Page 46 of Witch Bound and Down

The Chapel of Eternal Commitment was everything Hazel had nightmares about when she thought of weddings. Cascading white flowers hung from every surface, the air was thick with the scent of magical lilies, and everything sparkled with enough enchanted crystals to power a small city. It was beautiful, romantic, and absolutely wrong for her.

"Don't you look lovely, dear," the wedding coordinator gushed, adjusting Hazel's veil for the fifth time in ten minutes. "Such a radiant bride!"

Hazel stared at herself in the mirror and saw a stranger. The dress was perfectly fitted, the makeup was flawless, and the magical enhancement spells had given her skin an otherworldly glow. She looked exactly like the kind of bride who belonged in a place like this.

She also looked miserable.

"Radiant," Hopper croaked from his perch on the vanity. "Sure, if you consider 'dead behind the eyes' radiant. You've got all the joy of someone attending their own funeral."

"Hopper," Hazel said quietly, "not now."

"When, then? After you've legally bound yourself to a man who thinks a teddy bear is an appropriate relationship counselor?"

The mating bond throbbed in her chest like an infected wound. It had been getting worse all day, the magical connection stretching and aching as whatever distance separated her from Bullseye continued to grow. She'd tried to suppress it, tried to tell herself it didn't matter, but her magic kept reaching out for his like a plant turning toward sunlight.

"He made his choice," she said, touching up her lipstick with hands that trembled slightly. "Money over everything else. Dragon gold over innocent lives."

"And you're making yours," Hopper observed. "Security over happiness. Teddy bears over true love."

"It's not about love," Hazel said, though the words tasted like lies. "It's about doing what's practical. What's safe."

"Right. Because nothing says 'practical and safe' like marrying into a family of supernatural law enforcement officers who think magical rights are suggestions."

A knock on the dressing room door interrupted them. "Hazel, sweetheart?" Smokie's voice carried through the wood, thick with nervous excitement. "It's almost time! Are you ready to become Mrs. Lawman?"

Mrs. Lawman. The name made her skin crawl.

"Almost ready," she called back, proud that her voice came out steady.

"I can't wait to see you! Mr. Snuggles is so excited he's practically vibrating. He says you're going to be the most beautiful bride in supernatural history!"

"The teddy bear has opinions about your appearance," Hopper said dryly. "This is your life now. Congratulations."

Hazel closed her eyes and tried to center herself. She could do this. She'd survived the mating bond forming, she'd survived having her heart broken, and she could survive this wedding. It was just a ceremony. Just words. It didn't have to mean anything she didn't want it to mean.

The wedding coordinator knocked and entered without waiting for permission. "Time to go, dear! The groom is in position, the guests are seated, and the sunset lighting is absolutely perfect!"

"Perfect," Hazel repeated numbly, standing up on legs that felt like they belonged to someone else.

The coordinator bustled around her, making final adjustments and murmuring about how lovely everything looked. Through the window, Hazel could see Niagara Falls in the distance, the water catching the last rays of sunlight like liquid gold. Under different circumstances, it might have been romantic.

"Your bouquet, dear," the coordinator said, pressing a massive arrangement of white roses and magical baby's breath into Hazel's hands. "And remember, slow steps down the aisle. This moment should last forever!"

Forever. The word echoed in Hazel's head as she walked toward the chapel's main doors. Forever married to Smokie. Forever pretending she didn't have a mating bond with someone else. Forever wondering what might have been if she'd been brave enough to fight for love instead of settling for safety.

The wedding march began, floating through the air with magical enhancement that made every note ring like crystal bells. Hazel took a deep breath and stepped through the doors into the chapel proper.

The space was packed with supernatural law enforcement officers, their families, and what looked like half the officials from three counties. Sheriff Lawman stood at the front, beaming with satisfaction, while Smokie practically bounced on his toes beside the officiant. In his arms, clearly visible to everyone, was the infamous Mr. Snuggles.

"Oh good," Hopper muttered from her bouquet where he'd hidden himself. "The teddy bear gets a front-row seat to your misery. How romantic."

Hazel began the long walk down the aisle, each step feeling like she was walking toward her own execution. The guests turned to watch her, their faces full of smiles and approval. They saw a beautiful bride, a perfect wedding, a fairy tale come to life.

None of them could see the mating bond slowly tearing her apart from the inside.

Halfway down the aisle, something changed. The bond, which had been a constant ache for hours, suddenly fluttered with what felt almost like... hope? Hazel stumbled slightly, catching herself on a pew as a wave of unfamiliar emotion washed through the connection.

"You okay?" someone whispered, but Hazel barely heard them. The bond was doing something it hadn't done since she'd left Bullseye at the gas station—it was pulling. Not just aching with distance, but actively tugging her toward something, like a compass needle finding true north.

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