20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
When Contracts End
Sundar
The ledger before me holds precise columns of numbers and dates, each entry meticulously recorded in my flowing script. But for the first time in centuries, I find myself reading the same line repeatedly, unable to focus on simple arithmetic.
Because today marks the end of Aubrey’s contract.
Five weeks. It seems impossible that such a brief span of time could alter the course of my carefully ordered existence. Yet here I am, centuries of composure undone by the sound of her footsteps in the shop above, the lingering scent of her coffee, the way she hums absently while organizing display cases.
I open my desk drawer for the fifth time this hour, checking that the ring box hasn’t somehow vanished. The metal is warm beneath my fingers, ancient bronze worked with protective runes that echo a magic similar to her bracelet’s. I’d found it years ago, tucked away in a temple vault, and something had compelled me to keep it safe. Now I know why.
“Your books aren’t going to balance themselves by glaring at them.”
My head snaps up. Aubrey leans against my office door frame, arms crossed, wearing that slight smile that never fails to make my chest tight. She’s pulled her hair back in a messy knot, exposing the curve of her neck where I’d left marks the night before. The sight stirs something possessive in me, though I maintain my composure.
“I was not glaring,” I say with dignity. “Merely ensuring absolute accuracy.”
“Sure.” She pushes off the door frame, approaching my desk with deliberate steps. “And I suppose you’ve also been opening and closing that drawer repeatedly for accounting purposes?”
“You’ve been watching me.”
“Hard not to.” Her smile widens. “You’re kind of impossible to ignore, you know. Especially when you’re being all…” she waves a hand vaguely, “broody and intense.”
“I do not brood.”
Her laugh warms something deep in my chest. But there’s an undercurrent of nervousness in her posture as she perches on the edge of my desk, closer than strictly necessary but not quite close enough to touch.
“Speaking of change,” she says, fiddling with the bracelet that now glows softly whenever I’m near, “I believe we have some business to discuss.”
I straighten, falling back on centuries of formal training. “Indeed. Your contract—”
“Expires today, yes.” She takes a deep breath. “Which is why I wanted to discuss… potential amendments to our agreement.”
Her words make me pause, caught off guard by the slight tremor in her voice. This is my Aubrey, who faced down Nalini’s venom with sass and stood her ground against ancient magic. To hear uncertainty in her tone now…
“Amendments?” I keep my voice carefully neutral, though my fingers itch to reach for the ring box.
“Well…” She picks up an hourglass from my desk, turning it over in her hands. “I’ve been thinking about our original arrangement. The terms were pretty straightforward—five weeks of work to pay off my debt. But given recent… developments…” Her cheeks flush slightly. “Maybe we could discuss a more permanent position?”
I blink. Surely she isn’t…
“I mean,” she continues quickly, words tumbling out faster now, “I know the shop’s ledgers better than anyone except you. And I’ve modernized half your systems already. Plus, there’s all those cursed items in the basement that still need cataloging, and Mrs. Brindlewood would probably cry if I left—”
“Aubrey.”
“—and I promise I’ll stop feeding the alley cat during inventory, even though he’s clearly starving for both food and affection—”
“Aubrey.”
“—and okay, maybe I reorganized your ritual components by color instead of traditional elemental associations, but you have to admit it looks better—”
“ Aubrey .” I capture her nervous hands in mine, unable to suppress a low chuckle. “Are you attempting to propose to me through a job negotiation?”
Her mouth opens, closes, opens again. The blush deepens. “I… might be? Unless that’s weird. Is that weird? Oh God, it’s totally weird, isn’t it? I just thought, since you’re all about formal agreements and proper procedures—”
I silence her with a kiss, soft and swift, before reaching for my desk drawer.
“My impossible, brilliant human,” I murmur, drawing out the ring box. “You’ve managed to completely derail my own carefully laid plans…”
“Plans? What plans?”
I open the ancient bronze box, revealing the ring nestled within. The metal gleams with old magic, intricate patterns that nicely match the protective runes on her bracelet winding through the band. Aubrey’s eyes widen, her lips forming a perfect ‘o’ of surprise.
“I had an entire speech prepared,” I admit, enjoying the way her pulse quickens beneath my fingers. “About how you’ve transformed not just my shop, but my entire existence. How you face down ancient magic and murderous exes with nothing but wit and courage. How watching you reorganize my filing system shouldn’t be captivating, and yet…”
“Are you saying my spreadsheet skills seduced you?” Her voice wavers between laughter and tears.
“Among other things.” I lift the ring from its velvet nest. “This was crafted centuries ago, meant to bind two souls together through any trial. I know perhaps it’s a bit… much?”
She shakes her head, laughing softly. “It’s perfect.” Her eyes sparkle as she stares at me, seemingly waiting for something. “So… are you going to actually ask me the question, or should I submit a formal application in triplicate?”
I rise from my chair, moving before her. The ring catches the light, ancient magic responding to her presence.
“Aubrey Garrett,” I begin, then pause as she slips off the desk to stand before me. “Would you do me the honor of binding your life to mine?” I take her hand. “Of sharing not just my shop and my home, but every moment I have left? Though I warn you, accepting means enduring Mrs. Brindlewood’s marriage advice for the rest of our years.”
A tear escapes down her cheek, but her smile could outshine the sun. “Well, when you put it that way… I suppose I can handle Mrs. Brindlewood’s medieval-age advice. What I’m not so sure I can handle is Maggie’s smugness at knowing we were a match from day one.”
“Well? Is that a ‘yes’?”
“It’s an ‘absolutely, you ridiculous snake man.’”
I slide the ring onto her finger as if it was crafted for her alone. The moment it settles, golden light ripples between it and her bracelet, ancient magic recognizing its mate. Aubrey gasps softly at the sensation.
“Oh,” she breathes. “That feels…”
“Like coming home,” I finish, drawing her closer. The magic pulses between us, warm and familiar.
“You know what this means, right?” She tilts her head up, that familiar mischief glinting in her eyes.
“That you’re mine for eternity?”
“That, and…” She rises on her tiptoes, lips brushing my ear. “You’re stuck with my color-coded filing system forever.”
I can’t help it—I laugh, the sound echoing off the office walls. “Truly a grave commitment.”
“Speaking of commitments…” Her fingers trace patterns on my chest. “Since I’m technically unemployed until we draw up the new contract…”
“Technically,” I agree, my voice dropping lower as she presses closer. “Though I believe certain benefits can be negotiated immediately.”
“Oh, really?” Her breath hitches as I guide her back against my desk. “And what sort of benefits are we talking about?”
“Full medical coverage,” I murmur, trailing kisses down her neck. “Paid vacation.” Another kiss, this time at the sensitive spot behind her ear that makes her shiver. “And of course, comprehensive mate privileges.”
“Mate privileges?” She gasps as my hands find her hips. “That sounds rather thorough.”
“I believe in being…” I lift her onto the desk, scattering papers neither of us care about anymore, “exceptionally thorough.”
Her legs wrap around my waist as she pulls me down for a proper kiss, one that tastes of forever.
“Should we perhaps,” she manages between kisses, “take this discussion upstairs?”
“In a moment.” I trail my lips down her throat, savoring her small gasps. “First, I believe we need to establish some… preliminary terms.”
Her laugh turns into a moan as I demonstrate exactly what those terms entail. Papers continue sliding off my desk, but for once in my centuries of existence, I couldn’t care less about maintaining order.
Some chaos, after all, is worth embracing.