Page 352 of Evil Hearts

I hesitated, my hand brushing against the mark on my chest where the Harpy’s claws had sealed the bond. “Everything,” I said finally. “I gave up everything.”

Her fingers tightened painfully around mine as her eyes welled with tears. “You can’t stay, can you?”

I shook my head. “No. But I’ll come back. I’ll... write, or find a way to visit. I promise.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and I could see her swallow hard. “Just make sure it’s worth it, Locke. Whatever you gave up, make sure it’s worth it.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure what to say. “It is,” I said finally. “And it always will be.”

The woods were quiet as I made my way back to the Harpy’s domain. The bond pulled me forward, a steady, unrelenting force that made it impossible to linger anywhere else. The cottage was behind me now, fading into the distance, and with every step I took, the air grew heavier, darker.

She was waiting when I arrived. Perched on the same stone pillar, her wings folded behind her, her glowing eyes fixed on me. Her lips curved into a faint smile as I stepped into the clearing, and the bond pulsed sharply in my chest.

“You returned,” she said, her voice lilting, almost teasing. It was like she was expecting me to try to turn my back on her after I got what I wanted. My new mate didn’t know me yet. What was the point of running?

“The lamb has wandered home again,

to shadows deep

and Harpy’s den.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” I said, though the words lacked bite.

Her wings shifted as she descended, landing gracefully in front of me. Her claws brushed lightly against my chest, tracing the mark she’d left there and was hidden by my clothes. “And yet,” she murmured, her voice dipping into something softer, “you came willingly.”

I met her gaze, my heart steady now. “I did.”

Her smile widened, her wings folding behind her as she stepped closer. Her claws lingered against my chest, her eyes burning into mine. “You are bound to me now,” she said, her voice a low, throaty purr. “Heart, blood, and soul. Do not forget that.”

I swallowed, my chest tightening as her words pressed against the bond between us, steady and unyielding. I already knew what I was—what I’d become. Her claws lingered against mychest, a silent reminder of the choice I’d made, the one I’d never regret. “I won’t.”

Her laughter was soft, sharp, and strangely comforting. “Good,” she sang, her song having a bite to it. Her claws pressed against my skin, not enough to hurt, but enough to make her point clear. “Because I would never let you.”

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