Chapter 12 #2
“You wouldn’t have had to. One way or another, someone would have stepped in to stop the Venifucus operation here.
The mages who’ve trained and worked here have already caused a lot of damage and death.
Nobody wants to see that continue.” Seth tucked another strand of hair behind her ear, unable to resist touching her one more time.
“I’m just glad it was me they chose to send on this mission. ”
They stood there for another moment, neither quite ready to let the evening end. Finally, Petra took a small step back.
“I should really go before I lose my nerve about tomorrow entirely,” she said.
“You’ll be fine. Better than fine, in fact.” Seth walked her to the library door and opened it, checking the corridor out of habit. Empty, as expected. Herr Müller had probably retired for the evening. “Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Seth.”
“Goodnight, Petra.”
He watched her walk down the corridor toward the stairs, appreciating the confidence in her posture that hadn’t been there when she’d first arrived. She was growing into her role as the castle’s owner, finding her strength despite her fears.
His inner jackal chuckled with approval and satisfaction. Seth headed for the exit, his mind already running through tomorrow’s logistics even as part of him replayed those kisses in the library.
He’d kissed women before. Plenty of them, though he’d never been the type to collect conquests or play games.
But kissing Petra had been different. The moment their lips met, something had shifted inside him.
His jackal had taken notice in a way it never had before, and the animal’s interest hadn’t faded even slightly.
Could she possibly be his mate? Seth honestly wasn’t sure.
The bond didn’t always announce itself with trumpets and absolute certainty.
Sometimes it grew slowly, building from attraction and compatibility into something unbreakable.
He’d heard about that happening with other shifters—Sam and Claudia, for instance.
What he did know was that Petra was important to him, somehow.
More important than any woman had ever been.
The thought of her facing danger made his protective instincts flare hot and urgent.
The sound of her laugh made him want to find ways to hear it again.
And the memory of her in his arms, soft and trusting and perfect, was already something he knew he’d treasure.
Time would tell if she truly was his mate.
For now, it was enough that she liked his kiss, and that she’d been brave enough to admit that, despite thinking she wasn’t good enough for him.
That particular misconception was going to require serious attention.
How could she not see how extraordinary she was?
Seth reached his motorcycle and pulled on his helmet. The ride back to the cabin was quick, with the night air cool against his body.
Inside the cabin, he stripped off his clothes and shifted, letting the jackal take over.
The animal needed to run, to burn off the restless energy that came from holding Petra and then having to leave her.
Seth bounded into the forest, his paws silent on the soft earth, and ran the perimeter of her land until his muscles burned and his mind cleared.
By the time he circled back to the castle an hour later, he felt more settled. He was more focused on what needed to happen tomorrow rather than dwelling on how much he wanted to kiss Petra again.
Pax and Ari were on duty, positioned on opposite sides of the castle in their jaguar forms. Seth could see their luminous eyes reflecting moonlight as he approached. He sent them a series of blinks that were the code for: “Status report?”
Pax blinked back: “Quiet. No movement.”
Ari’s response was similar: “Perimeter secure. Boring.”
Good. Boring was exactly what they needed right now.
Seth found his usual spot beneath Petra’s window and settled onto his haunches. The light was still on in her room, though he couldn’t hear any movement. She was probably reading or reviewing documents for tomorrow. She was thorough like that.
His ears swiveled toward a sound in the forest and he realized it was just a deer moving through the underbrush. No threat. The jackal relaxed again, content to keep watch.
Seth thought about what Petra had said earlier.
About being just a librarian, about not being in his league.
It was so fundamentally wrong that he almost couldn’t comprehend how she’d reached that conclusion.
Did she really not see her own courage? Her intelligence?
The way she’d adapted to impossible circumstances with grace and determination?
He was going to have to show her. He couldn’t just tell her she was extraordinary, he’d have to prove it to her through his actions.
He felt the need to make sure she understood that whatever happened between them, it wasn’t some weird form of charity, or pity, or even just boredom.
No, he was feeling a genuine attraction to a genuinely remarkable woman.
The light in Petra’s window finally went out and Seth felt a soft sound rise in his throat.
It wasn’t quite a whine, but close to it, and it surprised him.
His beast wanted to be closer to Petra. He wanted to curl up at the foot of her bed and keep watch from there, but that would be pushing things way too far, way too fast.
Baby steps. He had to let her get used to the idea of them together before introducing concepts like mating and the possible intensity of shifter relationships.
Seth shifted his weight, settling in for a long night. Pax and Ari were already on watch, but he wanted to stay. Still, he did need to leave at some point so he could return to the cabin for some actual sleep before he met Petra and Katja for breakfast.
He thought about tomorrow. Firing the staff would be unpleasant but necessary. Introducing the new people Sam and Mark were sending to the castle would require careful coordination. And through it all, he’d need to keep Petra feeling safe and supported without overwhelming her.
The mages were coming back in three days. Maybe two, if they accelerated their timeline after realizing the surveillance was down and the ringers were out. That didn’t give him much time to prepare, but Seth had worked with tighter margins before.
What mattered was that Petra wouldn’t face them alone. She’d have his team, the new staff, Katja’s legal expertise, and Seth himself. Whatever magic the Venifucus threw at them, they’d be ready.
His jackal’s ears pricked forward suddenly. Footsteps on gravel—a human, moving with purpose. Seth tensed, then relaxed as he recognized Katja’s scent. The lawyer was doing a perimeter walk, probably checking the security measures for herself.
Smart woman. She didn’t just take Seth’s word for things. She verified.
Katja paused near the garden entrance, and Seth could swear she was looking directly at him even though he was hidden in shadow. Then she nodded once, as if satisfied by what she saw, and returned inside the castle.
Yeah. He liked Mark’s cousin. She was sharp, capable, and genuinely seemed to care about Petra’s wellbeing beyond just the large legal fees she was no doubt earning.
The night settled into quiet routine. Seth kept watch, his senses alert for any sign of threat, while the castle’s inhabitants slept. Tomorrow would bring challenges and changes. But tonight, in the peaceful darkness, everything was calm.
And somewhere above him, Petra was safe in her bed, hopefully dreaming of something pleasant instead of the dangers ahead. That was enough for now. The calm before the storm.