I looked at him confused. 

About to question him, he motions his head for us to follow him. 

Not knowing much else to do, we do and he leads us up two flights of stairs. The second one I never knew existed, not knowing where it led to. 

"I was waiting for the right time to show you," he said as we made our way up the stairs. "I guess now is a good time as any."

And before I could even question what it is he wanted to show me, I gasped in surprise. Having opened a Victorian door, it led into a room that had all my witchcraft. My spellbook, my potions, some charms, even some plants that weren't mine but seemed new. All in this room. 

"I... You did this? For me?" I question, feeling tears prick my eyes as I walk further in, my eyes settling on everything. 

"Yeah," he responded softly, coming up next to me. "You told me you'd need this type of room, I made it up for you. You like it?"

"I love it," I respond softly, still in a daze. "It's perfect."

I looked up at him as a tear ran down my face and he swiftly wiped it away, kissing my forehead. I was in love with this moment, but of course, all good things must come to end. 

I hear them cough to get our attention and we slowly release from each other, our bodies yearning for one another. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since we had mated and I wanted to spend every waking minute with him. I could tell he was reluctant to leave but, nevertheless, he did. 

"I'll leave you ladies to it."

"It was nice meeting you Garret," Malena said. 

Not questioning how she knew his name, he smiled you genuinely. "You too."

Closing the door behind him, we hear him walk down the stairs. When it was clear that we were alone, they got down to business. 

"Okay," Malena said. 

"Talk," Jemma finished. 

So I did. 

I told them everything pertaining to Garret and I after Malena had left me. How I told about how I was a witch, how he told me about us being mates, our first kiss- briefly- our first full moon, our first fight. I told them about his family and how two out of three of them knew about my story. How they reacted to that in such a loving way. How I moved in and had my first nightmare if you could call it that. 

"So... what did it look like?" Jemma questioned after my long speech. 

"I can't even begin to describe to you how creepy it was. I couldn't make out much except his eyes. They were like... snake eyes. Golden yellow, slit down the center. They held so much... violence in them."

"Enough to kill you?" Malena questioned.

"I guess," I respond softly. "But I feel like I've seen him before, or I've met him."

"You've met this snake eyed creature with claws that were able to puncture your skin," Jemma reiterates. 

"Yes... I don't know how and I don't know where but... it's the only explanation I have for him being so persistent."

"Persistent?" Malena repeats. 

"To kill me," I finish. 

"So you think that is going to kill you?" Jemma asks softly, not wanting to believe it.

"Just think of Luna and Venus' lack of response when I asked. It must be apart of the prophecy."

"But you knew about that," Malena says. "You knew that you would have to face death again."

"Yeah," I respond softly, looking down at my necklace. "They were able to tell me that the first time I died. That at that time, I would be able to choose between life and death."

"What would you choose?" they both ask. 

"I..."

And then I felt it. 

I felt it too late. 

Garret. 

I cursed under my breath, confusing Jemma and Malena. I quickly got up from the floor and walked to the closed door, sensing Garret on the other side. And before he could turn and run away from being spotted, I opened it to reveal his back turned to me. He was tense. I saw his hand slightly shake. 

"Garret," I say cautiously. He didn't say anything. He didn't move. "Garret please look at me."

He remained rooted in that spot for a moment. As he slowly began to face me, his hands clenched into a fist. When I finally saw his face, I could tell that he was angry. Beyond angry. But behind all of that, I saw the fear and hurt and confusion penetrate through. My heart broke at the fact that I was the one who caused that. 

I hadn't told him and now he found out in a way I didn't want him to. Not like this. 

"I-"

"When were you going to tell?" he says, his voice tight. 

"Today, when you woke up. I'm so sorry, I should've told you-"

"You're damn right you should've told me!" he yelled. "How could you keep something like this from me?! You're own mate!" Tears pricked my eyes. One fell down my cheek. "No. Don't do that. Don't cry over keeping something like this from me! You knew all along! You knew even before you met me!"

I looked up at the ceiling, feeling my body begin to shut down over the fact that I was being confronted by this. I hated that I was doing this to him. I hated that he was so angry. I hated that I was the cause. 

"How?" he asked, his voice trembling. "How could you not tell me that you were going to die?!"

"Garret please, let me explain." I reached for him but he quickly stepped back. 

"No," he said. "I can't believe you right now. I'm so..."

"I know you're angry, I'm so sorry, I-"

"I'm disappointed."

I stopped short. That cut deeper than what I had anticipated. That word alone, hurt more than I thought it would. "What?"

"I'm your mate. I would never keep anything like that from you." Tears rolled down my face, one at a time at first, and then all at once. "I can't look at you right now."

"Garret please," I begged as he retreated down the stairs. 

I moved to follow him. 

"Don't follow me!" Thadus roared. 

Lillian whimpered. 

When his body had disappeared, I fell down to the ground, crying uncontrollably. I had fucked up. I should've told him. But I didn't want him to worry. Or maybe I didn't want to face the fact that it would happen eventually, that I would in fact die. Whether he was alive to see or not. I didn't want to see him come to terms with it. 

But I was being selfish. He had a right to know, I should've told him. 

My body shook. I couldn't stop. 

I felt myself being picked up. I knew it wasn't Garret, I wished it was. 

I felt Bernie carry me down the stairs and to my room. 

Garret wasn't there. 

I didn't know where he was. 

I didn't feel him in the house anymore. 

As Bernie placed me in the bed, all I could do was continue to cry. Until I couldn't feel anything. Until I couldn't keep my eyes open.