Page 7 of Bear to be Wild
Unfamiliar magic snaked across the room, shimmering between us like an iridescent thread.
It anchored in me. It anchored in her.
Her mouth fluttered open. “Oh no.”
“Maribelle?” I croaked out the word. “What’s happening?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose, then shook her head, and her silvery-lilac curls bounced with the movement. “This is fine. Totally fine. Tiny snag,” she said in a way that sounded like she was reassuring herself.
Concern for her distress followed. I cleared my throat. “Are you…okay?”
“Okay?” She bit her lower lip. “No, bear, nothing about this predicament is okay.”
What did she know that I didn’t?
“Cursed cauldrons,” Maribelle whispered with a grievous expression. “This can’t be.”
“What can’t be?” I asked. “What’s happening?” My chest filled with lightness. Wait, was this the mate bond? Did she feel it too? Maybe she didn’t detest me after all, and I had a chance with her.
Maribelle winced and scrunched up her face. “I may have made a teensy mistake.” She squeezed her index finger and thumb close together as she explained.
I stared, waiting for her to explain.
She brushed a curl behind her ear. “You see, you were being all loud and all”—she paused and pursed her lips as if she’d eaten something sour—”motivating.” She rolled her shoulders back. “And so, I tried to perform a spell that would help us both be able to do our jobs effectively. It was supposed to be a simple sound-muffling spell, so the sound of all your ‘let’s go, gym bros’ chants wouldn’t reach my serene spa space.”
My bubble of hope burst. Denial floated through the air like confetti. Ouch. Ouch. And devastating ouch.
“You dislike me that much that you used a spell to—to—muffle me?” I asked.
“Not you, necessarily,” she denied, widening her eyes. “Just all of that.” She moved both hands in a circular motion toward me. “Bro bear energy.”
“Bro bear energy?” I repeated, bewildered by this cyclone of a witch who’d just admitted to using magic to silence me. “Hold on, so let me get this straight.” I raked my hand over the stubble on my chin. “Your problem isn’t necessarily with me? But how I’m training clients?” Before she could answer, I added, “I don’t get it. You’re into helping your clients, right?”
After a begrudging pause, she replied, “Right.”
“Well, so am I. It’s all about wellness. We’re just coming at it from two different angles.”
She crossed her arms. “One being much louder. And far less relaxing.”
I studied her. She stood before me, feisty and defiant, yet shame flickered briefly in her eyes. Which brought me back to what she’d been explaining earlier. “Tell me about the spell.”
Full-blown guilt followed by wide-eyed horror passed over her face before she dismissed it with a casual wave and a schooled neutral expression. “Oh, it’s just a little mishap with a spell gone wrong.” Her tone was light. “One I’ll figure out how to undo as soon as possible. But…” She clucked her tongue.
“But what?”
She squinted. “Until I do, it might be kind of awkward.”
“Why?”
She squirmed, appearing sheepish. “I accidentally bonded us together for seventy-two hours.”
I blinked at her. “You what?”
She blew out a heavy breath. “Do you have a comprehension problem? You keep repeating what I say or ask too many questions.” She circled her hand before me once more. “Too many protein shakes spiked with testosterone?”
I gaped at her, this feisty witch, who’d just jumped from shameful to defensive. “Ha, no,” I countered, but I wouldn’t admit to having just eaten a protein bar. “I’ve never met anyone who put a spell on me before, let alone one that went wrong and accidentally bound us together.”
Did that explain why I thought she was my fated mate? Was it all just a spell gone wrong?
