Page 82 of Witchy Woman

I jump into his arms, wrapping my arms and legs around him as best I can. He doesn’t even step back to brace himself, he just absorbs my energy and matches it with his own.

“I got you, Goldilocks.”

Somehow, I’ve even learned to love that nickname despite how much it pissed me off the first time he used it. It’s special. Unique. Just for us.

If anyone else ever used it, I’d kill them.

He walks us into the house, his plants magically closing and locking the door behind us. He sits me on the island in his kitchen, handing me a glass of my favorite wine.

The wine he poured the first night I stayed here.

“Talk to me. What’s going on?” he asks once I’ve drained the glass.

I meet his liquid-forest gaze and know I have to tell him. Tell him what I’ve been avoiding. That I have to sacrifice my life to save Mom. But I meant it when I promised myself I wouldn’t let him near it.

“I’m going to be saving Mom tomorrow.”

His sigh is heavy, emotional, as he brackets my body with his hands on the counter.

“Hazel and I had a fight about it. She doesn’t want me to do it, and we finally said all the things we’ve kept bottled up.” I try to chuckle. “Seems like you were right about therapy being healthy.”

He sees right through me, though. He lifts his hand and caresses my cheek. “I’m sorry you fought. Why doesn’t she want you to do it?”

Deep breath, Laura. “Because I’m risking my life.”

His face hardens instantly. His body rigid, shoulders squared as he stares into my very soul. “No.”

My heart breaks at the look on his face, but I’ve already decided and he can’t change my mind. “Ash, you can’t tell me no,” I say softly.

“I sure as fuck can. You think I’m okay with you risking your life?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to be.” I kiss his wrist. “But it’s my decision, and it’s the only way.”

I watch as the emotions play out on his face. As he wrestles with the desire to get all macho-protective man and demand I not go. He knows he can’t make that decision for me. He values my independence almost as much as I do.

Bet he’s regretting all that therapy now.

“It’s theonlyway?” he asks, some of that hardness cracking.

I nod. “I wouldn’t do it if there was another option. But part of my conversation with Hazel tonight was about not pushing. Making sure we’re being as safe as possible and holding off if I feel like things start to go negatively.”

He leans his forehead to mine. “At least there’s that.”

“I’m not going to die for her. But I refuse to let her suffer in Hell of all places after...” Another deep breath. “Mom wrote a letter explaining that she did this to protect Hazel from becoming just like her. Mom didn’t want to continue the cycle. And for that, I have to try. For my sister and for the hope that maybe Mom has learned something.”

“I’m going with you.”

Knew that was coming. “And if I try to stop you?”

“I’ll tell you the same fucking thing you told me. It’s my decision.”

I love this stubborn man so much. “Tomorrow night.”

Because by then, it’ll be over. I made a promise to myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t lose Ash. That if I was going to give in to this soulmate bond, I wouldn’t risk his life in the process.

So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to lie my ass off.

He’s going to be pissed. He’s going to call me a hypocrite. And he wouldn’t be wrong. I’m a huge fucking hypocrite when it comes to Ash Cedar.