Page 15 of Love At First Roar
He reached for her arm, helping her sit up, but not gently.
“You almost tore it.”
“No, I was helping. It pulled at me. I thought?—”
“You thought wrong.”
The words hit harder than the spell backlash. She jerked her arm away and stood shakily, wobbling until she found her balance.
“I didn’t come out here to hurt anyone.”
“You didn’t tell anyone, Cora.” He stepped forward. “You came out alone. Worked unknown magic in an unstable clearing. Do you even know how close you came to fracturing it completely?”
“I didn’t mean?—”
“You didn’t think. That’s what you didn’t do.”
Her chin lifted. “So what, I’m supposed to sit on my hands while the town pulses like a broken drum because of my arrival in the first place? You’re mad because I tried something?”
“I’m mad because you nearly set off a disaster without backup.”
“It wasn’t a disaster,” she snapped. “It was one mistake.”
“One mistake is all it takes here.”
She looked away, breathing hard. He stood close now, heat pouring off him. His jaw ticked, eyes still burning. He’d probably run straight from patrol the moment he felt the disturbance. Theveins in his forearms bulged, his stance wide and grounded like he was preparing for a fight, or bracing to stop one.
Cora rubbed at her chest where the magic had burst. It still tingled, raw and sore. “I felt like the Veil wanted me here. I thought maybe it wanted my help.”
Callum’s voice softened, just barely. “Or maybe it was warning you to stay out.”
That hurt.
Her arms folded tight across her stomach. “I didn’t do this to prove anything to you.”
“You think this is about me?”
“You’re the one following me around like I’m a walking curse.”
He stepped forward again. “You’re not a curse,” he said, voice low. “But your magic is unpredictable. That means I have to be careful. That’s my job.”
Cora swallowed. She didn’t step back.
“You don’t have to protect Hollow Oak from me, Callum.”
He held her gaze. “Maybe not. But I will anyway.”
For a long breath, neither moved. Her heart beat so loud it drowned out the wind.
Callum dropped his hand. The moment stretched, then cracked.
“I should walk you back,” he muttered.
They walked in silence down the trail, Moonmirror Lake quiet behind them, the woods dense and watchful. A squirrel darted across their path. Somewhere deeper in the trees, something large rustled and then went still again.
Cora glanced at him. He didn’t speak. But when she stumbled slightly, he reached out without thinking and steadied her by the elbow. His grip lingered a beat too long.
Back in town, the square bustled gently with late morning traffic. The scent of sweet pastries and spell-warmed breadfloated from the café. The air felt different now, charged in a way she couldn’t quite explain.
