Bound by Spells & Regrets

Chapter 11: Jax

When she walked into the antique store, I followed her in when she wasn't coming out. But she wasn't there. Her scent had vanished, and I searched the entire place, pacing with growing anxiety, until I saw one of the doors creak open, and out she walked. Everything about her seemed different—distant, like something had changed inside her.

"Where the fuck were you?" I ask, panic edging my voice. She looks at me like she's seen a ghost. Desperate to ground her, I grab her face, feeling the warmth of her skin, as the panic in her eyes slowly eases. I have to keep her close. I can't lose her again. Being apart for the last six months has already started to create distance between us, and I can feel her pulling away even more.

"I couldn't smell you in here," I mutter, glancing around the room. Nothing about this place stands out, yet my senses aren't working like they should. Something is off, but I can't place it.

"Yeah, this is where my dad is. Everything here is tainted, there are some serious spells brewing and a lot of vessels containing other things." The way she said things, slightly freaks me out. She turns to walk out the door, and I can feel her pulling away from me. After the night we had, this isn't the feeling I thought we'd be having.

"What happened in there?" I ask, struggling to focus. My wolf is furious—it can't smell her, and it's unsettling.

She isn't talking to me, and the silence, combined with the fact that I can't scent her, is making me nervous.

"Can we leave? This place is messing with my senses," I say, reaching for her hand, needing to feel her closer. She doesn't resist, her fingers curling tightly around mine like a lifeline. The silence between us feels heavier in this place, like the air is thick with something neither of us can shake off.

We walk out of the antique store together, and the moment we step outside, I pull her hand up to my lips. Inhaling her scent, I let the familiar warmth settle my wolf, calming the storm inside. Her skin is soft against my lips, and I press a gentle kiss to her knuckles, hoping to ease whatever weight is on her mind.

She watches me for a second, then smiles—a small, tired smile. I could make her smile all day if I had the chance. That's all I want, to see her like this, at ease, even if just for a moment. She watches me and then pulls her hand away quickly like she doesn't want to be seen with me. My wolf growls at me – she is pulling away again, mark her, then she won't leave again.

She starts to walk down the alleyway, but I gently push her against the wall, waiting for her to push me away. She doesn't. Instead, she just stares at me, her eyes full of something unspoken, and lightly strokes my face. Something's wrong. She seems nervous, scared even. The faint smell of magic lingers on her skin, but there's something else—something darker.

My wolf doesn't let the moment linger, though. He wants her to know that I can protect her. The instinct surges, and before I can stop it, I kiss her. Hard. She responds instantly, wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. Claim her, my wolf growls inside my head.

I pull away, forcing myself to stop, needing to know if she's alright. "Please, tell me." My voice is low, desperate. But she raises a hand, stopping me from getting any closer. Her body tenses, and I can feel the anger rolling off her in waves.

"Tell you what?" she asks, her eyes searching mine for something.

I grab her face, pressing my forehead to hers. She's hurting, my wolf whispers to me, and I know it's true.

"Whatever's bothering you," I whisper back. She exhales heavily, the tension between us thick. She's holding something back, and it's killing me. The fear of losing her again gnaws at me. I need to feel her, to make her understand that she's safe with me. My hands slip down to her back, stroking it gently, and she moans softly at my touch. It's such a witch thing—to face everything alone. She needs to let me in, let the pack in. She belongs with me.