Chapter 9

NINE

INDI

In the back of my mind, I registered Torren's voice talking to me, but I was only catching fragments of sentences. My stomach was in knots. I glanced left and right, seeing nothing else but heads of red hair. I was looking for Will. I didn't want to be surprised.

" . . . It's Bash's birthday tonight. It's a private party ? — "

"Bash? Who is Bash?"

"INDI!"

I looked up as Liza Prescott Vauntero rushed to us, her blonde curly hair bouncing with every step she took. I had to force a smile and prayed It came out normal-looking. "Hi, Liza?—"

"Where's Torren— OH. " Liza giggled. With one finger she waved to Torren sitting on my shoulder. "I didn't think you'd venture out during Mischief hours."

"I didn't think I would either," Torren grumbled.

Come on, Will. Just show your face for a second so I can know where you are. Don't sneak up on me. Where are you?

"Oh my. Torren, are you okay?" Peggy Bow slid in front of us from out of nowhere. She grinned, and I noticed the fangs in her mouth that hadn't been there in the pictures Will had shown me back in the day, nor had they been there when I lived here.

"It's been a long night," Torren whimpered from my shoulder. "This is my big sister, Indi."

Peggy squealed and tackled me in a hug. "It's so nice to finally meet you! We adore your sister so much."

"I do too." I tried to chuckle. "Um, sorry to crash your party?—"

"No, no, please join us." She pointed across the room to where a tall, gorgeous, and yet absolutely terrifying-looking man with pale-blue hair seemed to be acting like a mime. "It's my adopted son Bash's first ever birthday party. The more the merrier."

"Thanks, Peggy."

"Wait. That grown ass man has never had a birthday party?"

Peggy grimaced and her eyes turned sad when she looked over at him. "Bash is my newest adopted son, which you probably already assumed. He's the Prince of Third Realm?—"

I choked on my gasp. " That's Prince Bastien? As in Tephine's son?"

"She rejected him as her child decades ago. I claimed him as mine before she even died last year." She held her chin up and smiled. "But yes. He was abused horribly and never shown an ounce of love. We've given him his first birthday party in eighty-one years."

"That's really sweet, Peggy. But your family is known for that, aren't you?"

Her cheeks flushed. "We try."

I cocked my head to the side. "Not to be rude, but I don't recall your family being known for fangs . . . Those don't look fake."

"Oh, they're not fake." She giggled and tapped on her fangs with her fingers. "On New Year's Eve, Prince Riven of Fourth Realm turned me and my entire family into vampires. Well, he turned Archer on Christmas Eve, but that was a whole different story."

"Lex told me Prince Riven also turned Jimbo and Sal." I shook my head. "What's Prince Riven trying to do here?"

Liza giggled. "We wish we could ask. Lex is chummy with him and won't tell me. Such an ass."

"Gotcha. So everyone in the Bow family is a vampire now?" I asked, though what I really needed to know was if that included Willem.

Peggy grinned. "Yep, we all are, except for Bash and his soulmate, Collins, who are fae. And Archer's soulmate, Ivy, is fae."

Willem being mortal while I was immortal had been part of our breakup.

I hated how much that information affected me, how my heart was suddenly pounding against my chest. I needed to distract them and myself before they realized I was panicking in front of them. Somehow Peggy Bow didn't know I'd dated her son, and I needed it to stay that way for my own sanity.

I glanced around, then spotted Bash standing in front of a small crowd of people sitting at tables. I pointed. "Is he being a mime?"

"No, it's charades." She giggled and her cheeks flushed. "It's a long story, but Bash couldn't speak for sixty years, and when he learned of the charades game, he became obsessed. Now, go sit at a booth and enjoy the show. Torren, I'll have Connor make you one of his calming teas and bring it over."

"I'll go tell Connor." Liza waved off Peggy. "You have things to do."

"Thanks, Peggy and Liza."

They blew us kisses, then skipped back out of sight. A quick glance in my immediate vicinity told me Will wasn't there, but I didn't trust it. We needed to go sit in a booth where I could hide until Nash got back.

We made it about three feet before Will's father, Duvall, nearly crashed into us. His face was bright and cheery, the fangs were not a cohesive look. "Oops, sorry! Is that a chameleon on your shoulder?"

"Hi, Duey?—"

"Oh, Torren!" He grinned and then looked to me. "And you must be the big sister I've heard so much about. Hi, I'm Duey Bow!"

