I paced the frozen ground around the willow tree. Despite the ice warning from the previous night and the cold from this morning, the tree still shone with its heavy, green branches. The only explanation I had was the magic inside it, the magic no one really understood but everyone believed and respected.

I also believed it had been this same magic that had made me sneak into the back of the hunters’ truck and come to Willow Harbor, the same magic that had made me dream of Brooke for so many years and kept her image alive in my mind, the same magic that had made Strom write that first letter to Brooke, that made him forget it would have a post office stamp from Willow Harbor, the same magic that made Brooke come back to Willow Harbor—the place that was supposed to be her home.

But she wasn’t in Willow Harbor right now.

That night, right after Strom saved Brooke’s life, the hunters and I fought with the remaining nagas. Thankfully, Brooke hadn’t made us shoot any vital organ, so the nagas were injured, but alive, which made them easy to defeat.

We rounded them up, moved the injured ones to the medical center, including Brooke’s father—he had a nasty wound to his chest, but with the right care and healing potions, he would make a full recovery.

Nerom wasn’t so lucky.

I wasn’t sure he had meant to do it or not, but Strom had killed his brother. And so far he didn’t seem to regret it.

Cole stayed back to call the police about finally finding the men behind the biggest drug dealing organization Willow Harbor had seen. He was able to twist the tale so the police thought the nagas, now in their human form, had also been responsible for Robbie’s and Karl’s death, which cleared Brooke’s name.

Meanwhile, the rest of us went back to the manor. We cleaned up, patched up Landon’s back, Aidan’s shoulder, and Caleb’s neck, and then rested.

The next day, Brooke wanted to see her father. Since Anna’s potion wasn’t ready yet, I didn’t trust her to go alone.

She smiled at me and said, “It’s fine. I was going to ask you to come with me anyway.”

That sentence, those simple words, made me feel good, better than they should.

At the medical center, Brooke met Edna and Eddie. The woman knew about Brooke and welcomed her with open arms, and the little boy … he stole Brooke’s heart in half a second. She couldn’t help but smile and play with him. I could see him falling for her soon too.

Then, she left.

Actually, I took her away. Per her request, I drove her to the airport in Charleston where she got a flight to South Dakota. I confess, seeing her leave was one of the hardest things I had ever done. But I held on tight, because I knew what she was doing.

I knew she was coming back.

There was no point in driving to Mobridge to pick her stuff up, then drive back to Willow Harbor. Besides, as she had said, she didn’t have a lot of things in her dorm or at her mother’s house, but it would definitely not fit in her car. So, she flew out there, talked to her mother, dropped out of college, packed her stuff, rented a small moving truck, and drove back to Willow Harbor.

I glanced at the time in my phone. It was almost three in the afternoon, the time she said she would be arriving.

These last two weeks without her had been strange, as if I were missing a part of me. I even dreamed about her again, as if the tree insisted on keeping her on my mind, even when she was away.

At least I had kept busy with the lesser forest demons who had been terrorizing Charleston. They had appeared at the town’s edge and were trying to come over. There had been too many, and the little freaks were fast and creepy. The guys and I kicked their asses and now they were gone. Still, we kept a closer eye on the woods around Willow Harbor to make sure they wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

“Hey there.” I spun and saw Anna coming toward me. She walked carefully on the ice-covered stone path. She slipped and hissed. “It’s the middle of the afternoon. You would think this damn ice would be gone by now.”

I let out an amused chuckle. “With gray skies and temperature near thirty? That ice might last a few days.”

She pulled her scarf up to cover her chin and ears. “You could have asked me to meet you somewhere else, though, couldn’t you? Like inside Urban Grind? I bet it’s warm there.”

That was true, but I wanted to be here with the tree even if it was freezing out.

“Do you have it?”

“Of course I do.” She halted in front of me. “I would have called and told you if I hadn’t, instead of coming out here to tell you no.”

