a sensual contrast, warming the pristine walls and elegantly swagged drapes. Crystal candlesticks catch the light, scattering prismatic sparkles across plush, inviting furniture. Every inch exudes opulence and femininity—a perfect reflection of Sabelle herself. It’s the kind of room that I’d never want to leave.

“It’s lovely,” I say.

Sabelle smiles. “My haven. I just need to grab a few things. Should only be a moment.”

Why not just summon objects?

The beautiful witch sends me a chiding stare. “I’m saving my energy for what’s to come.”

She grabs a cape, a length of silk rope, and a pair of handcuffs. My brows raise.

“I don’t know what I’m facing over there,” Sabelle explains. “Here, we had Lucan well restrained so he wouldn’t be a danger.”

Suddenly, I’m not sure I want to see Lucan. But Sabelle grabs my arm. Blackness and that topsy-turvy feeling invade my stomach. A weightlessness leaves me at odds and ends.

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