I shook his hand. "Indi Chase. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Then he frowned and glanced around us. "Where's Nash? He said he went to pick you up from the sanctuary?"

Torren groaned and buried her face in my sweater. " I happened."

I grimaced. "Jimbo and Sal didn't see us in Nash's car, so they attacked him with marshmallows and soggy toilet paper bombs. Torren got a little spooked and . . . well . . . Nash's car is now in pieces in the street outside. He went to chase the old men down."

Duey's eyes widened. He glanced to the door, then back to us. "This happened right outside?"

I nodded.

"Let me go see if I can get that cleaned up for him." He eyed Torren. "Either of you hurt?"

"No. He used that spray on Torren though?—"

"Wonderful. It should keep you calm for a few hours. But don't try and force your shift back until you're ready, okay, kiddo?"

"Yes, sir."

"Go ahead and grab a booth. I'll have Connor send over some snacks to help brighten you back up."

"Thanks," Torren and I said at the same time.

He smiled, then pulled a wand from his blazer pocket and rushed out the front door. He held a cellphone to his ear and said, "Hey, Nash—yeah, they're inside. They're safe in here, no pranking happening at this party. We've got them. Just go handle my father. I'm going to clean up the car now?—"

Then he was out the door and out of ear shot. I exhaled a deep breath and braced myself for Will to suddenly be standing in front of me when I turned back around. My stomach was in knots. However, when I turned, there was still no sign of him. This was both a relief and a nightmare. I didn't want to see him, yet I was wondering where he was. That was definitely a line in a country song I'd heard recently.

A handsome man with pretty, dark skin stepped out in front of me, then yelped and leapt backwards. His dark eyes went wide. "Why is that gecko floating? Jethro! "

"I am not a gecko, Brian!" Torren whined from my shoulder. "I am a chameleon! Can't you tell how I match her sweater?"

"Torren?" The guy, Brian as she called him, looked even more perplexed. "What sweater? You're floating. Jethro, do you see this?"

An Asian man walked up beside him and frowned. "Torren, are you the chameleon or are you invisible holding a chameleon?"

"What — OH ." She tapped my shoulder. "Indi, you're invisible."

"I am?" I looked down and my eyes widened. There was nothing but air beneath me. I was, in fact, invisible. I cursed. It took me a few deep breaths before I managed to bring my body back into view. I smiled at the two men. "Hi. Sorry about that. I didn't realize I'd done that."

Torren tugged on my hair. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just . . . spaced for a second." More like I panicked for a second. I held my hand out to the guys. "I'm Indi, Torren's big sister?—"

" OH, " Brian said with a wide grin as he shook my hand. "Brian Bow."

My eyes widened. This is Brian Bow? The last time I saw him was in one of Will's photos when Brian was like eight or nine. He was a full adult now. Wait, he called the other guy Jethro. Will had an adopted brother named Jethro ?—

" I'm Jethro Bow." He shook my hand and gave a tight-lipped smile. "Are you two okay? You both seem . . . shaken?"

I sighed. "It's Mischief Night. Torren spooks easily. We had an incident, but we're okay now."

"Just me being me again. " Torren whined. "We just need to sit down and have some tea and soup?—"

"brIAN BOW!"

We all jumped.

"Brian, it's your turn. Get your ass up here!" someone from the charades stage yelled out. He waved his arms. "C'mon!"

"Coming!" Brian giggled and sprinted over.

I scanned the tables, booths, and charades stage for Will. He wasn't there. I genuinely did not want to find him, didn't want to see him, yet I couldn't stop myself from searching for him.

And then I spotted a tall redheaded guy do that man-hug with Brian before stepping down from the charades stage. I sucked in a breath. My eyes were glued to his profile. He held his hand out and a woman with silvery blonde hair joined him. Is that Will? Looks a lot like Will. God, who is that bombshell he's with? Please don't let that be Will.

I looked down at my phone, searching for a life jacket in this flood of emotions, but Liam hadn't responded to my previous message yet. He hadn't even seen it. Frustration ate at me, which was totally unfair. My best friend had gone home to see his family after being away for God only knew how long, I knew he was busy hanging out with them. We were codependent but I understood why he was busy and why we were slow to respond to each other for the first time in five years.

‘ On a scale from one to ten, how bad would it be if I skipped town and just came back for the wedding? ' I sent.

"Hi, Archer!"