I chuckled again. “Are you all right? You’re snappier than usual.”

“It’s this damn weather.” She shivered. “I hate winter.”

“I rather like it,” I said, looking up at the tree.

“Here.” She held a small black velvet box in her gloved hands. “Just like you wanted.”

I took the box from her. “Are you sure this will do the trick?”

“Yes, but it wouldn’t hurt to recharge it once a year, just to be sure.”

I nodded. “Thanks.” I put the box inside my coat’s pocket. “Send the bill to the manor, please.”

“Yeah, I know.” She waved me off. “Good luck.”

I raised one eyebrow. She laughed and walked away.

I glanced at my phone again. It was six past three. Where was she?

Rarely a mission or case left me anxious but waiting for her did. Trying to calm down, I started pacing again.

My phone dinged.

Brooke: Just crossed the town’s gates.

Smiling, I raced to Urban Grind and ordered two coffees to go. Not surprisingly, Loran knew who the second coffee was for and what her favorite was.

Holding both drinks, I walked out of the coffeeshop and waited by the corner, watching the cars and trucks coming down Central Avenue.

Then, there it was. Still a couple of blocks away, but I was sure of it. My heart beat faster the closer the truck got.

She parked the small rental truck at an open spot a few feet from where I was standing and smiled at me.

My heart skipped a beat.

Brooke had come home.

---

Nathan had told me he would be waiting for me, but for some reason, I had doubted it. I thought that maybe he would have forgotten it, maybe he would be busy with cases or missions.

Maybe he had forgotten me.

But there he was … handsome and damn sexy in a black trench coat and dark jeans.

He was staring straight at me and holding two coffee cups from Urban Grind, a heartwarming combination.

With sure steps, he approached the truck as I opened the door and hopped out. I shivered at the cold, salty air that greeted me.

“Welcome to Willow Harbor,” he said, handing me one of the coffees.

“Thanks.” I took it and sipped from it. “Hm, my favorite.”

“You can thank Loran for that.”

I nodded. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty of opportunities to do that.” I looked up at the second floor above the coffee shop. There were apartments above Urban Grind, Dragon’s Hoard, and Ida’s Bakery, and now one of those apartments was mine. Nathan had pointed out the website, and I was able to do the booking and everything else by phone—they didn’t have bookings online yet. Now, I just needed to stop by the rental office and grab the keys.

Surprising me, Nathan pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. “Ready to move in?”

“You got my keys?”

He shrugged. “I wanted to save you the trip.”

“Thanks,” I said. His eyes were fixed on mine, and I suddenly found it warm. I got the keys from him. I remembered something else I would need now that I was back in town. “Any news from Anna? Does she have my potion ready?”

In the end, I had figured out who Anna was. Nathan had mentioned her name once or twice, but I never associated the name with the person until shortly before I left when Nathan mentioned the potion again. Anna Tillman. She had been in a few of my classes in high school, though we had never been close. And now I knew she was a witch. Crazy world.

Crazy little town.

“She does,” he said. “She’ll bring it over soon.”

“Oh, okay.” I stepped back. “Thanks. For the keys and for the coffee.”

I walked to the back of the truck and opened the doors.

Brows curled down, Nathan appeared by my side. “Are you dismissing me?”

“No, no way,” I said too fast. I cleared my throat and tried again, slower this time. “I just thought you would have something to do.”

He didn’t answer right away, just watched me, and a sliver of fear snaked through my chest. What if my magic was acting right now? I had barely step inside town and was enchanting people I didn’t mean to.

“My busy schedule is clear for the rest of the day,” he finally said, his tone teasing. “I came to help you with your stuff.”

Heat spread through my cheeks. “Um, thanks.”

Nathan handed me his coffee. “Here.” I took it and watched as he got a big box from the truck. I slung two bags over my shoulders, and still holding to the coffees, turned toward the apartments’ entrance.

I was about to rest the coffees on the ground to unlock the front glass door when it opened.

