The Witch's Mates

Chapter Twelve

It is almost eight thirty now, and I have just finished getting ready to leave when there is a knock on my door.

I walk over to it slowly. I had trouble sleeping. I'm already starting to get used to being awake at night and asleep during the day. I can tell that I am going to be tired all day today while shopping.

I open the door and see Everett standing on the other side. I smile and step aside so that he can walk in.

"Hey, I just wanted to say goodbye before you leave. And I also wanted to let you know that I have told Devlin to buy you anything you want. Mostly focusing on clothes, but if you want any makeup or beauty products then feel free to get those as well."

"Oh, Devlin will be paying?" I ask, not sure how I feel about that.

Part of me doesn't want to accept it, the other part of me wants to spend an obscene amount of money in the hopes of pissing him off. I smile at the thought.

I know that I am supposed to be giving him a chance, but it doesn't feel like he has given me a chance yet.

"Well, the four of us mostly share our finances now. But Devlin is the one that is seriously loaded. He's lived a lot longer than us, so he has had more time to accumulate it." Everett explains.

I nod but don't respond.

Everett pulls me into a hug and then whispers into my ear.

"Willow, Baby. Please promise me that you won't try to run while you guys are in the human realm."

At his words, a shock goes through me. I hadn't even thought about running, I probably should have. It would be the perfect chance to escape. But the thought hadn't even crossed my mind.

I'm getting too comfortable here, with them.

But thinking about running away from them, makes my heart sink. It also brings a wave of anxiety, that I am not expecting. I am surprised to find that I don't want to get away from them, any of them. Even Devlin.

"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind," I tell Everett honestly.

I think he can hear in my voice, or maybe feel through my emotions, how scared that statement makes me.

Have I given in that much? Do I actually trust them and want to be with them?

I hadn't even realized that it happened, but here we are.

Everett lifts his hand until he is cradling the side of my face and looks directly into my eyes. I look back, into his dark red eyes. And I realize that I no longer find his eyes unnatural or repulsive. I find them comforting.

"You don't have to be afraid of trusting us, or of wanting to be with us. We are never going to hurt you."

Everett speaks quietly. And although they have told me this multiple times, I realize that this is the first time that I truly, fully, believe it. I know that none of them would ever hurt me, I don't know how I know that or why I feel so strongly about it. But I do.

So, I lean forward and kiss Everett.

It is a slow, sensual kiss. It still brings heat and desire but in a different way.

We kiss for a while, just holding each other. But, eventually, Everett breaks away.

"I'm going to miss sleeping next to you tonight." He tells me, and I realize that I am going to miss it too.

"Me too, but it's just one night," I tell him, and then peck him on the lips again.

Everett smiles and then breaks from our embrace. He grabs my hand instead though.