My stomach twisted in knots.

  I wasn’t really going in there to break up with him, was I? What if Roy was right and there was something there worth fighting for? Every time we talked about it, he never wanted to throw in the towel so was it fair that I was doing exactly that?

  Was I ready to call it quits? Did I really want to throw away the last three months of our relationship? And what the hell did Devona know, anyway? Here she was, living by herself in the middle of nowhere—what did she know about love? Not only that, but what help had she given me with the whole Fifi situation?

  So, was I really going to take her relationship advice? Was I really going to barge into Roy’s sister’s home and break up with him? I could just picture him waiting for me to return while he sat in the living room. As soon as I walked in, he’d jump up and give me that broad warm smile, and then he’d throw his arms around me and I’d feel so warm.

  Exactly the opposite of how I felt now.

  But, he wouldn’t jump up like that because he was glad to see me. He’d be anxious for me to help Fifi. A forgotten corner of my heart already knew that. He was the strongest, biggest, most handsome, protective guy I’d ever had the good fortune to get involved with, but all those things were on the outside.

  On the inside, we were different species. And we wanted different things.

  He hadn’t told me point-blank he wanted a big family, but he also hadn’t told me he DIDN’T want one, either. He might be different from other sasquatches in that he liked living in Haven Hollow rather than in their off-grid colony, but a tiger didn’t change his stripes.

  Big families, long lives, living off the grid—these things were bred into Roy—in his bones. He couldn’t change the way he was, what he believed in. And he had no reason to change. That meant I had to step aside. It sounded so simple when I thought about it like that.

  Still, my heart ached. I had to halt at the bottom of the steps and gather my courage before I walked back into the house. This was just… it was asking too much of me right now. After everything I’d been through, after the fear and the exhaustion.

  None of this was fair!

  Yet, it had to be done and fairness had nothing to do with it. I needed to end it as much for myself as for Roy and for Fifi. I needed to open myself up to the possibility of meeting my soulmate, as Devona had called him. Either way, I had to make sure I was ready to let the right man in. And I wanted to let the right man in. I was sick of all my failed and dead-end relationships. It was time to turn the corner, time to assess the broken pieces within myself and time to heal them. It was time to change.

  I knew Devona had been speaking the truth when she’d said as much. And I also knew that currently, I wasn’t ready. I did have walls up—I was scarred from the past and I was still carrying that pain with me. I was afraid.

  Once more, my mind flashed the picture of Roy and Fifi, who were probably still sitting in the living room together. They’d be talking in hushed whispers about her future and what was best for her.

  Five years was plenty of time for them to form a close bond. Roy would continue to offer his protection by letting her work at the Half-Moon. As other guys retreated out of her life—and I retreated out of his—they would get closer until the inevitable happened.

  That is, as long as Fifi was attracted to Roy. On that subject, I still wasn’t clear. But Marty… no, he wasn’t right for her.

  As to Fifi’s family, they couldn’t exactly get mad at her once the bond with Roy did form (if it formed). She would still be a succubus. She’d still be feeding, so she wouldn’t be casting shame and discredit on her family line. She would have a loving partner who was immune to her power’s negative effects. They could love each other for as long as they both lived. Fifi would be living the life she’d always dreamed of.

  And I was happy for her.

  I really was.

  Even though a part of me was aching, another part of me was rejoicing because it’s not every day you’re given a decisive path to navigate. It’s not every day an old witch emerges from the forest to tell you to break up with your Bigfoot boyfriend because your soul mate is somewhere out there, waiting for you, ready to come into your life…

  The plan required only one act of courage on my part. I was the lynchpin in the whole puzzle. I could make it happen; I just had to fulfill my part.

  I took a deep breath and climbed the steps, easing open the front door and my heart rode into my throat. Roy jumped up exactly the way I imagined he would, but Fifi wasn’t there. The fire was roaring, and golden-orange light flooded the room. He threw his arms around me, but this time I didn’t feel warm. I felt cold.

  “Well? What did she say? Did you make the potion Fifi needs?”

  I pulled away from him and migrated to the couch. He sat down next to me. “She didn’t have to. I already have the right potion.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I reached into the pocket of Cora’s pants and pulled out the vial in question. The glass sparkled in the low light. “I have the repulsive curse I made at home, with Wanda’s help. It will be enough to protect Fifi from the effects she has on men and it will negate the effects of the Love’s Goddess potion.”

  “What about her family?” Roy demanded, frowning. “They’ll come after her again. What are we supposed to do about them?”

  That was the sticking point, but I knew Devona was right—I would come up with something because I always did. “I need to think about that… but I know there’s a way.”

  “You know there’s a way?” Roy repeated, shaking his head as he threw his hands into the air. “It sounds like your time with Devona was a complete waste of time!”

  I looked at him and just didn’t have the energy. “It wasn’t a waste of time.”

  “Then?”

  “There’s something more important we have to do—something we have to do… right now.”

  “What could be more important than protecting Fifi from her family and reversing the effects of the Love’s Goddess potion so we can return to Haven Hollow?”

  I summoned all my resolve and picked up his hand in mine. How many times had I held that massive hand and thought about the future we might have together? A future that was no longer a viable option. “It’s us.”

  “Us!” He blinked and looked angry as well as confused. “What do we have to do with Fifi’s problem?”

  But, I couldn’t go into that part. Not now. Not ever. “We don’t belong together, Roy. We never have belonged together. ”

  He stiffened and then appeared confused and suspicious. “I don’t know where this is coming from. Last I saw you, you were headed outside with Devona to work on a potion to help Fifi. And now you’re sitting here talking about our relationship?”

