“A mate bond.”
“A mate bond,” she echoed in disbelief.
It wasn't a question, but Brandon answered anyway. “Yes.”
The single word hit her like a physical blow. She'd been sure she’d misunderstood. That theCodexhad shown her possibilities, not reality. That Brandon would laugh and explain it was just a particularly strong resonance. What had he called it? Oh, right—compatible magic.
But there it was. Confirmation. Truth delivered with the gentleness of a knife to the ribs.
“When?”
“The moment we completed the resonance binding.I felt it snap into place.” His voice was quiet. Careful. Like he was talking to a spooked animal. “I should have told you immediately, but?—”
“But what?” Muriel stood abruptly, needing distance. The room swam for a moment—aftereffects of theCodexvision, probably—but she steadied herself against the arm of the sofa. “You decided I didn't need to know that we’remated? “
“Muriel, please?—”
“Don't.” She held up a hand, magic crackling around her fingers before she could stop it. Vines exploded from the philodendrons, spilling over the bookshelves like a leafy green waterfall. “Don't 'please' me. Don't try to make this sound like anything other than what it is.”
Brandon took a step toward her, then stopped when she flinched back. The hurt that flashed across his face should have satisfied some vindictive part of her, but it didn't. It just made her chest ache more.
“What is it, then?” he asked softly. “Tell me what you think this is.”
“Manipulation.” The word tasted like ash. “Exactly what I was afraid of. A mage with a golden tongue and empty promises, binding a witch to him without her consent or knowledge.”
At least she wasn’t pregnant. She was glad now that Brandon had been keeping distance between them. Had he not, her naivete, blind trust, and infatuation might have placed her right into his bed.
“That's not—” He dragged a hand through his hair,frustration bleeding into his voice. “I didn’t do this on purpose! I wasn't trying to bind you. It just happened. Mate bonds are astronomically rare.”
“And yet here we are.” Muriel gestured between them, at the connection she could now see with perfect clarity. Green and blue light spiraling together, beautiful and otherworldly and completely unwanted. “Bound. Connected. Tethered for eternity, according to theCodex. How convenient for you.”
“Convenient?” Brandon's eyes flashed. “You think this isconvenientfor me? Having a mate who doesn't trust me? Who looks at me like I'm her worst nightmare?”
“Because you are!” The words exploded out of her along with a wave of magic that made every plant in the room bloom at once. Flowers burst open in violent profusion, sending petals into mini-tornadoes. “I thought you were different. I trusted you! I?—”
She couldn't finish. The betrayal was too raw. Too complete.
Brandon's expression crumpled. “Muriel, I know how this looks. Please, let me explain.”
“Explain what?” She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold together pieces that felt like they were shattering. “That you knew about this and kept it secret for over a week while I trained with you, lived with you, actually started to—” She bit off the words before she could finish.Started to fall for you.Shecouldn't say that now. Couldn't give him any more power over her.
“The bond doesn't create feelings,” Brandon said urgently, taking another step forward. “It amplifies what's already there, but it doesn't manufacture emotion where none exists. Whatever you were starting to feel?—”
“How would I know?” The question came out as a whisper. “How would I know what's real and what the bond is making me feel? Obviously, I can’t believe a word you say.”
Silence fell between them, heavy and suffocating.
Muriel's mind raced through the past week and a half. Every training session where his magic had felt like coming home. Every moment of laughter over shared meals. The way her heart raced and skipped when he smiled at her. The pull she felt toward him that had nothing to do with magic and everything to do withhim.
Had any of it been real? Were any of those feelings hers? Or were they just the bond's influence, pushing her toward a connection she hadn’t asked for and didn’t want?
“I need you to understand something,” Brandon said, his voice rough. “When the bond formed, I panicked. I knew what you thought of me. Of mages in general. Yet you took a chance, and then this happened. How was I supposed to tell you?”
“By being honest,” Muriel said flatly. “By telling me the truth and giving me a choice.”
He laughed, but there was no mirth in the sound. “The mate bond isn’t a choice. If I had told you, you would have left skid marks on your way out the door, no more capable of protecting yourself than you were when you walked in. The Collectors are still hunting you, Muriel. One uncontrolled surge and they could pinpoint your location in seconds.”
The words frightened her. But they also made something hard and cold settle in her chest.