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Rook was the only one of us untouched by the curses.

As soon as we were within the tree line, my ears twitched and my tail flickered excitedly. Prue sensed the change, her eyes taking me in with a smile on her black-painted lips.

She wasn’t laughing at me like others had done. With the way her cheeks turned pink, I think she liked it.

They had truly chosen a good mate for me.

We didn’t stop walking until we reached the clearing. The moonlight above us gave enough light to see our surroundings.

The forest here was beautiful, even more tonight with beams of silver light filtering through the trees, illuminating the forest. This was one of my favorite times of day, and sharing it with my mate just felt right.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she breathed out excitedly.

She set her little jars on top of a flat boulder before throwing her arms out and spinning around slowly, her face tipped up to the moonlight.

She was a goddess, ethereal as the light danced across her skin. I could almost see the magic filtering into her skin and charging her magic. Everything about her was glowing now.

I couldn’t stop the change if I tried. My wolf was so eager to meet our mate that I shifted on the spot, my body contorting until fur was everywhere and I was on four paws.

I trotted closer to Prue, and she seemed to sense that I was coming. She stopped spinning, her arms falling to her sides, but that peaceful smile didn’t leave her face. In fact, it only widened as I approached.

She crouched down, and I nuzzled against her.

Her laughter was beautiful, and my wolf preened under the attention as her fingers dug into our fur, scratching.

“You are perfect in this form. I can see what a ferocious beast you are. It’s nice to have a mate that can protect me.”

My wolf liked that.

“But you’re also perfectly adorable. I really like your ears, and I’m kind of glad that I get to see them more than just in this form,” she admitted quietly, like it was a secret.

As if to punctuate her point, she scratched at my ears for a moment before letting her butt hit the ground.

She laid out under the moonlight, and I couldn’t help but curl up at her side, her fingers still deep in my fur, the warmth of her hand radiating through my body.

I hadn’t really realized how much I needed her touch until this moment. My wolf was more content than I’d ever felt.

Not since the curse.

But she wasn’t shying away from it. She was embracing it, finding the good in it. I was far too stubborn to see myself.

Maybe I would never change, and this would be my form forever. Never just a man or a beast but a strange mix of both. Right now, I couldn’t find it in me to be angry about that anymore. Not when this little witch liked my ears and my wolf and embraced every part of me.

I shifted back now. My clothes were already shredded but I didn’t overthink it as I laid myself over her.

“I’m sorry. I’m not magically charmed to keep my clothing,” I admitted sheepishly. “But I’d really like to kiss you.”

“You don’t need my permission, mate,” she whispered back, her voice holding a raspy edge that told me she wanted it as badly as I did.

I leaned down slowly, my body pressing into her before our lips connected. Her caramel apple swirled around us, and her lips were just as sweet as I imagined.

She was soft and responsive under me. My wolf was hungry for her, nipping at her lips but being careful not to hurt her with our teeth. One hand rested on her neck, holding her close.

It felt so good to have our mate in our arms.

Not sure how far she was comfortable taking this, I rolled over, laying out just like she was, our fingers interconnected as we stared up at the moon.

“This is the first time I’ve felt like a witch in a long time,” she admitted. “I’ve missed the moon.”