"Hey, Torren —whoa, chameleon? That's a new one for you."

Wait, Archer? I looked up from my phone and realized the guy I was worried was Will was actually his older brother, Archer. My heart skipped beats. If anyone in this family knew about me and Willem, it would've been Archer, the eldest of the Bow children. Yet he hadn't reacted to my presence yet. I glanced down to confirm I wasn't invisible. I wasn't.

Torren sighed dramatically. "I'm trying to blend."

"Jethro, you're up next." Archer's yellow eyes sparkled. He looked back to us. "You should sit on her head and be pink."

"Let's not get my hair all tangled," I groaned. "I'm not in the mood to wash it tonight."

The silvery blonde bombshell beside Archer laughed. "Amen to that. Hi, I'm Ivy Baine, Archer's soulmate."

"Oh, hello." I waved. "I'm Indi, Torren's big sister."

" OH, " they said in perfect unison.

Then Ivy's hazel eyes glistened. She pressed her hand to her chest. "Aww, you found her in time for your wedding. I'm so happy for you, Torren."

Torren's chameleon body turned as pink as my hair. "Thanks."

I ground my teeth together, chastising myself mentally for being away for so long that me being here now was such a huge deal to everyone. It was not my proudest moment.

Archer frowned and cocked his head to the side. Those pretty yellow eyes that were just a few shades lighter than Will's narrowed on me. "I feel like we've met before? You look familiar."

My eyes widened. I had met Archer Bow before. When Willem and I had started dating, he introduced me to his big brother and best friend, the fashion photographer who was letting his little brother tag along. But I wasn't ready to admit that, not if Archer didn't recognize me as his brother's ex-girlfriend. I licked my lips. "Um, I don't know? I travel a lot?—"

"No, that's not it." He tapped on his chin. "I'm getting the strangest deja-vu?—"

"Archer." Ivy squeezed his bicep and shook her head. "Torren is sitting on her shoulder as a chameleon. In a restaurant. Take that as a sign they've had a rough night. Let's shelve the do I know you topic until another day, ‘kay?"

"Oh. Sorry. She's right. Thank you, Ivy." His cheeks were flushed red. "As you were, ladies."

Ivy dragged him away, but not before pausing to wink at me. That was when I spotted her pointed ears. Right, she's fae. I'd just been told that too. The fae could read auras, which meant Ivy had picked up on the panic I'd been throwing down and interfered on my behalf. I would have to find a way to thank her.

"Okay, let's just find somewhere to sit?—"

"Torren! Indi! Join us!"

I looked toward Liza's voice and spotted her standing beside a table that had chairs on one side and a booth on the other. In my mind, I was already tucked into the corner of the booth and out of sight from the rest of the restaurant. If it wasn't for Torren, I would've flown home hours ago. But I was a good big sister, so I wouldn't abandon her.

We were about halfway to the table where Liza was standing when I saw she wasn't alone. At first, I thought the guy was her brother, Lexington, but as we got closer, I realized it was Dandre Ward, or Daniel as he liked to be called. The guy was crazy good-looking. The dark hair, scruffy face, and soft green eyes were one hell of a package. It was actually disappointing he wasn't my soulmate because a girl would be lucky to get him. And he seemed to have a great sense of humor. Those green eyes glanced up and then he spotted me. A wide smile spread across his face. He was leaning back in his seat with his arm draped around a gorgeous blonde woman next to him.

What is it with hot blondes tonight? Damn.

" Hey, Indi!" Daniel waved as I stopped at the table. Then he spotted my sister on my shoulder. "Hi, Torren. Rough night?"

"Next year I'm staying inside for Mischief Night," she grumbled from my shoulder.

"We'll stay home together, Torren. Watch Disney princess movies and sing along," the blonde woman said with a smile that dimpled her cheeks.

Daniel gestured to her. "This is my older sister, Isolda. This is Torren's sister."

I hated the relief I felt in hearing this gorgeous woman was his sister because I wasn't even going to date him. It had to be the threat of Will in the air that was messing with my emotions. I forced a smile. "I'm Indi."

"Inside or outside?" Liza gestured to the booth's bench.

"Inside. Please."

"I had a feeling. Scoot on in, ladies." Liza stepped aside for me.

I was relieved to have not seen Will yet, but I knew better than to relax and let my guard down.

"So, how are you liking Mischief Night, Indi?" Isolda asked with a soft voice.

