Chapter 18

SWYN

I watch Ri as he hesitates, his mouth working as if he's trying to come up with an answer that won't break something fragile between us. My mind is still a foggy mess, but one thing is clear—I need answers. As if today wasn't insane enough already, Ri's complete and sudden personality transplant is throwing me for a loop.

"Then what is it?" I ask, my voice softer than I intend. I feel vulnerable, raw from everything that's happened, and I'm not sure how to piece together the insanity of the last hour.

I should be resting, letting my body recover from the fainting spell, not to mention everything Sol put it through last night, but there's no way in hell I can relax until I know what's going on.

I slept with Sol. I kissed Kel. I'm attracted to Ri, even though he gives me whiplash. And I'm running from my husband who's a perfect stranger to me.

What a shit show.

Ri shifts uncomfortably, his eyes darting to Sol and Kel like he's searching for backup, but neither of them steps in. For once, they're all silent, tension hanging thick in the room.

"You need to relax, Swyn," Sol finally says, stepping forward, his voice a soothing contrast to the storm I can see brewing in Ri's eyes. "You've been through a lot. Let's just get you something to drink, maybe rest a bit?—"

"No." I shake my head, forcing myself to sit up straighter, even though my body protests the movement. "I don't want to rest. I want to know what the hell is going on. You're all keeping something from me, and I'm not—" I pause, catching my breath.

"I'm not leaving this room until I know the truth."

Kel sighs, rubbing a hand over his face as if he's bracing himself for what's coming. "Swyn, you don't understand. You're not ready for?—"

"Try me," I cut him off, my voice stronger this time. "I've already woken up next to a dog that turned into a man, fainted in front of all of you, and now you're acting like there's some big, life-altering secret hanging over my head. I think I've earned the right to know what the hell is going on."

For a moment, no one says anything. The silence stretches, thick and oppressive, until Ri finally speaks, his voice low, almost reluctant. "You're... fated to me, Swyn."

I blink at him, my brain doing cartwheels, trying to process the weight of those words. "Fated?" I echo, my voice barely more than a whisper. "What do you mean... fated?"

He shifts, clearly uncomfortable, but he doesn't back down. "You're my mate. It's destiny—whether you like it or not. We will be wed."

I open my mouth, but no words come out. Mate ? Destiny ? Marriage ?! This has to be some kind of sick joke. My heart's pounding again, but it's not from fear this time—it's from sheer disbelief.

"You're... you're saying I'm yours ? Like, in some... cosmic fated way?"

Before I can even process Ri's claim, Sol steps forward, his eyes dark and serious. "Not just his, Swyn. You're mine too."

"The fuck she is—" Ri growls.

My head whips toward Sol, my heart skipping a beat. "Yours? But I—" My words tangle in my throat. "How can I be?—?"

Kel's voice cuts through the madness. "You're fated to all of us, Swyn." He steps closer, his expression unreadable. "We're all your mates."

"For fuck's sake!" Ri shouts, making me jump.

My world tilts. It's like the ground has been ripped out from under me, and I can't catch my breath.

"This...this is insane. How is that even possible? People don't have three mates."

Sol crosses his arms, his voice steady. "You're not like most people. Neither are we."

"But—" I stammer, staring at them in disbelief. "This doesn't make any sense! I didn't sign up for this! I came to Spells Hollow for—" I stop myself short, panic seizing my chest.

The curse. I can't tell them about the curse. Not now. Not when I'm already drowning in this mess.

Kel arches a brow, clearly not missing the way I froze mid-sentence. "You came to Spells Hollow for what?"

I bite my lip, trying to hold back, but everything is spinning so fast, like I've lost control of the situation entirely. My head is swimming with the weight of their words—fated to all three of them? How can that be?

Can I trust them?

Suddenly this burden feels too much to carry alone. I'd hoped Oland might be able to help me, but Watchers can't be trusted.

Shit. Oland.

I already have a husband and here I have three guys trying to claim me as theirs, one of them already saying we'll be wed. This is a massive clusterfuck of epic proportions.

"I...I came here to break a curse," I blurt out, before I can stop myself. It's better than the other truth that was burning my tongue, itching to come out and cause chaos.

All three of them freeze. Ri's eyes narrow, his body tensing.

"A curse?"

I nod, swallowing hard, feeling like I've just opened Pandora's box.

"Yeah. A curse. I'm only just discovering that my family's been tied to Spells Hollow for centuries. And there's...there's a curse on all of us. One that I need to break, because the other option doesn't bear thinking about."

Kel steps closer, his eyes scanning mine for any hint of deception. "What kind of curse, Swyn?" His tone is urgent, pressing, protective.

I press my lips together, my heart hammering in my chest. "A blood curse. One that ties us to this town, to the magic here. If I don't break it, my entire family is doomed."

The room goes dead silent. Sol stares at me, Ri's jaw tightens, and Kel's face goes pale. And just like that, everything I've been hiding comes crashing out into the open.

Well, almost everything. I still have more to tell them.

And I have no idea what's going to happen next.