Page 41 of Enchanting the Alpha

“What happened?” Xabir’s voice held that protective growl that made her magic spark.

“I asked for a divorce. He didn’t fight it—I think he was relieved, honestly. We were both pretending to be people we weren’t.” She met Xabir’s gaze. “Coming back to Mystic Hollow wasn’t running away. It was finally being brave enough to be myself.”

His hand found hers across the table, grip fierce and tender. “You’re the bravest person I know.”

“Not brave.” Her smile turned soft. “Just finally smart enough to wait for someone who gets me. Who makes my magic dance instead of trying to contain it.”

The silverware had shifted to a deep blue, reflecting the vulnerability of the moment.

“Thank you for telling me,” Xabir said softly. His thumb traced circles on her palm, sending little sparks of electricity up her arm. “For trusting me with this.”

“It’s easier to trust you than I expected.” She met his gaze directly. “Scary sometimes, but easier.”

“Why scary?”

“Because it matters more.” Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. “You matter more.”

In one fluid motion, Xabir stood and pulled her up into his arms. His kiss was fierce and tender all at once, full of promises and protection.

“You matter more too,” he murmured against her lips. “More than you know.”

FORTY-ONE

Romi couldn’t stop smiling, her heart too full for words. “We should probably eat before dinner gets cold.”

“Probably.” He stole another kiss before releasing her. “Though I’m finding myself less interested in food by the minute.”

They managed to focus on dinner, sharing stories between bites. Xabir told her about his childhood in Mystic Hollow, including misadventures with Arlo that had her laughing until tears streamed down her face.

“I can’t believe you tried to sneak into the Mystic Archives dressed as garden gnomes,” she gasped, wiping her eyes.

“In our defense, we were twelve. And convinced there was a secret spellbook that would let us turn into dragons.” His smile held equal parts nostalgia and mischief. “Otis caught us immediately, of course. Made us reorganize the entire Magical Creatures section as punishment.”

“Is that why you have such strong opinions about proper filing systems?”

“Traumatic experiences leave lasting impressions.” His eyes sparkled. “Though I seem to recall someone reorganizing their entire spice rack by magical potency rather than alphabetically.”

“That’s different. It’s more efficient for potion-making.”

“Of course, it is, little witch.” The endearment rolled off his tongue like honey, making her shiver.

They moved to the living room with their wine, settling onto the couch. The enchanted lanterns dimmed automatically, creating a cozy atmosphere.

“Speaking of being myself,” Romi said, summoning her enchanted notebook from the kitchen counter, “we should probably do some actual work on game night plans. Before Whiskers starts planning our honeymoon.”

The animal huffed, creating a sparkly beach scene complete with palm trees.

“Bali is a good option,” Xabir commented with a smirk. He scooted closer on the couch, peering at her notes. “Though maybe we should focus on surviving game night first.”

“Right. So I was thinking we could set up different stations.” Romi flipped through her ideas. “Magical charades in one corner, enchanted board games in another. Maybe some traditional shifter games adapted with magical elements?”

“That could work.” Xabir’s hand settled naturally at her waist as he looked over her shoulder. “The bear sleuth suggested something called ‘Capture the Territory’ – it’s like magical tag but with team strategy involved.”

“Perfect for mixing witch and shifter players.” She scribbled notes, her magic making the ink shimmer. “We’ll need to set clear rules about magic use though. No hexing other players.”

“Spoilsport.” His breath tickled her ear. “Though maybe we should ban Arlo from starting betting pools on who wins.”

“Too late.” She laughed, showing him a message on her phone. “He’s already taking odds on which team combination will dominate magical charades. Apparently, the smart money’s on a witch-bear shifter alliance.”

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