I frowned and cleared my throat. "I am not sure. I didn't participate years ago when I lived here, and tonight . . . well . . . I think it has the potential to be fun? But being with Torren was more important."

"It's good to have siblings who care so much and look after us in our weak moments." Isolda's cheeks flushed as she peeked up at her brother. "Even if they're two centuries younger than you."

"Hundred and seventy-five years." Daniel rolled his eyes. "You always round up. Why?"

"Because it bothers you?" She giggled.

My jaw dropped. "There's almost two hundred years between you two?"

Torren walked to the edge of my shoulder. "How the hell old are you?"

"I'm six-hundred-twenty-five." Daniel nodded his head toward Isolda. "She's eight hundred."

I had no words. They looked my age. I thought my fifteen-year age difference with Torren was huge, but theirs was a whole different ball game. Immortality was wild.

Liza giggled. "I love how you're both centuries older than Lexington, and yet he acts so much older."

Daniel smirked. "Your brother's only friends that he actually hangs out with are Araqiel, Zuriel, and Prince Riven . . . those three are ancient . I think it's a learned behavior."

Liza held her finger up. "Araqiel is goofy as shit, and Prince Riven is only like two thousand. He's a baby compared to them. Also, he's clearly got a sense of humor if he turned Jimbo and Sal."

"But Zuriel is a grouchy, ornery old man." Isolda took a sip of her drink. "That's where your brother gets it."

"Lex and I have four centuries between us in age. By the time I'm his age, he'll be a hermit hiding in his home office, hissing at anyone who comes near him."

We all laughed.

A redheaded guy walked up to the table, and I knew instantly he was a Bow. There was something about the smirk on his face that was so Will. But those blue eyes were all Peggy. I couldn't place the rigid way he held himself though. None of the other Bows were that serious, except for maybe Jethro.

He sat a cup of tea on the table. "Here, Torren, Mom requested this for you. I added some extra calming ingredients for you."

Torren crawled down my arm and hopped onto the table, immediately turning the same shade of cherry wood. "Thank you, Connor. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, my friend." He smiled and sat a menu down on the table. "This is our special event menu, so it's smaller than normal, but just let me know what you want, and I'll whip it up for you."

Torren groaned. "I might need one of everything."

I chuckled and glanced down at the menu. The first item was a soup of the day. I pointed to it. "What's the soup of the day?"

"We have butternut squash?—"

"Actually, we don't."

I looked up at the newcomer and knew instantly it was Connor's twin, Caleb. They looked so identical except Caleb was not so serious. He wiggled and danced at someone sitting a few tables down.

"Caleb, must you flirt with your boyfriend right this second?"

Caleb sighed. "Must you remain perpetually single and miserable?"

Connor narrowed his blue eyes. "Are we out of?—"

"Yup. Eighty-six butternut squash."

I scowled. " Eighty-six?"

Daniel leaned back in his seat again. "That's restaurant employee slang for they ran out of that menu item and it cannot be ordered."

Connor cursed. "What do you mean? We had enough to serve triple the crowd here tonight. Where'd it all go?"

Caleb shrugged with a cheeky grin. "It's gone?—"

"Dammit," Connor grumbled and rushed into the kitchen.

Caleb spun back to us and wagged his eyebrows. "Mom said no Mischief Night on any of our guests or Bash . . . she made no such requests on my own twin. We have plenty of his precious fall fave soup. Just listen for his freak-out and you're welcome."

"So, you do have that soup?" Torren held her chameleon hand up.

"Sure do. We also have tomato bisque, broccoli cheddar, and my mom's personal favorite: cream of chicken and wild rice?—"

"CALEB!" Connor shrieked from back inside the kitchen.

Caleb snickered. "Whomp, there it is. Be right back to get your order."

I watched him scurry down the aisle toward the double doors that led into the kitchen. I was about to make a joke about it when my gaze landed on the one thing I'd been dreading. The one person I never wanted to see again.

Willem.

The way my breath left me in such a rush that it sucked all of the air out of my veins at the same time was unreal. My body convulsed. I gripped the edge of the bench. It's him. It's Willem. He's here. He's HERE. I sucked in a sharp breath as my vision began to tunnel. I couldn't peel my eyes off of him. My heart felt like an earthquake in my chest. He was more beautiful than I remembered. Age had done him so, so well. His hair was a darker red now and tousled in all different directions. A well-trimmed beard dusted his sharp jawline. Those amber eyes were bright and alluring, like embers in a fireplace. He smiled and his whole face lit up. He was gorgeous. He was trouble for my heart and my sanity. He was a nightmare scenario waiting to happen.

