Page 57 of Enchanting the Alpha

Whiskers chirped indignantly, adding a monocle to his dragon protagonist as Romi curled deeper into her favorite armchair. Her fingers traced the delicate talisman Neve had given her after Monroe’s attack at the food fair.

The memory of dark magic crushing her life force still lingered, but so did the overwhelming surge of power when every witch in town had joined forces to save her. Their unified magic, combined with Xabir’s desperate plea for her to stay with him, had pulled her back from the brink.

“Who would have thought Monroe’s attempt to destroy everything would only make us stronger?” She smiled as Whiskers added sparkly hearts to his latest creation. The shifter’s hatred of witch-shifter unity had driven him to attemptthe unthinkable - but his actions had backfired spectacularly. Nothing united people quite like having a common enemy.

The cottage door opened, bringing Xabir’s familiar presence and the crisp evening air. He moved with that fluid grace she loved, crossing the room to pull her into his arms. The simple contact sent shivers down her spine - their chemistry hadn’t dimmed one bit since their first meeting.

“Lost in thought?” His voice carried that alpha rumble that made her magic spark. He glanced up at Whiskers’s latest artistic creation - now featuring the dragon protagonist down on one knee presenting a rosebud to his love interest. “I see your familiar’s been watching romance movies with Petra again.”

“She claims it’s research for the wedding planning she’s already started.” Romi laughed. “Apparently, my theoretical future wedding needs a minimum of three hundred floating candles and, quote, ‘enough magical flowers to make a unicorn sneeze.’“

Xabir’s arms tightened possessively around her waist. “My sister does tend to get carried away. Though watching you walk down an aisle lined with enchanted roses...” His voice dropped to that growly tone that made her knees weak. “Now there’s a thought worth pursuing.”

“Your mind seems to be wandering in a specific direction lately,” she teased, though her pulse quickened at the heat in his gaze.

“Can you blame me?” His hands slid to her waist, grip possessive but gentle. His eyes flashed that dangerous wolf-gold.

“Down, boy,” she teased, though her breath caught as his teeth grazed her pulse point. “We have dinner with Thane and Maya later, remember?”

“Mm. Could cancel. Send Whiskers with our regrets.”

“Nice try, but no. Thane’s finally working up the courage to ask Maya to be his girlfriend. We promised to be his moral support.”

Xabir made a sound between a groan and a laugh. “Fine. But you’re mine after dinner, little witch.”

“Promise?” She turned in his arms, rising to brush her lips against his jaw.

His growl vibrated through her. “That’s playing dirty.”

“You love it.” She smiled against his skin. “And I love how far we’ve come. Did you see the three shifter cubs having magical lessons with old Isolde today? A year ago, that would have been unthinkable.”

“Because of you.” His voice softened with pride. “Your vision for unity, your determination to break down barriers - you’ve changed everything, Romi. And I’ll spend every day making sure no one ever threatens that again.”

Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “My protective alpha.”

“Always.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, then her cheek, then captured her lips in a kiss that made her toes curl. When they broke apart, his eyes had gone completely wolf-gold. “You are everything to me. My mate, my partner, my future.”

Magic danced between them, her power reaching instinctively for his alpha energy. “I love how natural this feels. Us, together. Like it was always meant to be.”

“It is.” His thumb traced her lower lip. “From that first moment in your café when you challenged every preconception I had about witches. You walked into my life and turned everything upside down in the best possible way.”

She grinned. “As I recall, you weren’t exactly subtle about your interest. Poor Arlo nearly choked on his coffee when you growled at that shifter who tried flirting with me.”

“He should have known better than to approach what was mine.” The possessive note in Xabir’s voice sent delicious shivers through her.

“Mmm. And was I already yours then?”

“You know you were.” He pulled her closer, nipping playfully at her ear. “Just like I was already yours.”

The next morningfound them walking through Mystic Hollow park, where the evidence of their successful unity was everywhere. A group of young witches and shifters practiced protection spells together near the fountain. At a nearby café, an elderly witch shared tea and gossip with a bear shifter matriarch, their laughter carrying on the breeze.

“Remember when this park used to have an invisible line down the middle?” Romi mused. “Witches on one side, shifters on the other. Now look at it.”

“Now it’s just our park.” Xabir’s hand squeezed hers. “Our community.”

Later that day, teaching her magic classes at the Witch’s Brew Café filled Romi with pride. Watching a young wolf shifter help a witch balance her energy while casting a protection charm, she couldn’t help but smile. This was what she’d fought for - what she’d nearly died for. And she’d do it all again.

“Remember,” she instructed, moving between the workstations, “magic is about harmony and balance. Just like our community. We’re stronger together.”

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