Page 16 of Dewitched

“Anything that upsets you is important to me.”

He was supposed to be comforting his mate, not the other way around. “We can talk about it later.”

“Tell me.”

A shiver rippled down his spine at the command, and a sense of peace settled over him at having the decision taken from his hands. “I like holding your hand. It’s been a long time since someone has touched me like this.”

“And you’re afraid of losing it,” Fenix surmised.

“Something like that.”

With a gentle tug, Fenix pulled him close and wrapped him in his strong arms. “That’s not something you ever have to worry about,talei. Although, we might have a problem if you let someone else touch you like this.”

Owen chuckled as he snuggled against his broad chest. “So, I can’t hug anyone? Not even my parents?”

Fenix stroked his hair as he pretended to think about it. “I’ll consider it.”

Owen laughed again, feeling lighter than he had in ages. “You cheated. I’m supposed to be makingyoufeel better.”

With a soft smile, Fenix reached out to brush away a lock of damp hair from his forehead. “You are.”

Skeptical, since he hadn’t actually done anything, he arched an eyebrow.

“Trust me. I don’t need a lot to make me happy.”

“Whatdoyou need?”

With two fingers under his chin, Fenix urged his head up and bent to deliver a soft kiss. It was light, barely a brush of lips, but it sent a jolt of electricity straight to Owen’s groin.

“You,talei.” Fenix rubbed their lips together again, even more tender than the first time. “Just you.”

Chapter six

They never made itto the Haunted Escape Room that night.

After escorting Owen to his own cabin, Fenix had trudged back to his quarters through the rain to indulge in a shower and a change of clothes. He had barely finished lacing up his boots when he’d received a message from Seneca with a tentative schedule for the princess.

Instead of enjoying a nice meal in, Iliana wanted to sample the festival fare. She had also decided that she needed to color her hair that night by whatever magical means available.

Since they wouldn’t be leaving the castle grounds, she didn’t need a full Guard. With the inclusion of hotel security, she probably only needed two of them, but Fenix had erred on the side of caution and assigned three Guardians. Normally, he would have volunteered himself, but it had been a perfect opportunity to spend some time alone with his new mate.

Unfortunately, Iliana had decided she wanted the entire Guard engaged in her little adventure.

In the end, it had worked out better than he could have anticipated. While he would have preferred to have Owen to himself, his mate really needed to be around people. He understood the guy was scared, mostly of himself, but he would never overcome that anxiety without practice.

So, while Iliana had visited every food and drink stall, he had wandered the connected ballrooms with Owen. Throughout the night, he had stayed close, giving his mate the buffer he needed to enjoy his time at the Manor. At some point, they would have to address the root cause of his fear and work on building control. One night of peace and relaxation wouldn’t hurt, though.

When Iliana had returned from her hair appointment with a curtain of metallic rainbow locks, there had been a brief flash of emotion on Owen’s face. It had passed quickly, and he’d spent several minutes gushing over how much he loved her new look. That expression had stuck with Fenix, though, and it had taken him most of the night to work out what it had meant.

Sadness. With maybe a hint of jealousy.

Of course, naming the emotion didn’t tell him why it existed in the first place. In fact, it only conjured more questions. Owen clearly wanted to change his appearance, so why didn’t he? Fenix could think of a few obstacles, none of them to his liking. Instead of bringing it up and embarrassing him in front of the group, however, he had made a mental note to find a natural opening for the conversation in private.

As the night had eventually wound to a close, he’d been disappointed when Owen had bypassed his cabin. Still, he hadn’t pressed. The day had brought a lot of changes for both of them, and if Owen needed space to process everything, he could respect that. He didn’t like it, but he could respect it.

Sprawled on the queen-sized bed, he stared at the blank ceiling while he tried to quiet his racing mind. So much hadhappened in such a short time, and he’d barely had time to catch his breath.

He had never been opposed to the idea of a mate, but he hadn’t given it much thought, either. It would happen, or it wouldn’t, and he’d never seen much sense in worrying about it. Now that he’d found Owen, he realized how foolish that had been. Of course, Owen would always come first, but the transition might have been easier if he’d been prepared.

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