God, how dare he look that beautiful.

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself.

Daniel scowled. "Are you cold?"

No, quite the opposite actually. "Um, yeah, just a little?—"

"Want my hoodie? I'm not using it." He lifted the black material up into the air for me to see.

I started to say no when I realized the hood would be useful. I tucked my hair behind my ears. "If you're sure?"

"I am. Take it." He held it over the table for me. "No reason to be cold with an extra layer sitting here."

I grabbed it and slid it on around me, pulling the hood up and over my head so it hung into my eyes. Perfect. Just keep my head down and he won't see me. I craned my neck back and smiled. "Thank you, non-soulmate."

He laughed deep in his belly. "You're welcome, non-soulmate."

Isolda arched one pale eyebrow. "Non-soulmate? What did I miss?"

As Daniel filled his sister in on our first conversation, my gaze shot right back over to Will. He sat in a booth in the corner, a cozy dim-lit corner that highlighted his cheekbones in all the heartbreaking ways. His amber eyes sparkled, and my pulse skipped. That smile on his face made my stomach and chest hurt. Now that I was looking, I couldn't keep my eyes off of him.

Then I noticed he wasn't alone.

And I wanted to cry, scream, and punch something.

The person sitting across from him had long, dark hair that fell in gorgeous waves, and her skin held that mediterranean deep olive tone. I couldn't see her face fully, but the profile revealed a flawless complexion and full lips that were probably a lot nicer to kiss than my own thin lips. KISS? Indi, what the hell? Quit that. You haven't thought about kissing Willem in years. I haven't SEEN Will in years. I let out a ragged breath. That smile of his made him so damn kissable. It'd been my weakness when we were together.

The bombshell in front of him talked with her hands a lot. The silver crystal rings on her fingers caught the reflection of the candles with every movement so she was like her own disco ball. Then she reached up and tucked her hair behind her pointed ears. Pointed. She was fae. My stomach rolled. Willem was mortal when he was with me, but now he was immortal, so it wouldn't be a problem for him to date an immortal fae now.

I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to look down at Torren who was now the same color as the teacup. I'd never seen a lizard lean against a cup and drink out of it this way, but I was thankful for the distraction.

"So, Indi, what do you do?"

I jumped and then looked up to meet Isolda's stare. "Oh, I'm an archaeologist. At least for now."

Torren's chameleon head snapped in my direction. She didn't speak but I felt her questions all the same.

Daniel chuckled. "Hence why they call you Indiana. Got it."

I smiled and shrugged. "Not the worst nickname."

"Indeed. You said at least for now . . . is that going to change?"

"I'm not sure yet." I pursed my lips. "Things are up in the air and I'm trying to sort some stuff out. What about you? All three of you."

"Well, I was in college, floundering over what to major in." Liza tapped her fingers on the table. "But Orson is like an ambassador of sorts? He travels First Realm to monitor all the non-humans, ya know, so they know they're being watched but also that we're there to help, so I do that with him now. I love it."

"I'm now in the floundering stage." Isolda groaned and rubbed her hands together. "I owned a shop in Vegas that I closed last year, so now I'm trying to decide what's my next project. Trying not to act like I'm eight hundred."

"Is there something in the air that we're all struggling to find our footing right now?" I looked to Daniel. "What about you?"

His smirk wobbled. "I'm technically a detective?—"

"Like a cop?" I frowned.

"Yes, but no?" He shrugged. "I'm a cybercrime detective, or I was in Vegas, which has upsides and downsides."

"Is there much cybercrime here?"

He shook his head. "Nope. So I'm floundering like you two. Waiting to see if we're sticking here permanently or not. If we are, maybe I'll join the NYPD or something. Anything to keep my mind busy. I just can't sit still?—"

"DANIEL WARD!" Bash yelled from up at the charades stage, which was just a section of the restaurant they'd cleared tables from. Bash spotted Daniel in front of me and waved for him. "Your turn."

Daniel grumbled and groaned but the smile on his sister's face suggested she knew he wasn't upset about being called up. I knew I should have paid attention to Daniel's round of charades, but my entire focus snapped right to Will and his date. His stupid, beautiful date. Just then she turned to look at something and I caught a glimpse of her whole face and wanted to scream.

