Little witch

Fear

Adeline's POV

It had been a month since Adeline and Titus had mated, and life had begun to settle into a rhythm. Well, mostly. She still hadn't spent any intimate time with Blaze, though she could feel his presence more often, waiting. There was a tension between them—one that hummed in the background of their conversations, growing stronger each day. Blaze, in all his dominant nature, was waiting for her to give him the signal, the permission to take their bond further. The thought both excited and unnerved her.

She loved Blaze. Loved the way he commanded her attention, the way his primal need to protect her was so fierce it made her feel invincible. But his dominance wasn't something to take lightly, and though she trusted him completely, the idea of surrendering to him fully was intimidating. Titus had been so gentle with her, but Blaze? He was fire and hunger, a storm barely contained behind Titus's eyes.

Still, those thoughts would have to wait. Today was an important day for her—her first day on campus. The excitement buzzed in her veins, making it hard to think about anything else.

After years of being on the run, years of surviving instead of living, Adeline was finally getting the chance to go to college. It felt surreal, walking through the bustling campus, surrounded by students going about their daily lives. For once, she felt like she was part of something normal. She was living her dream—something she never thought possible after everything she had been through.

Of course, Titus had insisted on sending two of his guards with her. She couldn't blame him; Aspen was still out there, a constant threat looming over their lives. Even though Aspen hadn't shown his face since that day at the bus station, the fear of what he might do never really left her. It hung in the back of her mind, always present, always waiting. But for today, she wanted to push that fear aside and just enjoy this moment.

The day passed in a blur of lectures, introductions, and the buzz of new beginnings. She sat through her classes with wide-eyed fascination, taking in every bit of information. This was the life she had dreamed of—learning, growing, exploring a world beyond the one she had known. It felt almost too good to be true.

But as the day wore on, a strange feeling began to creep over her. A prickling at the back of her neck. Her magic stirred, an unease settling into her bones.

Danger.

She tried to ignore it at first, chalking it up to nerves, but the sensation wouldn't leave her. Her eyes flickered around the campus, searching for her guards, expecting to see their familiar faces in the crowd.

But they were gone.

Panic started to creep in as her heart raced. Where were they? Titus had specifically assigned them to stay by her side, and yet there was no sign of them. Her steps quickened as she made her way toward the parking lot, trying to stay calm, but the prickling feeling of danger only grew stronger.

And then she saw him.

Aspen.

He stood across the lot, leaning casually against a black car, his eyes locked onto hers with an unsettling intensity. Her blood ran cold, her body freezing in place as the memories of that night—the fire, the screams, the terror—came rushing back.

He smirked, as if amused by her reaction, and began to push off the car, walking slowly toward her.

Her breath hitched in her throat as every instinct screamed at her to run, but her feet were rooted to the ground. She couldn't move, couldn't think. How had he found her? Where were her guards?

Aspen's eyes gleamed with a malicious satisfaction, and his voice, low and cold, carried across the distance between them. "Did you really think you could escape your past?"

Adeline swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. Her magic surged, ready to defend her, but fear had her paralyzed. She had trained herself to fight, had honed her abilities, but none of that seemed to matter now. Not with him standing there, reminding her of everything she had lost, everything he had taken from her.

She glanced around, hoping to see someone—anyone—who could help, but the parking lot was nearly empty. Where were her guards?

"Stay away from me," she managed to choke out, her voice trembling.

Aspen's smirk widened, and he took another step closer. "You really think you can stop me, little witch?"

Adeline's hands curled into fists at her sides, her magic swirling in her chest, begging to be released. She loves when the nickname rolls off of Blaze's tongue, yet hearing it from aspen made her angry. He didn't get the right to ruin something Blaze gave to her. She could feel the heat building, the familiar pulse of her power ready to strike. But she hesitated. She wasn't sure if she could take him on her own, not with how unsteady she felt. Not with the memories clouding her focus.

And then, suddenly, a familiar, soothing presence washed over her. She could feel him before she even saw him.

Titus.

He appeared out of nowhere, moving with lightning speed, his body tense and his eyes wild with fury as he placed himself between her and Aspen. Blaze was near the surface, his dominance rolling off Titus in waves, and Aspen seemed to falter for a brief second before regaining his composure.

"This ends now," Titus growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Aspen's eyes flicked from Adeline to Titus, and a slow, calculated smile spread across his face. "This is only the beginning, nephew."

Adeline's heart raced as she stared at Aspen, her fear mixing with the overwhelming sense of safety that Titus brought with him. Aspen's words hung in the air like a dark promise, but with Titus standing protectively in front of her, she knew she wasn't alone.

Not anymore.

As Titus went to step towards Aspen, he disappeared, literally. The only way that was possible is if a witch was helping him, and what kind of witch would do so? Aspen had burned a whole coven for no good reason, who knew how many more he had destroyed. I stepped back, my breathing becoming faster. Titus and Blaze would burn the world down if it meant saving me, but how many people would that harm? My guards were still missing, my only thought was they were killed by Aspen. Two lives were lost because of me, at that thought I knew what I had to do, and I knew it would break Titus and maybe even Blaze when I did so.