Chapter 15
Big Papa
The sky over Dairyville was that late-winter blue that always looked deeper than it ought to, a color you could drown in if you didn’t keep your feet on the boards.
I paced the length of my porch, boots drumming hollow over the wood, every other footstep sending up a protest from my old left knee.
I had my phone pinned to my ear, but the line was silent for three seconds, maybe four, before Menace’s voice rolled out of it, thick as river gravel and twice as hard to budge.
“Big Papa, you still there, or did you finally let the old man put you under with that death trap coffee?”
I huffed. “Still here. Haven’t touched the sludge since you warned me it was hazardous material.”
A distant, wolfish chuckle. “Smart boy. You said you needed the mate-bond files. I’ve got answers, but you’re not gonna like all of them.
First: wolf-witch pairings are so rare there’s maybe five or six on record, but I found a study from an old Scandinavian pack who documented it.
You want the short version, or the version that’ll keep you up nights? ”
“Lay it on me. I need it straight.”
There was a pause as he shuffled paper, or maybe just collected his own thoughts.
“Alright. The fated mate bond—if it’s real, and I have zero doubt yours is—it’ll override any normal biological issues.
Witches aren’t built to handle the full physical force of a wolf’s claim, but a true mate bond brings magic into play.
Her blood, her lineage; it’ll start to change her at the cellular level.
Not all at once, but fast enough your instincts will notice. ”
I gripped the porch railing, feeling the bite of cold wood through my palm. “Change her how, exactly?”
“First, her magic’s gonna spike. Might see symptoms: light from the bite mark, increased appetite, erratic mood, dreams about the pack.
Second, the bite itself, yours, specifically, will anchor both of you.
If she’s willing, you’ll be able to mark her without lasting harm.
There’ll be pain, but her magic will blunt the worst of it.
Third; this is the one they never mention in the old stories.
The knot? It’s only possible if her body and spirit accept you.
If she rejects you, even unconsciously, it’ll never take. ”
I shivered, thinking of Aspen’s skin, soft and white as a communion wafer, and the wild green in her eyes when she looked at me like I was her sun and her horizon both. “And if she accepts me?”
“You’ll know. There won’t be any fear or pain, only heat.
You’ll knot her, and it’ll seal the mate bond.
That’s when the real fun starts. She’ll pull your magic through her, and the two of you will get into a feedback loop.
Like an addiction, but less messy. Separation could get physically painful for a few days. And if one of you dies—”
“Stop there.” My voice was sharp as a snapped chain. “Don’t need that part right now.”
Another low laugh from Menace, gentler this time. “Didn’t think you would, but a man’s got to be thorough.”
“Just do it right. Bond her; let her magic lead. It’ll be messy, it’ll be wild, but it’ll be the strongest mate bond this state’s ever seen.” Menace paused, then added, “I wish I could be there to see it. Parker still owes me fifty bucks from the last time we bet on you.”
The air around me shifted, charged with something electric, and for the first time in years, my wolf pressed close to the surface. Not to fight, or to kill, but to howl for the promise of a future.
“Thank you,” I said, and meant it.
Menace’s voice softened, a rare thing. “You’re good for her, Jonas. And she’s good for you. You deserve this.”
The call ended with a final, deliberate click.
I pocketed my phone and let the wind scour my face until my eyes watered and my blood cooled.
I stood there for a while, letting the porch creak under my weight, the memories of war and pain and all the old disappointments sifting through my mind like sand.
Then I turned and headed inside, ready to claim what was mine.
Tonight, I would take Aspen Waters. Not with violence, but with every ounce of devotion and longing I’d kept hidden. I’d bind her to me, let her magic thread itself through every scar, every healed broken bone, every breath I had left to draw.
Let the world watch.
I stepped over the threshold of my house and stopped dead in my tracks, because the living room looked nothing like the one I’d left.
It was as if a hundred fireflies had taken up residence in the air, sparkling and shifting with every breath.
In the center of it all sat Aspen and Oscar, hunched together at the dining table like the world’s strangest study group.
The grimoire lay open before them, its pages bathed in a gentle blue-gold glow, so alive with magic I could feel it rippling through my teeth and nails.
Aspen didn’t notice me right away. Her whole body leaned toward the book, her eyes wide with wonder, fingers tracing the lines of a sigil as if reading Braille on a lover’s back.
The light caught her face and painted it in all the colors of sunrise: gold at the brow, pink at the cheeks, a fierce green glint to her eyes that made her look otherworldly.
Oscar sat ramrod straight at her elbow, forepaws folded with the solemnity of a royal advisor.
He peered at the book, then at Aspen, then at me, and nodded once like I’d passed some secret test.
I just watched her, let the warmth of the moment settle over my bones.
For all the chaos that had brought us together, there was nothing but peaceful “rightness” in that room—like the universe had finally stopped fighting itself, just for one evening, so a girl and a prairie dog and a broken old wolf could breathe the same air without fear.
She caught my stare and beamed at me, her whole face opening like the first full sun after winter. “Hey, Papa. You’re back.”
“I’m always coming back to you, Sunshine,” I said, and the words came out easier than breathing. “What’ve you got there?”
She giggled, just a little. “We found my mom’s spell for protecting the bakery. Oscar says it’s the best one in the whole book. He also says we need to do it first thing tomorrow.”
Oscar bowed in my direction, voice crisp as starched linen. “It is my professional opinion that you copulate and complete your mating bond at the earliest available opportunity, sir. Your mutual longing is so potent I am shocked there isn’t structural damage to the house.”
I laughed, feeling every old ache slide away. “Noted, Oscar. You’re a hell of a wingman.”