She was as beautiful as I knew she'd be. They looked incredible together. They'd make gorgeous children to live with them in their perfect house with a yard and a white picket fence. She probably had a wonderful family like his that didn't neglect or abuse him. She probably was happy and bubbly like he was, down for any of the adventures Will always wanted to take that I'd said no to. She was probably his age and had never seen real struggle and stress in her life.

Must be nice to not raise a child by yourself at the age of fifteen.

Must be nice to throw caution to the wind and see where life takes you.

Must be nice to know no matter what happened you had a family there to support you.

I bet she's the girlfriend I couldn't be. The girlfriend who was fun and carefree. The girlfriend who didn't have to raise her sister half her age because their mother was a loser.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled Daniel's hoodie tight around me. I didn't want to see him with another girl. I didn't want to see him at all. I didn't want to feel the feelings he caused inside of me. I was too fragile for it.

My relationship with Will had been all sunshine and daisies. It was night-blooming flowers beneath a full moon and a cloudless, starry sky. When we were together, it was laughter and smiles and good times, but I'd known it was naive to assume it would stay that way. I was fifteen when Torren was born and seventeen when I fully took over on parenting duties because my mother was unreliable and untrustworthy. I'd given up everything for Torren, and I didn't regret it. She was more like my own daughter than my sister. But that one summer my mother had promised she would be there for Torren so I could have a little freedom . . . that one summer I had Willem.

For one glorious summer I knew what it felt like to be loved, to be in love. To be free of responsibilities and stress. I got to just be a girl, and for thirty-year-old me at the time, that'd been huge. Life-changing huge. I'd had all these plans and dreams. Lying in Will's arms every night I had ideas for a future where I got to just be a woman and not a mother to my sister. My youth had been robbed from me, yet for those fleeting months I'd been getting my chance to have that youth back. Mom had insisted she was taking care of Torren, had sent me pictures even. I'd talked to Torren on the phone.

Then I brought Will home to meet them . . . because I'd been foolish enough to think he might've been my forever.

And Torren wasn't even there. My mother had shipped her off to some human summer camp in America so she could backpack South America with her new jinn friends. She hadn't gone to see Torren even once. It'd been ten years, and I still had nightmares about the condition I'd found my sister in when I rushed to Colorado to find her. She'd been sickly thin from not eating. She'd escaped her camp because she kept shifting into animals and was terrified. I'd found her all alone in the Rocky Mountains.

For most people, love set them free.

For me, love imprisoned me.

I'd had to choose between Torren and Will. For loving both of them would punish one of them. One of them would suffer. Except there wasn't actually a choice to be made. There was no not choosing the sister I'd raised almost single-handedly for fifteen years. I'd barely been a teenager when she was born. I'd known firsthand what would happen to her if I left because I'd been the child my mother had to raise by herself . . . and didn't.

Torren was just a kid . . . a sick, traumatized child who needed me.

Will was a nineteen-year-old who'd never seen trauma firsthand and didn't understand how hard life was for a lot of people. He had two parents who loved each other, him, and his siblings. They had money, a safe home, and no fear of where each meal would come from. He had a wonderful, happy childhood that I'd never begrudge him for. I was happy for the blessings in his life.

But once that bubble of ours had been popped by reality, I couldn't find a way forward. We were on different paths in life. I was a thirty-year-old single mother who had to work questionable jobs that paid cash under the table because we moved so often. I was always looking over one shoulder and pretending I'd eaten before Torren got home from school so she could eat. Will didn't know how to handle all of that. Sure, I hadn't given him much opportunity to try, but that wasn't his burden to bear.

I loved him, so I had to set him free.

"Indi?"

I flinched and looked up, pulling my hood off my head. My eyes widened. The restaurant was half-empty and quiet. Our table was littered with empty soup bowls and plates with cold French fries and mozzarella sticks. I frowned. Daniel and Isolda were up ahead talking with Bash and a girl with pink and purple hair that I assumed was his soulmate based on how she was clinging to his side. A quick glance over to that cozy corner booth and I found Will had already left. I sighed with relief.

" Indi?" Torren whispered. She gripped my shoulder and gently rocked me side to side. "Are you okay?"

I looked up to her, then did a double take. She was back in her human form. "You shifted back?—"

"Yeah, Connor's calming teas and soups helped Nash's spray bring me back to sanity."

"That's . . . that's good."

