Page 110 of Bad Witch

“Yeah, peaches, you do.”

She was shaking her head. “You’re wrong, you have to be.” She tried to pull away again, but we were still knotted and there was no sign of it releasing her.

“I’m not.”

“How do you know?” she rushed out. “You could be wrong…you have to be wrong.”

Her denial, her obvious shock and horror at the idea, was making the beast pace and snarl. He wasn’t going to release her, not until she said she was ours. “A hound only knots with their mate. But I knew before this, I’ve known for a while now, when I started to feel more than I should. A hound only develops a wide range of emotions when they spend time with their female.”

“And you felt this? You’ve developed more emotions?”

“Yes,” I said and gently rubbed her hip, trying to calm her.

She was shaking her head, though, and her distress rose. “This can’t be happening…oh gods, this can’t be.”

“Is it really so bad?” I choked out, unable to stop myself, because her denial fucking hurt.

She twisted again, so she could see my face. “Yes…” She shook her head. “This isn’t supposed to happen. It shouldn’t be possible. I don’t have a mate, I don’t get one⁠—”

“Yes, you do,” I said. “You’re looking at him.”

“I don’t understand. I need to go…you need to let me go. Release me,” she said, struggling against me. “Fender, let me go.”

“I can’t,” I choked out. “I need you to relax, peaches. I can’t let go unless you calm down⁠—”

“I don’t need to do any such thing. You didn’t ask me if I wanted this, you didn’t give me the choice. I can’t be here right now. I need to go home, let me go home.”

“Tempest, please. I didn’t mean to do this, not now, I never planned to do it this way. I’m so fucking sorry. Peaches, will you just stop for a minute and take a fucking breath. We can talk this through…we can⁠—”

“No,” she screamed, not anger, sheer panic. Her eyes locked with mine, with the beast. “Let me go,” she said with so much horror and desperation that the beast recoiled. My knot instantly deflated and slipped from her.

Tempest was off the bed in an instant, snatching up her clothes and bag, and ran to the bathroom. The door slammed and I scrambled out of bed, hopping down the hall after her.

“Tempest? Please, we need to talk.” Nothing, not a sound. I pounded on the door. “Tempest!” I grabbed the handle. She hadn’t locked it, and I shoved it open. I stormed in after her—but she was gone.

Tempest

I stumbled across the yard, my legs still shaking, not only from what we’d done but what Fender had told me. His mate? I couldn’t be. Matildas didn’t have mates, the fates made sure of it, but goddess, he’d sounded so sure of it.

Shoving the door open, I walked into the cottage and collapsed on the floor. I’d blown up my life. I’d abandoned my patients. I’d selfishly gone after what I wanted and destroyed everything. There was no way I’d be permitted to stay here now. I shook my head. Fender’s mate? No, it was impossible, forbidden. It couldn’t be true. Matilda W told me that it was impossible, that allowing myself to believe otherwise would only end in pain, that we were, and always would be, a coven of spinsters. No, Fender was mistaken. He had to be.

Now my coven wasn’t answering me, and I’d just run from Fender and more than likely hurt him as well, and telling him why he was wrong, telling him who and what I was, would be another betrayal to the Matildas, and after the destruction I’d already caused, I couldn’t bring myself to cause more.

“I’m sorry,” I said out loud. “I’m so sorry I let you all down.” But there was no reply. No familiar voices in my mind, no comforting rush of warmth as their power touched me, letting me know they were there. There was nothing.

Not knowing what to do or where to go, I headed for the cemetery. Glindy followed me, lying down with me beside Matilda W’s grave. She’d trusted me, and I’d failed her. “I’m so sorry, Sarah,” I whispered, using her true name. She’d shared it with me when I got older and learned the truth and realized Matilda wasn’t her birth name. I’d asked and she’d given it to me, but I’d never used it, not until she lay dying and asked me to, because she wanted to be Sarah one last time before she left the mortal realm.

I’d loved her, and she’d loved me. I’d tried not to, to protect myself, but I had, and I missed her so much right then that it hurt. It hurt so badly, and all I could think was how much I wanted Fender with me right then. How badly I needed him to comfort me and call me peaches and hold me in his strong arms.

He doesn’t want you. Not really.

You’re nothing.

Nobody wants you.

A sob broke free as the hateful words echoed in my mind, but it was my father’s voice.

You’re lucky I allowed you to live in my home as long as I did. Your mother never wanted you either.