Page 12 of Forced Knocked-Up Mate

“You are going to fix this,” I growl, trying to contain my rage. “Right fucking now. I’m not staying here with you—I’ll find a way to leave, even if it fucking kills me. Do you understand?”

She nods, wiping away her tears. “Obviously, this spell went really, really wrong.” She gives me a stern glare. “It’s not like I want you hanging out here, either. I have a life, you know.”

“Good, so we’re in agreement!” I snap. “Get moving, right now. I’m under no obligation to be nice to you, and my patience with this situation has run out.”

“Mine, too,” she mutters, turning to go inside.

As I follow her, I’m engulfed in her scent again. I try to hold my breath, but I can’t get it out of my nose. Chaotic feelings crash around inside my mind, triggering memories I’ve worked hard to forget.

Love, loss, contentment, belonging… I’ve spent years staying away from any kind of connection with others. Being with Lucy scares me deeply.

Because even if she is annoying and incompetent… she’s super-hot, and interesting.

I’m not terrified because I’m stuck here. I’m terrified because I think I want to be.

Lucy leads me through the hall and into the kitchen. The house is fairly big and nicely painted with high ceilings and a very shiny hardwood floor.

Practically a palace compared to what I’m used to.

When we get to the kitchen counter, Lucy goes straight to the coffee pot, keeping her eyes down. She pours out two cups of coffee, dumps a jar of sugar and a carton of milk on the counter, and steps back, her hands firmly wrapped around the cup as she stares at the floor.

I take the other cup, not bothering with milk or sugar. The first scalding sip soothes me more than awakens me. Findingmyself in a strange woman’s backyard was the only jolt I needed today.

“What are we going to do?” I ask.

Lucy’s eyes flick up to mine. “I’ll try a few basic things and see if I can break the connection.”

“What about my brother? I need to see him.”

“I can call him right now if you want. But don’t you want me to untether us first?”

“Yes, I do,” I say, putting my cup back on the counter. “I imagine you want to keep this little mistake to yourself?”

She nods. “If possible. I feel so bad about this. It was a stupid thing to do.”

“You must be pretty powerful, then, huh?”

Lucy laughs. “Me? No. Well, let’s see if I can dissolve the spell. Then we’ll decide how great of a witch I am.”

“Have at it, then.”

Lucy puts down her coffee and disappears down the hallway. I hear some thuds as she goes through cupboards before she comes back with a small box full of candles, pieces of different-colored silk, bones, feathers, and rocks.

“Okay,” I say, “this is getting weird.”

“Don’t panic,” she bites back, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like I need your blood.”

“Thank fuck for that.”

I watch her set up a small ring of objects with a white candle in the center. She uses a slender stick as a wand, twirling it above the objects and muttering. With a slash and a flourish, she puts out the candle with a flick of the wand.

“Okay,” she says. “Go for a walk and see what happens.”

I head for the back door and jog down the path. Almost immediately, I feel the resistance in the air and turn right back around.

“It didn’t work?” she asks as I return to the counter.

I shake my head. “If anything, the distance was shorter this time.”

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