Chapter 29

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*Corey's POV*

I opened my eyes slowly when Bianca finished muttering the spell, and the warmth and wind we felt while she was uttering the words instantly disappeared.

"'S-sorry'?"

I turned to Jayden upon hearing his quivering voice and began to step towards him, but he stumbled away from me.

The backing away instantly caused an ache in my chest because he looked so afraid of me. I was too confused to react as he covered his face, breathing heavily. Was he trying not to cry? Was he already crying? I wanted to hug him so he would stop.

I still felt the pull. I had expected it.

Why was he afraid? I was the one who ruined the spell.

"I don't understand... You both wished for different things, but essentially the same type of wish. I thought you wanted other mates?" Bianca mumbled.

"What?" Jayden and I asked simultaneously.

The tremble in Jayden's voice distracted me, and I turned to pull him into a hug.

I was left feeling cold when he drew his hands from his face to place them on my chest, pushing away from me.

I had not made the wish we came for, but it felt like something was lost anyway.

"Corey?"

I looked behind Jayden and gasped. It made him turn around, too.

"Adan...? How...?" I mumbled. "Is-is this... A-am I hallucinating?"

Why would I be? Why would I see him? Was the forest's magic messing with my head? Adan seemed dazed as he looked around. His hand ran over his chest as if trying to feel for the wound that was created when his heart was ripped out.

"No," Bianca's voice drew my gaze to her.

"Is-Is this real?"

"It was his wish." She motioned to Jayden.

"Am... I'm... really here?" Adan asked, slowly.

A smile broke onto my face as a gasp of disbelief left my throat before I moved to hug him tightly.

"I-I can't believe this," I said, staring at him as I grabbed his shoulders, still stunned that I could even touch him.

"Me neither." The shock on his face melted into a smile. "I... Corey. I... my heart. My heart was... How am I here?" he asked, patting his chest.

I had not wished for it. She said we made the same type of wish. So, he had...

I looked at Jayden and back to Adan.

"She must have granted Jayden's wish... He wished you back to life..." I mumbled in realisation before facing Bianca. "How powerful are you?" I asked.

How could she bring someone back from the dead so easily?

She smiled. "You'd be surprised..." she mumbled.

It was incredible. I had never witnessed magic that powerful. She looked so unassuming.

"But then... Where's...?" I looked behind me and smiled.

"Rita?" Jayden spoke in a shocked whisper.

The girl stared at him, her face mirroring his. "Jay... You're... How?" she whispered.

I gave a breathless chuckle as Jayden hugged her.

"You're... you're here... But I-I didn't wish for this... How...?" Jayden asked.

"He wished for it." Bianca motioned to me.

I stared at Jayden as his bewildered face turned to me. He didn't need to ask for me to know what he was thinking.

"Trent needed it more..."

His confused expression didn't change.

"And I... I didn't want to..." I admitted, slowly.

He stared at me before turning away and once again it felt like my heart was cracking in my chest. I expected him to be happier, or relieved at least considering we had both changed our wishes. We wanted the same thing.

"Trent?" Rita whispered, causing the smile to return to my face despite the pain.

"Thank you – Thank you so, so much, Bianca." I grabbed Rita's and Adan's wrists before dragging them into the living room. "Hey, guys. Look who we found," I said once inside.

I watched as everyone looked at me confused before their faces turned shocked and Izabella's and Trent's were completely priceless.

"Adan?" Sean spoke.

"Why do you look so surprised? I always said this was gonna happen, didn't I?"

I chuckled at Adan's response. He actually had. When we were all younger and playing games, it was always his imaginary superpower.

I heard something that sounded like a sob leave Izabella's mouth before she just about tackled him. I hadn't noticed Trent had moved until he was beside me and watched as he lifted his hand to touch Rita's cheek, just barely as he only placed the tips of his fingers against her skin. He stared at his fingers in disbelief as they ran along her cheek.

"This can't be real..." he mumbled, shaking his head.

She smiled clasping his hand between both of hers and planting a light kiss on his palm that made his eyes tear up.

"It is, Love," she said.

He looked at me as if seeking confirmation, his eyes fearful and I grinned lifting my hands to his shoulders.

"It's real this time, Trent. She's right here," I said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Really."

"O-okay..." he cleared his throat, and I chuckled.

"We'll... Leave you two alone."

I grabbed Izabella and Adan to pull them outside.

As we stepped out into the late afternoon sun, Sean hugged Adan before everyone bombarded him with questions, but he said all he could remember was having his heart ripped out and then hearing his brothers, Gray and Cohen's, shouts.

I chuckled as he pulled Izabella into his arms again when he had answered us.

"I was so scared I'd die, and you would still get hurt," he mumbled patting her head gently.

"I'm fine..." Izabella wiped her tears before she laughed as they continued coming and hugged her brother again. "She named him Luke," Izabella mentioned Adan's son who had been born after he died.

Adan looked down and a smile played on his lips. "Is he smart or did you guys let Gray hang out with him too much already?" he asked. We laughed. Gray was Adan's twin.

"He's really smart," Sean said.

"I can't wait to meet him..." Adan whispered.

"He's perfect." Izabella smiled. "And he'll love you." She handed Adan her phone and I assumed he was looking at pictures because of the grin on his face as tears glossed his eyes.

"So... You guys get two wishes? I don't understand..." Kaden spoke seriously, drawing our attention away from Adan.

"It doesn't work that way. We're only ever allowed to ask a witch this powerful for one favour... and well, here he is, and Rita, of course," I said.

"But that would mean neither of you can make another wish." Sean raised his brows.

"Maybe we don't want to..." I said, looking at Jayden who stood quietly staring at the ground. "Maybe..." I drifted.

"You like each other, and you realised you don't want another mate, Corey," Izabella said, smirking at me.

"No –" I began.

"Oh, shut up and stop making excuses. You like him!" Hayley smiled.

"So?" I asked, not looking at Jayden because I could feel his shock, the mate bond was suddenly a lot stronger, so was the pull and I fought not to move towards him. He was only a couple of feet away.

"Really?" Kaden asked, his tone much icier than everyone else's.

I understood. He didn't trust me with his best friend... yet.

"Really," I confirmed, hoping he could read the honesty and seriousness in my voice.

He stared at me before looking at Jayden and then back to me. He nodded, still not seeming very happy, I had no doubt he expected me to show that I would not hurt Jayden anymore.

Adan turned to me.

"Wait, I need to catch up here," he said shaking his head in confusion.

"Maybe on our way home?" Sean let out a sigh.

I agreed. The past few minutes had been a lot for all of us.

"Yeah. Home." Adan grinned, excited to meet his son and see his mate again.

"You haven't finished your meals, come back inside," Bianca called.

As everyone began to head inside, I chuckled glancing at Jayden. I smiled, catching him staring at me.

My heart dropped when he didn't return a smile. Instead, he just turned to follow Kaden back inside, leaning away from me slightly so we wouldn't touch as he moved towards the door.

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