Chapter 5 The Witch's door

The morning after their shared truths felt different.

For the first time since the coyote pup had limped into her arms, Lena Moore didn't feel completely lost. Instead, she felt... tethered. The bond between her and Kai wasn't something she could see or touch, but it pulsed at the edge of her awareness like a new heartbeat. And the way Kai watched her, quiet and protective, made the fear softer around the edges.

She woke to the smell of fresh coffee drifting upstairs from the shop. Bandit's warm weight curled against her side was comforting, but her pulse jumped at the memory of Kai's golden-eyed confession. A werewolf. And somehow, she was part of this world too.

She rose, pulling on the sweatshirt Kai had lent her the night before, and padded barefoot to the kitchen. Kai stood by the stove, stirring a pot. His hair stuck up slightly in the back, his shirt wrinkled from sleep.

He turned as if sensing her before she even spoke. "Morning."

"Morning," she echoed, voice catching a little.

He hesitated, spoon still in hand, then managed a small smile. "I made oatmeal. Thought you might be hungry."

She nodded, eyes softening despite the thousand thoughts swirling in her head. "Thank you."

They ate quietly at the small kitchen table. Outside, Crescent Hollow began to wake: car horns echoing down narrow streets, shop shutters rattling open. Bandit stretched, tail thumping gently against Lena's leg.

"So," Lena began carefully, "we go see her today? Maribel?"

Kai's jaw tensed for a breath, then he nodded. "Yeah. We'll take the subway north. She lives near the old mills."

"And you trust her?" Lena asked.

Kai exhaled. "As much as you can trust someone who sees the world through spells and omens. She helped my family before."

Lena pressed her lips together, thinking of the candlelit parlor Maribel might keep, the smell of herbs and something older, something wild.

"What if she says there's nothing special about me?" she asked softly.

Kai reached across the table, brushing the back of her hand with his fingers. His touch was gentle, almost reverent. "There is," he murmured. "I can feel it."

Lena felt heat climb her neck, but she didn't look away.

---

By late morning, Elliot appeared in the doorway, stretching and yawning like a cat. His dark curls were a mess, and his hoodie looked older than Bandit.

"You two heading out?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kai confirmed. "You okay to watch the shop?"

"Always," Elliot said, shooting a warm look at Lena. "And don't worry, I'll keep my phone close if you need anything."

She smiled, grateful. "Thanks, Elliot."

"Anytime," he said, then added, "Seriously, you two go do magic stuff. I'll handle the caffeine addicts."

---

They stepped into the city's damp breath, concrete still slick from last night's rain. The ride north felt long, the subway car rattling over rusted rails. Lena caught Kai glancing at her reflection in the glass, his gaze heavy with words he hadn't said.

"Are you nervous?" she whispered.

"Terrified," he confessed. "You?"

She nodded. "Terrified too. But I'm glad you're here."

The words hung between them, tender and fragile. Bandit nosed at her hand, breaking the moment, and Kai's quiet laugh felt like sunlight through fog.

---

Maribel's house sat where the city frayed into woods-an old brick home choked by ivy, its iron fence bent by years of storms. Wind chimes whispered in strange tones, and Lena's breath caught at the sight of runes carved deep into the door.

Kai knocked, and almost instantly the door swung inward, revealing a woman as old as shadows. Silver hair braided over one shoulder, skin lined like dry riverbeds, and eyes as sharp as cold iron.

"Kai Brennan," she rasped, voice neither cruel nor kind. "At last."

"Maribel," Kai greeted, bowing his head slightly. "This is Lena."

The witch's gaze swept over Lena, pausing on Bandit, then settling back on Lena's face. "Come inside," she murmured. "Before the wind changes."

---

Inside, the air smelled of burnt herbs and rain-soaked stone. Candles flickered, and the walls were lined with jars of strange contents: dried petals, stones painted with symbols, something that might have been teeth.

Lena's skin prickled, part fear, part something older-an answering echo.

Maribel led them to a low table. "Sit."

They obeyed.

"You've brought me something rare," she said, her gaze still locked on Lena. "Speak. What happens around you?"