“Thank you. I am, as ever, at your service.” He glanced at Aspen, then back at me, and for a second, I could have sworn he winked. Then he blinked out of existence, leaving a little puff of stardust on the tabletop and a scent like fresh lemons in the air.
Aspen closed the grimoire, the magic fading to a dull shimmer along the leather. She turned to face me, her knees knocking the table as she stood. I held out my hand, and she took it with both of hers, her grip cool but her touch electric.
For a long second, neither of us spoke. I felt my pulse pick up, the wolf in me howling for what he knew was coming.
“You sure about this?” I asked, voice so low it barely cleared my own throat.
She nodded, eyes bright and wet. “I want to be yours in every way.”
I drew her in, held her close, her hair tangling in my beard as she pressed her cheek to my chest. I could feel the heartbeat through her shirt, and it matched mine, beat for beat.
I picked her up, one arm under her legs, the other behind her back, and carried her down the hall. She buried her face in my neck and laughed, breathless. “You’re really going to do it. The big claim.”
“Only if you want it,” I whispered.
She kissed my jaw, the tip of my chin, the corner of my mouth. “I want it,” she said. “I want you, Papa. I want everything.”
When we reached the bedroom, I set her down and closed the door behind us. The house was silent. The world was silent. There was only the two of us, and all the heat and want and hope that had ever been bottled up, finally let loose in the same room.
She turned to face me, hands at her sides, body trembling just a little.
I took a step forward, then another, until there was nothing between us but the question of how long we’d make it before we lost ourselves. I wanted to take my time, but the wolf in me was already clawing for the surface. Aspen saw it in my eyes and smiled, sharp as any predator.
She belonged to me, and I belonged to her, and if the world wanted to pry us apart, it would have to tear the earth in two.
“Tell me everything,” she whispered. “Tell me what happens next.”
I sat her down on the edge of my bed, the weight of her body making a small impression on the king-sized mattress.
Her feet dangled off the side, bare toes not reaching the thick rug.
She looked up at me with a blend of mischief and awe, eyes big as a prairie sky.
I stood over her, hands clenched at my sides, trying to keep myself from devouring her right then.
There was so much I wanted to say. Too much. But I’d promised honesty, and I was gonna deliver, even if my tongue got stuck in my teeth.
“Before we start, I need you to know what’s coming,” I said, voice gravel. “Menace called. He found everything there is to know about wolf-witch bonds. About us.”
She drew her knees up, hugging them like a little kid. “Is it bad? Am I gonna turn into a frog or sprout a tail or something?”
I shook my head, smiling. “No, but you’re about to get a crash course in what it’s like to be loved by a wolf. The full package.”
She blinked, then grinned. “Lay it on me, Papa.”
I paced a little, hands behind my back. “When wolves mate, truly mate, it’s more than sex.
We give a claiming bite to our partners, usually at the base of the neck and shoulder.
It’s instinct, but it’s also how the bond is sealed.
For a witch, it might be more intense, because your blood is magic.
The bite won’t hurt, not really, but it’ll mark you forever.
And after that—” I trailed off, felt my cheeks heat.
She arched a brow. “After that?”
“When we make love, my wolf will want to knot you,” I said, voice just above a whisper. “You know what that means?”
She blushed, but her gaze didn’t waver. “I’m not a total innocent, Papa. I’ve read the books. I even saw some videos once.”
“Okay, so you get it. My knot’s…well, it’s big. Your magic will help your body adjust, but it still might be uncomfortable. I’ll try to stay in control, but when we’re joined, my wolf’s gonna take over. I need you to trust me. If it’s too much, you say the word and I’ll stop.”
She shivered, her pulse visible at the hollow of her throat. “What if I don’t want you to stop?”
I chuckled, warmth rising in my chest. “Then you’ll make me an extremely happy wolf.”
She reached for my hand, pulled me close. “What else did Menace say?”
I sat beside her, our knees brushing. “He said you might get magical symptoms. Your bite mark could glow, you might feel cravings, or get overwhelmed if we’re apart for long.
But the bond—if we let it happen—will make us nearly impossible to separate.
I’ll know when you’re sad. You’ll know when I’m hurt. That kind of thing.”
Her face lit up like she’d swallowed a star. “That’s not scary. That’s amazing. That’s what I’ve wanted my whole life.”
I stared at her, at this beautiful, stubborn, reckless woman who’d walked out of a nightmare and landed right in my arms. My wolf ached to claim her, and my human heart thumped so loud it made my ears ring.
“I want to do it right, Aspen. I want to make you mine in every way a man can.”
She leaned in, her lips grazing my jaw. “Then stop talking about it and show me.”
I let go finally, and the last wall between us came down.
I cupped her face, kissed her hard, her mouth sweet with the sugar she’d stolen from the grimoire pages.
She opened to me, let my tongue sweep hers, and moaned low in her throat.
My hands slid down, tracing the line of her neck to her shoulder, and I could already feel the heat building there, the spot where I’d leave my mark.
“Now what?” she whispered, voice sleepy.
I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Go to the bathroom, Sunshine. Wash up. Come back naked and ready to do exactly as I say.”
She shivered, hunger in her eyes. “Yes, sir.”
She slid off the bed, legs wobbly, and padded to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
I watched her go, every sense alive with anticipation.
We were about to seal the bond that assured we’d be together for the rest of our lives.
The magic thrummed through the room in anticipation of what was about to happen.
I heard the toilet flush and then water running in the sink.
After a few minutes, she emerged. My mate, my Sunshine, the woman who had reminded me that the life I’d been living before I met her, hadn’t been a life at all.
And now I would be hers, and she would be mine forever.