A beautiful young woman with long, luscious black hair stared at us. “Hi,” she said, her voice tight.

“Hey, Lena,” Nathan said. “This is Brooke Ellis. She’s moving into apartment three.”

“Oh, hi.” Lena waved at me. “I’m in four.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, smiling.

She didn’t smile back. “You too.” She shifted her gaze to Nathan and frowned. “You need help?”

“No, we’re good,” Nathan said, hiking the box up a little more.

“All right. See you around,” Lena said, stepping out and away. I watched over her for a moment, wondering if she was also a supernatural being.

Beside me, Nathan groaned with the weight of the boxes and I moved. I held the door open for him. He climbed the steps and walked down the hall to apartment number three. This time, I hugged one of the coffees, careful not to spill it, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

Nathan was the first to step in.

I stayed in the doorway, taking in the place where I hoped to finally make a life for myself, where I hoped to finally feel at home. The place was small but quaint. The entryway was basically a hallway of sorts that led to a kitchen on the right and a closet-slash-pantry on the right. It opened to a nice size living and dining area with clean carpets and bare walls.

Nathan dropped the box in the middle of the room and turned to me. “Are you okay?”

Stepping inside, I nodded. “I am now,” I whispered.

I dropped the two bags beside the box, then set the to-go coffee cups on the high counter dividing the kitchen from the dining area, and along with Nathan, I went back downstairs and brought more bags and boxes up. We traveled up and down a few times until all of my stuff was spread around my living room.

My living room. I liked that.

I dropped the last item I had gotten from the truck—my favorite comforter and my pillow—and placed it over one of the boxes.

“Is that it?” Nathan asked, looking around.

I snorted. “You say that as if it had been fast and easy.” I frowned, glancing at my stuff. “Though, I guess I don’t have much. Yet.”

I had so much to do. I had to buy some furniture—like a bed and couch and a small dining table. Maybe a TV too and other things, like plates, utensils, some decent pots and pans … all I had were spares my mother had given me when I first went away for college. But my choices would have to be wise. I didn’t have much money, and until I got a job somewhere, anywhere, I would have to be smart about my expenses. And after that, there was college. Just because I had dropped out of college in South Dakota, it didn’t mean I was done with college. Willow Harbor didn’t have any universities, but online degrees were common now. I could easily take online classes; however, that would cost more money.

“What’s going on inside that pretty head?”

I blinked, realizing I had been deep in thought. I offered a small smile to Nathan. “Nothing … just life.”

He tilted his head, his dark eyes boring holes into me. The intensity of his gaze took my breath away. My skin tingled. Frowning, I took a large step back.

It was my magic; I was sure of it. I hadn’t waited for the potion before leaving town because I was going away, deeper into the country, far from the ocean. My powers wouldn’t be so strong there. And I was told the potion would be ready when I got back.

I wished Anna would come soon so I could take it.

“Just life?” Nathan asked.

“Yeah … um, do you know when exactly Anna is coming?”

“Speaking of that.” He pulled out a black velvet box from his pocket. “I lied about that.”

“What?”

“Sorry. I just wanted it to be a surprise.”

I stared at the box in his hand. “A surprise?”

He took three large steps and halted right in front of me. “Here.” He opened the box and I gasped. A small, silver seashell sat in the middle. “I talked to Anna about the potion. She said you didn’t need to drink it if you had an object, something you could spell with the potion and wear it. She mentioned rings and necklaces are common objects, so I had this idea.” He picked the seashell and pulled it out, revealing a thin chain around it. “I picked a seashell since … you know, you’re a siren and attracted to the ocean. I hope you like it.”

My eyes misted. “It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

He lifted the necklace. “May I?”

Pulling my hair to the side, I turned around. Nathan placed the necklace around my neck and fastened the clasp. I glanced down at the seashell resting right below my collarbone. I ran my fingers over it. I could feel it, the magic coming from it. I was touched. Nathan had personally picked this necklace for me, a seashell for what I was.

