12. Theodore

CHAPTER 12

Theodore

" A utumn!" I cry out as soon as the shockwave hits.

The last time I felt magic this powerful, I was compelled to slip on some pumpkin guts. I've never been the brightest needle in the haystack, but even I know how to watch where I'm going.

"Teddy?" she gasps. "You can talk?"

"I was talking before," I tell her, grumbling.

"Oh god, Fenrir, I think your knot is finally going down," Autumn moans, reaching back to hold my shoulders as a torrential downpour of cum seeps between her legs and to the floor.

We all fall back in a pile on top of him as his legs give out.

"Fuck me," he grunts.

"We just did," I say with a laugh.

"What did you do with my necklace?" Autumn asks, her eyes hazy as she looks at Vincent.

"The one you wore all the time, ever since your parents passed? That's the one that was cursed. And what's more, I think it was holding back your powers."

"That shockwave was definitely you, babe," Fenrir grunts, thrusting his half-hard cock into her, as if he has anything left in him.

"Ew, don't call me babe," Autumn says, wrinkling her nose.

"Could have told you that," I say with a grin.

She holds on to Vincent to slide off mine and Fenrir's cocks, holding me close to my breast. After all the years with my soul lost and wandering, I'm finally home. She's unsteady at first, both my hand and Vincent's coming forward to hold her on her feet. She spins around, too quickly, Vincent needing to catch her as she slips, before she leans forward to put my head on my body. She looks down oddly at my left arm, only to realize it's on the wrong size. She pulls it off and switches it to the left side before reaching down for my right arm to attach it as well.

"I missed your voice. I missed you," she sobs. "I can't believe you're real."

"I've been real this whole time," I tell her. "I heard you crying for me."

She pulls me into a long hug, our bodies shaking as we bear the weight of our time apart.

Fenrir is the first one to make a noise, clearing his throat.

"I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but that shockwave has to have warned the Blackwood witch what's going on. If anyone's going to understand his little sister's been let off her leash, it's him," he says.

"He might be rushing over, figuring he has a better chance at a discombobulated little sister witch than one who's had time to adjust to her powers," Vincent observes.

"He can compel you," I warn. "Like he did me."

Autumn goes taut for a moment. She hisses out as steady and slow as she can, "Like he did you."

I nod, terrified by the expression in her face. I've never seen my girl look like that before. Like she could destroy the Earth.

For me.

I take a big breath—the action completely useless but reflexive. My lungs are fully exposed—not that I think I need them. As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I don't want her going scorched earth for me. All I need is her love and a future together to be happy—and even then, all I need is her happiness. She can't do that if she razes the Earth.

And I really think she could now.

"Honeybuns, I love you, but I don't want you killing for me," I tell her.

"But you're okay with honeybuns?" Fenrir growls.

"Time and a place," Vincent hisses at the werewolf.

"I don't even know how to control my powers!" she shrieks, crossing her arms after they fly up for emphasis.

"You probably do, better than you think," I suggest. "Why else would I be alive… well, undead, I suppose."

Vincent leans down to pick up the cursed necklace.

"Shouldn't touch that," Fenrir grunts.

Vincent shrugs. "Seems pretty inert now. Look—there's a crack across the gemstone. Maybe that's why some of her magic worked."

"Then why couldn't we bite her?" the wolf huffs.

"Anti-magic ward," I say.

Everyone looks at me. I shrug.

"Look, I wasn't going to spoil it for her 'til I knew everything, but when I found out Autumn Woods was really Autumn Blackwood, I wanted to understand the life I was getting into. I mean, I was gonna give her my all no matter what. It's just that Andy found out what I was researching… Figured it was only a matter of time 'til I stumbled upon his evil little plot."

I laugh, finally able to remember how stupid it all was. I didn't care if Autumn had an evil little rat bastard for a brother, I was going to love him as my own if that's who she loved too. If she doesn't ream his ass at this point, he'll be lucky. Hoisted by his own petard.

"Anyway, I buried some spell books inside the walls of Vincent's gates before he got to me."

Autumn looks at me teary-eyed. "I'm so sorry I didn't visit you. I was so despondent."

I shrug. "I don't think that's all. I think he compelled you to stay away. You were always so biddable around him, I couldn't wrap my head around it until I started putting two and two together."

Autumn shakes her head in fascination. "Everyone thinks you're so dumb. Why do you let us all do that?"

I shrug again. "Don't care what they think. Only that you know I love you."

Fenrir pushes me from behind. "Calm down, spaghetti brains. You're setting real high standards for the rest of us."

I spin around to face him.

"Good. She deserves it."

He grins back at me. I see Vincent shake his head and roll his eyes out of my peripherals. God, it's great having decent vision again. I could kiss Autumn for it.

Actually, I will.

"Thank you for everything," I tell her. "For just being you."