Page 34 of Enchanting the Alpha

He stopped walking, turning to face her. The moonlight caught in her hair, making her look almost ethereal in his shirt. “How lucky I am to have found you.”

Her expression softened as she kissed him properly, slow and deep and full of promise. When they finally broke apart, the enchanted street lamps around them had shifted to cast heart-shaped pools of light on the cobblestones.

“Your magic’s showing,” she teased, nodding at the transformed lights.

“That wasn’t me.” He kissed her again, shorter this time but no less tender. “Your magic responds to mine now, remember?”

“Mm, convenient excuse.” But she was smiling as she tugged him closer. “Come on, Alpha. We both need rest if we’re going to solve this mystery.”

The hotel lobby was quiet at this late hour, though the enchanted paintings still moved softly in their frames, acknowledging their alpha’s presence. Xabir guided Romi through the familiar path to his private suite, his hand warm against her lower back.

Inside, Whiskers was already curled up on a windowsill, having apparently decided the hotel was a better option than the café tonight. The tiny familiar puffed a sleepy greeting before returning to his nap.

“Traitor,” Romi told him fondly, then squeaked as Xabir swept her up into his arms. “I can walk, you know.”

“I know.” He carried her into the bedroom anyway, pressing kisses along her neck. “But this is more fun.”

Later, curled together in the massive bed, Xabir traced lazy patterns on Romi’s bare shoulder while she played with his free hand, their fingers intertwining.

“We need to figure out who’s really behind the sabotage,” she murmured, her breath warm against his chest. “Before someone gets seriously hurt.”

“We will.” He pressed a kiss to her hair, inhaling her familiar scent mixed with his own. His alpha side rumbled with satisfaction at the combination. “The magical signature feels familiar somehow, but I can’t place it.”

“It’s like...” Romi propped herself up on an elbow, her hair falling in a curtain around them. “Like when you look at a reflection of a reflection. You can tell something’s there, but it’s all wiggly.”

“Wiggly, eh?” Xabir tucked her hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her cheek. “Bastian’s too obvious a suspect. He’s vocal about his prejudices, yes, but this level of magical manipulation is beyond him.”

“Could someone be using him as a decoy?” Romi settled back against his chest, her magic humming contentedly as it mixedwith his alpha energy. “Making sure he’s visible at each incident to draw suspicion?”

“It’s possible.” His arms tightened around her as he considered the implications. “But who would have that kind of power and motivation?”

“Someone who strongly opposes witch-shifter unity.” She yawned, snuggling closer. “Someone experienced enough to hide their magical signature...”

Her voice trailed off as sleep began to claim her. Xabir smiled, pressing one more kiss to her temple before letting his own eyes close. Tomorrow they would investigate further, but for now, he was content to hold her close and let their combined magic ward off any darkness that might threaten their peace.

The last thing he saw before drifting off was Whiskers creating a protective circle of tiny smoke hearts around the bed. Perhaps the little dragon-cat had the right idea – sometimes the best defense was simply love.

Morning found them tangled together, Romi’s magic and Xabir’s alpha energy so thoroughly intertwined, it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Sunlight streamed through the windows, catching on the protection crystals Neve had given them and casting rainbow patterns across the walls.

“We should get up,” Romi mumbled against his chest, making no move to actually do so. “Check on the café...”

“Five more minutes.” Xabir tightened his arms around her, nuzzling her hair. “The café has enough protection spells now to withstand an army.”

She tilted her face up for a proper good morning kiss, which quickly turned into several more. “The elders’ enchantments should hold, but?—”

A sharp knock at the door interrupted them. Thane’s voice called through, sounding urgent. “Xabir? Romi? You need to see this.”

They dressed quickly, though Romi kept Xabir’s shirt from the night before, and hurried to open the door. Thane’s expression was grim as he held up a magical scroll.

“Someone left this at the café.” He handed it to Romi. “It’s addressed to both of you.”

The scroll hummed with dark magic, its edges shifting and blurring like the disrupted signatures they’d been tracking. When Romi unrolled it, the words seemed to writhe on the page:

“Some barriers aren’t meant to be broken. Some traditions must be preserved. Choose separation willingly or have it forced upon you.”

Xabir growled, his alpha energy flaring protectively around them both. “A threat.”

“A warning,” Romi corrected, studying the magical signature. “But look – the magic feels the same as the sabotage attempts. Whoever’s behind this wanted us to know they’re serious.”

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