Page 121 of Wedded Witch
And Oland is by the hearth, his eyes meeting mine with a softness that still catches me off guard.
The weight of their combined love is everything.
I smile at them, warmth swelling in my chest. This is my family. My mates. My future.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I call back, stepping inside and letting the door swing shut behind me once Bolt joins me. The scent of food fills the air, something savoury and comforting.
A quiet celebration.
It’s the first time in forever that we’ve been able to gather like this, not out of necessity or strategy, but simply tobe. To exist together. And to celebrate Oland’s birthday.
His brothers have been teasing him relentlessly for being an old git, but he can give as good as he gets and it’s been wonderful to watch them bond and slowly get reacquainted.
As I walk over to them, I catch the look on Ri’s face—guarded, as always, but softer now. More open. I take a seat next to him, feeling the solid presence of his arm brushing mine.
Sol glances up from his spot on the floor and gives me a lopsided grin, his eyes sparkling in the light. Kel winks at me, ever the one to keep things light, but there’s a quiet joy in his gaze.
“We did it,” I say softly, more to myself than to them. But they all hear it. The weight of those words sinks into the space between us, and for a moment, the room is filled with a quiet, shared understanding.
“We did,” Oland says, his voice low, but steady. He walks over to stand behind me, his hand resting gently on my shoulder. His touch sends a warm current through me, and I lean into it, closing my eyes for a brief second.
There’s no more distance between us, no more watcher and runner, no more barriers. Just us. Husband and wife. A wife that he willingly shares with his three once-estranged brothers.
Ri leans forward, resting his elbows on the table, his sharp gaze flicking between us. “And what now?”
Now.
That word.
It holds so much meaning, doesn’t it? What happens now, when the battle is won, and the curse is gone?
I smile, looking around the table, at all of them, my heart swelling with love for each of them in a way I never thought possible.
“Now,” I say softly, “we live. We live and we love. Without fear or hesitation. I’m all in, guys.”
Kel chuckles from the floor, shaking his head. “Sounds suspiciously simple for someone who’s just mastered ancient Aether magic.”
“Hey,” I laugh, throwing a glance at him. “I think we’ve earned simple for a while, don’t you? Besides, I’d say I’m far from having ‘mastered’ it.”
The room fills with quiet laughter, the tension finally easing out of all of us, piece by piece. It feels like breathing again for the first time after being underwater for too long.
Then, as if on cue, my phone buzzes on the table. I frown, reaching for it, wondering who could possibly be calling me right now. When I see the name flash across the screen, my heart skips.
Mum.
I hesitate for a moment, exchanging a glance with Oland, then swipe to answer.
“Hey, Mum,” I say, my voice soft but steady. I’ve been meaning to call her, but I just wanted a few more days to process everything.
“Swyn!” Her voice bursts through the speaker, brimming with excitement. “Oh, sweetie, I knew it—I felt it. The curse is broken, isn’t it?”
I blink, taken aback. “How did you?—?”
“Of course I know,” she interrupts, laughing. “We’ve always been connected to it, you know. As soon as it happened, every single one of us felt it. But that’s not why I’m calling. I have news.Bignews. Huge. Massive. You’ll never believe it!”
I raise an eyebrow, feeling a strange flutter of nerves. “What news?”
“You’re going to be a big sister!” she says, her voice practically singing with joy.