Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“We are,” he rumbled softly. “We always will be. We’re Heartmates now. Bound in flesh and soul.”
I stared up at him, my chest too full to hold everything I felt.
My monster…my lover…and now my Heartmate. He was all of them… and he was mine.
“I love you,” I whispered, rocking slowly against him, the knot still locked deep inside me. “So much. I never want to be without you again.”
“You never will,” he growled, one hand cradling the back of my head as he leaned down to kiss me fiercely. “You brought me back, Danni. You made me real. And now you’re mine and I’m yours—forever.”
Forever, I thought, melting into his kiss. Forever and always, the monster under my bed… is the love of my life.
And I’m never letting him go.
EPILOGUE
DANNI
The cottage looked nothing like it had when I first arrived.
Shadow and I had spent the last several days unpacking every single box from the Wishing Tree—every bit of yarn, every magical trinket and mundane mug. We’d moved slowly, kissing often, pausing for coffee or tea, and sometimes much more. There was a peace in my heart when I was with him—I’d found a rhythm I hadn’t known I was missing until he stepped fully into my world.
The front room of the cottage had expanded. Somehow, in that magical Hidden Hollow way, the house had decided to make space for my new shop. The original denim couches were still there—clean and plumped with bright cushions and handmade throws. The fireplace still stood proudly against the far wall, but now it was flanked by two tall shelves filled with rainbow-stacked skeins of yarn.
Wool, alpaca, bamboo blend…bulky, worsted, lace weight—you name it, I stocked it. Hooks and needles in glass jars lined the edges, all carefully sorted by size and material. Silver-topped bamboo, polished wood, gleaming steel—any kind anyone might want, I had.
Near the front window, we’d added a cozy little coffee and tea nook—complete with a bubbling enchanted kettle that refilled itself and a rotating stand of herbal blends and locally roasted beans. A counter curved around near the entrance now, holding a magical cash register that automatically made change on its own and baskets labeled with witches’ names, each filled with half-finished scarves, socks, and sweaters. The soft sound of clicking needles often filled the room since the shop was open three days during the week and one day on the weekends.
My knitting shop had become more than just a dream—it was a reality. A thriving one, thanks to the influx of newer witches being drawn to Hidden Hollow. Not everyone had grown up stitching and spinning the way the older generations had. And in Hidden Hollow, magic and crafting went hand in hand.
“I keep telling people, even spells work better with a good tension gauge,” Goody Albright said now, chuckling as she reached over to help Harmony fix a dropped stitch. “Sloppy knitting leads to sloppy wards.”
“I think I finally got the hang of this purling thing,” Sarah said, holding up one of her lopsided but colorful mittens.
“That looks great!” I said, smiling. “But they’re kind of huge.”
“Oh, they’re not for me—they’re for Rath,” she said, smiling. “He’s always complaining his hands are cold.” She examined the mitten in her hand. “I want to make him a sweater but he’s so big, I’d probably end up needing every skein of yarn you have.”
The other women laughed softly, needles clicking. Every one of them—aside from Goody Albright—had Creature Heartmates—so they understood. The monsters we loved weren’t exactly small.
I looked around to see if anyone needed help. Celia was halfway through a cable-knit hat, and Harmony was creating something delightfully complicated with far too many colors. Was it a potholder? A sock? It was too early to say.
As though she’d felt me watching her, Harmony looked up with a smile.
“How are things going for you, Danni?” She asked. “Between the shop and your new Heartmate, you’re pretty busy.”
I couldn’t help smiling.
“Everything is perfect—better than perfect. I feel like… I don’t know. Like I finally belong somewhere again. Like this life was just waiting for me to walk into it—the way Shadow and the cottage were waiting for me.” I sighed happily. “It’s just so nice to feel settled.”
“Of course you belong here,” Goody Albright said, smiling at me. “Hidden Hollow called you here.”
Just then, the front door opened with a gust of cool autumn air and the scent of cinnamon and pine. I looked up as one of Goldie’s Heartmates stepped inside—tall and grinning, with broad shoulders and shaggy hair. Behind him came Rath, Sarah’s half-Orc Heartmate.
And bringing up the rear was Shadow.
My heart leapt the second I saw my monster. He was solid now—real in a way that he hadn’t been before. He could go out into the town anytime he wanted to—either day or night and not be harmed. His golden eyes locked with mine, glowing with meaning just for a moment, and then he crossed the room in two long strides.