“It’s beautiful,” I repeated, turning around. “Thank you.”

“It should work as if you had drank the potion, but Anna said it would be better to recharge it once a year, just to be sure,” he explained.

My stomach dropped. It was working now. It should be. Which meant … Nathan wasn’t attracted to me anymore. That was good news, but for some reason I didn’t like it.

“Thank you,” I said, trying to sound brave and strong but failing horribly.

“My pleasure.” He still stared at me with the same depth in his eyes, the same intensity. He stared at me as if …

No, I couldn’t form the words, not even in my mind.

My brows creasing, I glanced at the necklace. “I don’t think it’s working.”

“Why is that?”

My cheeks warmed. “Because …” I shook my head, not feeling confident about saying it. I didn’t want to sound like I was hurt by the way my magic made him feel—or not.

“Brooke, talk to me.”

I swallowed. He was a hunter, right? Mysterious magical problems was one of the many things he solved, so if I told him about it, he could see I was right. He would take the necklace away and I would wait for Anna with the potion.

My heart sank.

“I … I don’t think it’s working, because you’re still looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” he asked. “Like you’re beautiful and strong and amazing? Like you have the most stunning smile and eyes I have ever seen? Like you’re so damn hot I can’t stand looking at you because all I want to do is to touch you again? Like the only thing in my mind right now is how much I want to kiss you?”

My jaw fell open. My throat went dry. “Y-yes.”

“Remember what I said when I was under your spell at the beach? And for the record, that was the only time I was ever under your spell. Do you remember what I said?” My heart stopped. Not trusting myself, I just nodded. “I said I loved you. Most men aren’t supposed to remember what happens while they were under your spell. Do you know why I remember?” I shook my head. With a corner of his lips curled up, Nathan reached for my hand. “Because it’s true. It wasn’t a fabricated feeling; it was the truth. No spell can erase that.” I gasped and my heart squeezed. “You bewitched me, Brooke, but it wasn’t with your magic. It was because of you and only you.” He tugged me closer. “I love you.”

Slowly, he leaned into me, as if he was giving me time to back out. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. I was frozen on the spot, sure I had died and gone to heaven. But I didn’t want to back out. I wouldn’t. And when his lips finally brushed against mine, I was ready.

I wound my arms around his neck and pulled him to me. He let out a soft chuckle against my lips but only leaned closer. I parted my lips and he deepened the kiss. Just as I remembered. Soft, warm, gentle … until it wasn’t. Until it became hard, fast, hot. Nathan backed me up to the kitchen’s high counter and pressed his body against mine.

All of a sudden, he jumped back. “We should stop.”

It was like a bucket of cold water over my head. “Why? What happened? What did I do? Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing is wrong.” He reached for me, then stopped himself and stayed back. “You didn’t do anything, nothing wrong at least.” He ran a hand over his hair. “It’s just … I didn’t mean to push. You probably want to go slow and—”

“I don’t want to go slow.” I walked up to him, right into the circle of his arms. “I don’t want to stop.”

His eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

I grabbed the neck of his sweater. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

He glanced at the digital clock blinking from the microwave in the kitchen behind me. “It’s almost five. Don’t you have dinner with your father later?”

“It’s at six.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his chin. “I think we can do a lot in an hour.”

He groaned, then dipped his head, taking my mouth with his. He kissed me long and hard, and I melted in his arm. He pulled back an inch and said, “I think we can make that work.”

I smiled, stepping back. “We better.” I picked up the comforter from the top of a box, took Nathan’s hand, and pulled him toward the empty bedroom. I paused at the door and looked at him. Channeling his intense vibes, I really looked at him and said, “By the way, I love you too.”

A big, proud smile spread over his lips. Growling, he advanced on me and closed the bedroom’s door.

About forty minutes later, I was sure I had found my home.