Page 52 of Wedded Witch

I lean in, brushing my lips against her forehead.

“You don’t have to figure it all out right now. Just trust us. We’ve got you.”

She closes her eyes, her body relaxing slightly in my arms. “Okay,” she whispers. “Okay.”

For now, that’s enough.

But as we hold her, a dark, seething anger grows in me. This Watcher—whoever he is—will regret the day he thought he could claim what’s ours.

SWYN

I waketo the warmth of soft fur against my skin. My eyes flicker open, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings—a spacious room, low lighting streaming through the curtains, and...dogs?

Three large dogs curled up around me. One rests its head on my legs, another pressed against my side, and the third sprawled across my feet. My heart races as I sit up, trying to make sense of where I am.

This isn’t my bed.

My head spins for a moment, but I push through it. Panic swells in my chest as I shuffle back, gently nudging one of the dogs to give me some space.

I must have fallen asleep somewhere, but how the hell did I end up surrounded by these... dogs?

Just as I’m about to scramble out of bed, the dogs begin to shift. My heart leaps into my throat as I watch, wide-eyed, as fur recedes, bones crack and reshape, and the three large creatures lying next to me morph into... men.

Kel, Sol, and Ri.

“Naked men,” I whisper, horror and embarrassment flooding my brain at once. I pull the sheets up to cover myself, even though I’m fully clothed.

“What the actual—” I start, unable to find the words.

Kel, the first to fully shift, rubs the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “We can explain.”

“I’m sure you can,” I mutter, eyes darting between them, all of them stark naked, standing by the bed as if this is perfectly normal. “But clothes would be a good place to start.”

Ri is already moving, grabbing a pair of trousers from a nearby chair and slipping them on. “We didn’t want to leave you alone,” he says gruffly, as if that explains everything.

“You fell asleep on the couch,” Kel adds, pulling on a T-shirt as casually as if this is a daily occurrence. “So we brought you to bed.”

“We stayed close to keep an eye on you,” Sol finishes, now half-dressed, his tone much softer. “But it’s not like we could all sleep on the bed in our human forms. Not enough room and too uncomfortable.”

My mouth opens, then closes. I mean, what do you even say to that? “I... okay,” I stammer. “Thank you. I think.”

“You looked like you needed it,” Kel adds, as if that justifies the whole naked-dog-men situation.

I blink, trying to clear my head. “Right. Um, could I take a shower? I just—need to clear my head.”

Sol nods towards the bathroom. “Of course. It’s through there. Take your time.”

I climb out of bed, careful not to brush against any of them as I make my way to the bathroom. I’m in a long T-shirt that definitely isn’t mine, but I’m relieved to discover I still have my underwear on. Still though, which one of them undressed me?

My legs feel unsteady beneath me, but I manage to get inside and close the door before I collapse against it.

What the hell is happening?

I turn the shower on, waiting for the water to heat as I peel off my clothes. The moment the warm spray hits my skin, I let out a deep breath. I close my eyes, letting the water wash over me as I replay the events of yesterday in my mind.

The curse. The Watcher. The guys.

I run my fingers through my hair, shaking off the overwhelming sense of dread that threatens to choke me. The Curse of the Fading Witch. I’ve been running from it for so long, trying to find some way to break it before my time runs out.

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