Page 35 of Crazy as Hell

Not if they had a chance to stop it.

He had to remind himself that he had been infinitely blessed that he’d had the last few months with her. If that was all they got, a few months together each lifetime, that would be enough for him. Some mates didn’t even have that much. But it was hard not to be greedy, especially when he loved her so deeply.

Taking a deep breath, he walked with her back over to the table where the others were waiting. He was reluctant to let go of her hand, and had to force himself to take a step back.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Naomi announced. “Where do you want me? Should I sit down again or—”

Braxton gave them no warning. Using his magic, he broke open the crystal jar and sent the soul inside flying directly at Naomi. It slammed into her with enough force to throw her body backward.

Naomi felt the impact travel through her entire body. It was like being struck by a shooting star full force in the chest. Pain vibrated through her, echoing out until every cell in her body felt like it was going to explode.

Then, it suddenly stopped.

When she opened her eyes again and found herself back in her bed in her apartment, it made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.

They had failed.

Lying there staring up at the ceiling, she tried to motivate herself to get out of bed, but she simply couldn’t do it. Not with the loss of her mate making her want to completely lose her shit.

She pulled the extra pillow over her face as the tears began to fall. She let herself cry for everything she had lost. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, like an echo of the mating mark Viktor had given her.

Then, she realized it was just her heart breaking.

Naomi let out a gasp of surprise when she suddenly felt the pillow being pulled away from her face, and her eyes went wide as Viktor’s handsome face appeared in front of her.

“Are you trying to suffocate yourself?”

She sat up in a rush, almost bashing her head against his. He pulled her onto his lap, snuggling her close. “Hello, Naomi.”

“What are you doing here?”

He cocked his head to the side as he studied her. “Where else would I be but with my beloved mate?”

“I don’t understand,” she sputtered. “Didn’t we fail? What am I doing back here if we—?”

“It worked,” he said softly. “This is the day before your original death day.”

“The day before…”

Her head spun as she made a desperate grab for the phone on her nightstand. Sure enough, the display said that it was the day before she was supposed to start attending the magical academy. Braxton had sent her back in time, and somehow, she had been reborn outside of the death loop.

Covering her face with her hands, she started sobbing. He held her close and rubbed her back as she continued to cry. She wasn’t sure how long her tears lasted, but by the time her tears finally stopped, she felt exhausted and thoroughly dehydrated.

Glancing back up at him, she saw his own cheeks stained with his tears. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his in a sweet, tentative kiss. A gasp escaped her as he crushed her against his chest and buried his head against her neck.

“I woke up in a panic at The Manor and had no clue what was going on. Then, my chest began to burn, and the mating mark appeared in full glory. With it came all my memories of our past life together.”

“We did it,” she whispered. “We finally broke the curse.”

“We did,” he repeated. “And now, I want forever with you.”

She smiled at him, tears once again filling her eyes. Only, this time, they were tears of joy. “Forever is a good start.”

Epilogue

“Welcome to my After Death Party!”

It was exactly two years and one day since Naomi’s original death date, and surviving beyond what had once seemed like her inevitable expiration date felt damn good.