"You were asleep." She grimaced. "I thought about waking you, but you looked so asleep and I thought maybe you needed it?—"

"It's okay. Thank you." I rubbed my eyes with the sweater's sleeves. "I didn't even realize I'd passed out."

"It's all right." She pushed to her feet and stepped away from the booth. "But the party is over now, so we gotta go. Connor is packing up a to-go order for you since you knocked out."

I nodded and slid down the bench. "Have you heard from Nash?"

"Yeah, he'll be back any minute now."

"Good. Good." I stood and stretched my arms and back, or at least pretended I was so to have an excuse to look around. I needed to track Will again so I could know where not to go. But he was nowhere. "Right, so let's get out front then?"

Isolda bounced back over to us, and I realized just how tiny she was. "Torren, is Nash bringing a car big enough for all four of us?"

"Def. I told him you were with me." She frowned and glanced around, then pointed behind me. "As are Liza and Orson, who are already outside."

Torren and Isolda skipped to the front door without another word, or at least not one I heard. I was still scanning the remaining people inside for Will or his girl.

"You all right, Indi?"

I looked up and found Daniel right beside me, his green eyes soft and kind and definitely more knowing than I probably wanted. I forced a smile and gestured to the door. "Yeah, guess I didn't realize how tired I was. After you?"

He nodded and started for the door even though we both knew he didn't buy my tired story. I just needed to get out of this restaurant before Will saw me. There was no one on my right, so I walked as close to Daniel's side as possible, using him as a shield so no one on the left would see me. The door was propped open, so we walked out together. I pulled my hood down and peeked around Daniel to check for Will. Outside, Torren skipped over to my left to talk to someone, so I used that as an excuse to lean around Daniel and get a better look.

When we got to the curb, I stopped and sighed as I turned to face the street—and gasped.

Will stood two feet away on the sidewalk on my right.

My eyes widened and my heart stopped.

His amber eyes were wide, and his cheeks flushed. " Indi ."

I blinked through the burning need to cry. " Will ," I breathed his name.

"You're . . . here . . ."

I swallowed through the hot lump of emotion in my throat. "As are you . . ."

Then we just stared, neither one of us speaking a single word. Like we couldn't. There were so many things to say to him, things I never said, but they all died on my tongue.

His gorgeous fae girl walked around to stand beside him and grinned. "Hi, I'm Zita."

Will looked down at Zita so lovingly, like they were living their happily ever after. But I wasn't. I was dying inside. And then Will's gaze moved back over to me, and I panicked.

"I'm Indi." I grabbed Daniel's shirt sleeve and spun him around to face them. "This is my boyfriend, Daniel."

Will's eyebrows shot straight up into the clouds. His face looked pale. I thought he swayed on his feet but there was a chance I imagined it, because maybe I needed him to be as shaken as I was by seeing him.

"He's a detective from Las Vegas," I heard myself say for God only knew what reason.

Daniel hesitated to respond. He looked down at me with confused green eyes and stared. I just prayed he wouldn't fumble this moment for me. I was silently, telepathically, willing him to understand why I needed him to rescue me here. He just had to play along for two minutes until Nash arrived.

Then Daniel looked to Will and gave him a charismatic smile. He held his hand out. "Sorry, boyfriend here. I was hesitating to decide if I wanted to play that off as a joke or not. Don't usually tell people I'm a detective. It freaks them out. They act all weird around me and it ruins the fun."

"Oh." Will chuckled awkwardly, like he was forcing it. His gaze kept shooting down to me. "That . . . makes sense."

I wrapped my arms around Daniel's, then pushed up on my tiptoes so I could kiss his cheek. When I looked back, Will looked kind of green in the face. He opened his mouth and then shut it. All I could do was stare into his amber eyes and wonder what he was thinking seeing me with Daniel.

"Well, nice to meet you, Will. Our ride is here." Daniel gestured to the street.

I managed to look up just as Nash pulled up to the curb in a massive SUV. I gave Will the weakest of head nods, then sprinted for the car, dragging Daniel along with me. It wasn't until we'd all buckled our seatbelts that I allowed myself to look out the window.

Will hadn't moved except to turn toward the car. His jaw was dropped and his eyes were wide.

My phone vibrated in my hand. When I looked down, I found a message from Liam in my notifications . . . saving me from that weird moment with Will right when I needed him the most.

‘ Dear God, I'm afraid to ask . . ."