Lena swallowed. "Sometimes, animals listen when they shouldn't. Plants grow faster. And when I'm scared... words come to me. Words I don't know."

Maribel nodded slowly. "And the moon? Do you feel it?"

"Yes," Lena whispered. "Especially lately."

Maribel reached out, cold fingers brushing Lena's wrist. For a breath, nothing happened. Then Bandit whined, pressing closer to Lena's leg.

Maribel withdrew. "You carry two legacies. Witch blood-and wolf blood."

Kai sucked in a breath. "She's not a shifter, though."

"No," Maribel agreed. "But her magic is wild. Born from an old bond between witches and wolves-one most have forgotten."

---

Lena's voice shook. "What does that mean?"

"You are bound to the moon, child," Maribel murmured. "Your magic will wax and wane with it. And your heart may be drawn to those who share your blood's song."

Lena's breath hitched, eyes darting to Kai.

"And her bond to me?" Kai asked, voice low, raw.

Maribel's gaze softened, just a fraction. "Natural. Old magic. The bond can deepen if you choose-but it cannot be forced."

Lena's heartbeat felt too loud in her chest. "And if we don't choose?"

"The pull remains," Maribel whispered. "But unfulfilled, it can turn to longing... or sorrow."

---

Lena's hands trembled in her lap. "Can you teach me?"

"I can guide you," Maribel said. "But your path is yours alone."

"And those men in the alley?" Kai pressed. "Talon's work?"

"Perhaps," Maribel said, voice grave. "Or others who sense her magic. Power draws hunters, always."

Kai's jaw tightened. "Then they'll have to go through me."

---

Maribel studied them both. "You stand at a crossroads," she murmured. "Whatever choice you make, make it together."

She stood, signaling the end. "Come again in three nights," she told Lena. "Bring something precious to you. Magic answers honesty."

---

They stepped back into daylight, the city's noise rushing to fill the quiet Maribel had left behind.

Lena stared at the sidewalk, heart racing. "A bond," she whispered.

"Yeah," Kai said, his voice raw.

"And we get to choose," she murmured, hope and fear twisting together.

"Yes," Kai said softly. "We do."

She looked up, meeting his gaze. "Kai... what do you want?"

He froze. The city seemed to hush around them.

"I want to keep you safe," he said first, words rough. "I want to stand beside you. And... I want you to choose me."

Her breath caught. "And the wolf?" she whispered.

"The wolf already has," he admitted.

---

Bandit barked, startling them both, and Lena laughed shakily. "He agrees, apparently."

Kai smiled, and for a heartbeat, the world felt simple.

---

They returned to the bookstore by dusk. Elliot had kept the shop warm and bright, and the scent of fresh bread filled the air.

"Well?" he asked, wiping his hands on a dish towel.

"It's... complicated," Kai said.

Elliot grinned. "When isn't it?"

---

After closing, Kai walked Lena upstairs. The apartment felt smaller than before, heavy with things unspoken.

"Kai," Lena began, voice barely above a breath.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know what to do with this bond," she confessed. "But... I don't want to walk away."

His chest tightened painfully. "Then don't."

She stepped closer, close enough that he could see the flecks of gold in her eyes. "I'm scared," she whispered.

"So am I," he said. "But you're not alone."

---

She leaned in, resting her forehead against his chest. For a breath, he hesitated, then wrapped his arms around her. The wolf settled, warm and steady, as if sighing in relief.

They stayed that way until Bandit pawed at Lena's leg, reminding them to breathe.

---

That night, sleep came fitfully. Lena lay awake, Bandit curled at her side, replaying Maribel's words. Witch blood. Wolf blood. A bond she could choose.

But part of her had chosen already, in the alley, in the bookstore, in the quiet moments where Kai's presence felt like belonging.

---

Downstairs, Kai sat alone in the dark, the wolf silent beside his thoughts.

Don't lose her, it whispered.

"I won't," he promised, to himself, to the wolf, to the night beyond the window.

And for the first time, he let hope burn brighter than fear.