Beastly & Bookish (A Winter Bliss Romance)

by Catrina Bell

“It’s me. Up to no Goode.” I pinch my lips to the side, my vision swimming as I skate over to hug him. They say touch helps people struggling with memory loss, and I’ve always been a hugger, so it helps me too.

“I’m proud of you.” He squeezes my shoulders like he’s trying to physically cement our connection. “I’ve always been proud of you. I hope you know that.”

Sometimes life takes an irrevocable turn, and we have no choice but to adapt. Find a new normal. Hold tight to all the good we can, whatever we have left.

Excitement builds in my gut. I’m so close I can feel it. The collective energy of some powerful demon fire-magic is beginning. Mount Winter Bliss is about to erupt with controlled lava flows that will keep the mountain, the town, and the entire region safe for another year.

I stand before her and all of demonkind just as I am, covered in scars with half an ear and a misshapen nose only a mother could love. Well, maybe Noelle too, if I’m lucky. If I’m honest with her first.

“I love you,” we say at the same time, followed by a twin reaction. “Really?”

“I’m not okay with any distance.” I squeeze her tighter, so she’s pressed against every inch of my bare chest, and my hand is in her beautiful hair, keeping her face close too. Right where she needs to be. Right where I belong. “You’re everything to me. My past and my future. There’s nowhere else I want to be than with you.”