Page 1 of Shadow of Spring (Wild Haven 2)

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Lena

I’ve been in love with Archer Warren for as long as I can remember. As a child, he was my knight in shining armor, always trying to protect me from the evils of the world. Growing up, those demons lived in my house and Archer was my safe place.

He’s also one of my brother’s best friends.

Archer and I are friends, too, except people don’t fantasize about their friends, do they? That’s the problem. I remember the first time I overheard Archer telling someone I was like a little sister to him. He may as well have stabbed a knife into my heart and given it a counterclockwise twist. There’s nothing like hearing the man you’re in love with announce how platonic his feelings for you are.

Archer’s the only man that’s ever occupied my thoughts and I really do love him. Right now, though, right now I want to punch him. Preferably in a spot that will leave him incapable of walking for several minutes. He and my twin brother Rhys have been taking swipes at each other all night long. Since the night I healed Miri, Rhys has been acting like an overprotective guard dog and Archer keeps provoking him. Normally, with Archer’s good-natured personality, that would mean a gentle ribbing, but this is different. The two of them have been bickering and needling each other since that night, and I’m over it.

My friends and I gathered at Rhys’s bar after Miri and Davis bonded, and Davis’s dad was found murdered. It hasn’t been the most relaxing night. The tavern is narrow, with a bar that runs along the entire right side of the room. Booths line the left side and long tables sit in the middle. Mirrors run above the back counter and stools are tucked under the bar that’s topped with lacquered dark wood. I love this place, but I’m so ready to go home.

I’m tired. Beyond tired, actually. I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Not that I ever get a great night's sleep, but it’s been worse in the last few weeks. After Anthony cursed Miri and I magically cured her—literally—I can’t seem to shut off the undercurrent of power beneath my skin.

And I’ve been seeing things.

Even now, looking around the bar where all of my closest friends have gathered, Rhys, Archer, Miri, Davis, Ruby, and Ezra, I’m seeing things. Every one of them has a soft glow around their bodies. I know it’s magic, but I don’t know why I've never seen it until recently. They’re all a slightly different color depending on the person, and it’s unsettling to say the least.

I spent the morning running around getting things ready for the town’s Ostara festival and the rest of the day helping Miri with the grand opening of her store, Tonic. I was all set to sit my butt down and get off my feet when everything imploded with Miri and Davis.

They bonded.

They’ve started forming the Axis.

I bury all the worrisome thoughts that want to inundate my mind. Later. Paul’s Tavern is not the place to have a panic attack. I brush a hand over my long black hair, checking to make sure it’s still tidy. I’m so glad I wore a pair of black flats today with my wide leg black pants and red crop top. If I had heels on my feet, I would have already died.

I slip off the bar stool, stifling a groan when my sore feet hit the ground.

“Where are you going, Lena?” Archer isn’t looking at me, but as soon as I move, his head snaps around to find me as if he sensed it.

“I’m tired. Too tired to figure anything else out tonight. I’m going home and going to bed.”

“You’re not walking home alone,” Rhys barks from behind the bar.

Looking at him is like peering into a warped mirror. Like me, he has black hair so dark it almost looks blue in some lights. His eyes are the same blue that holds whispers of violet. Unlike me, those eyes usually have a devilish glint to them, but not tonight.

I sigh so hard my entire body deflates. I live two blocks away in an apartment above Sidhe’s Cup, the island’s one and only coffee shop. The urge to argue that I can walk outside by myself for five minutes sits on the tip of my tongue, but that’s dumb. Miri was kidnapped tonight. Davis’s dad was murdered.

“Yeah, okay.”

“I’ll walk you,” Rhys and Archer say at the same time and then glower at one another. They look two seconds from launching themselves at each other, and I suppress another sigh.

“Rhys, stay here. You’re not going to kick everyone else out. Archer can walk with me.”

Rhys looks like he’s going to argue, but considering he, Ruby, and Ezra are already solidly on their way to wasted, what can he say? They started pounding drinks about two seconds after Davis and Miri dropped the bonding bombshell earlier.

Those two have been huddled up in the corner for the last fifteen minutes and I’m sad to say a pang of jealousy ricochets around in my chest. Not that I want to be bonded by magic or tied to the Axis, but the way they are looking at each other makes my heart ache. Like they’re in a room by themselves and are staring at the only important thing in the world. What would it feel like to be the center of someone’s world like that?

Ugh, I need to get some sleep.

Archer’s at my side before I say a muted goodnight and wave to my friends. I hold my breath until we get outside because his smell is my own personal drug. Sunshine and sandalwood. I know that sunshine doesn’t have an actual smell, but it is the essence of Archer. Warmth that surrounds you and heats your skin, lingering like a day spent on the beach under the strong rays of the sun.

That’s Archer. He draws people to him without even trying with his warm smile and open personality. There isn’t anyone like him. Then there’s me. Quiet, introverted. I’m not afraid to socialize, but I tend to pick a good book over people most days. Most of the time, it’s Archer or Ruby who force me out of my bubble.

Walking out of the stifling bar, I take a deep breath, welcoming the crisp air of the late April night. I had a jacket at one point today, but I don’t remember what I did with it. It might be at Miri's shop or still inside the bar. Going back inside to look for it sounds like way too much work. I’d rather suffer through the cold.

I hug my arms to my chest, lost in my thoughts, as we take off toward my apartment. A warm weight settles over my shoulders. I jerk in surprise, peering up at Archer as he tugs his zip-up hoodie around me. I mumble a thanks, but the word catches in my throat as Archer zips it up and then slides a hand down my arm. Heat swells and blooms under my skin and it’s hard to keep from leaning into him.

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