  “Like I said, Devona told me this potion is all Fifi needs,” I answered as I looked down at the vial in my hands.

  “When did you decide the rest of this?”

  “I’ve been deciding it.”

  “I thought we worked things out last night?” he demanded. “I thought we were going to be open with each other about everything moving forward and I thought we’d agreed to put things back together. What happened to that?”

  “There’s been a rift between us for a long time, Roy. I think… I actually think it’s always been there.”

  “I don’t know what rift you’re talking about.”

  “If you think about it, you’ll know what I mean.” I took another big breath, my heart in my throat. “And we can tell ourselves Fifi’s situation interfered, but the truth is that all this conflict is a symptom of something much deeper. I think…” I turned to face him and it was one of the hardest things I’d had to do—much harder than the hike through the woods. “Roy, we are better off apart.”

  “You’ll excuse me if I respectfully disagree,” he grumbled, as he pulled his hand away from mine and folded his arms across his massive chest. At the sudden thought that I’d never see that massive chest without clothing again, I died a little more on the inside.

  “Roy—”

  He shook his head. “I care about you, Poppy.”

  “And I care about you! I always have, but that doesn’t mean we’re right for each other.”

  “I thought we were right for each other.” He took a deep breath. “I thought we’d just agreed to give things another shot, to at least try.”

  “We have tried. We’ve been trying for three months and things have only gotten worse. We’ll only continue to resent the differences between us until we can’t stand each other.” I heard Devona’s words coming out of my mouth and in that moment, I knew with absolute certainty she was right.

  “What differences?” he demanded. “I already told you I don’t care about having a big family and I don’t care if I live longer than you do.”

  I shook my head. “But, I care. We’re too much at odds and I don’t want to bring more of that into Finn’s life—or mine.” I paused as I inhaled deeply. “You may not see it now, but this is the best thing for both of us.”

  He shook his head, but even as he did, his gaze migrated to the flames. “I don’t see it that way. It’s not what I want.”

  I reached out and took his hand again, squeezing it. “It isn’t what I want, either, but it’s what I feel is right in my heart. I trust that, Roy. And I believe if you really looked inward, you’d feel it too.” He wouldn’t look at me and I wasn’t sure if I was making things better or worse, but I continued. “I’m doing this for both of us.”

  He just continued to stare into the fire. “If your heart tells you this is right, then you should follow it.”

  I tightened my grip on his big hand. I didn’t want to let go. I wanted to hold on forever, but I couldn’t. “Thank you.”

  I gave him one last squeeze and then tore myself away. My heart twisted as my fingers lost contact with his warm skin and tears started in my eyes. What I wouldn’t give to put my arms around him and take it all back! My heart wanted nothing more than to tell him we would try to make it work—that there was a silver lining.

  But, I knew better.

  My eyes burned. I couldn’t let him see me break down, not after I’d been strong enough to go through with it. Instead, I walked back outside and breathed in the cold night air. I walked back down to the river, where earlier I’d stood with Devona and I thought about everything she’d told me.

  Even though I was sad, there was also something else there, another emotion—relief. And a deep understanding that if I wanted the next relationship I had to be my last, I had to be ready.

  I sat down on the bank of the river, feeling the cold dirt beneath me. The air smelled of pine and lavender. I imagined Roy was still sitting on the couch where I’d left him. No doubt, he was looking into the fire the way I had half the night. No doubt, he was mulling over everything and struggling to come to grips with a tempest of emotions, thoughts, and possibilities that didn’t fit into any coherent whole.

  He would understand… someday.

  ***

  The Next Day

  It was time to put my plan into action—the plan involving how to keep Fifi’s family away from her. It was a plan I’d come up with in the early hours of the morning, having gotten absolutely no sleep all night. But, the lack of sleep was worth it because my plan just might work.

  The day before I’d asked the men of the colony to volunteer to return with us to Haven Hollow, where they would be taking part in a parade of sorts. Of course, I’d requested their appearance only after I’d doused Fifi with the repulse potion. I’d been surprised to find Devona was right—my will had been enough to power the potion because not one of the men could even stand to look at Fifi, which was a shock in and of itself.

  Eight of the men had agreed to come back with us, and after the arduous hike to Roy’s truck, they’d piled into the truck bed and we were off.

  After the incredibly long trip back to Haven Hollow, Roy pulled over just before we reached the ‘Welcome to Haven Hollow’ sign and killed the engine. All of the men climbed out of the truck at my instructions and stood in a horizontal line in front of the truck. As they stood there, they jeered and elbowed each other, cracking bawdy jokes, but each one stood still while I poured the mixture I’d concocted earlier over their chests, backs, and shoulders.

  The potion was Alsatian Sex Oil which was meant to surround the wearer with a sexual air—meaning that those around them would be taken in by the libido of the wearer. The point was to surround the men with feelings of love, romance, and sexual desire.

  I halted in front of Brandt. His lips twitched as he held back laughter. “Will this make me irresistible to all women?”

  I blushed and willed myself not to look at his massive, muscular body. Every guy in line was beyond hot. I had to exert all my willpower not to gawk at them. “I wish I could tell you otherwise, but it will actually shrink your testicles to the size of garden peas.” Of course, I was just kidding because the Alsatian Sex Oil could do exactly what Brandt thought it would—if such was our intention. But, our intention, in this case, was to make it seem like all the men were completely gaga over Fifi. And not only that, the sexual vibe of the potion would make it seem like all of them were involved in some sort of sexual, orgiastic relationship with her.

  It was the perfect alibi for her family—the perfect hoax to get them off her back. As soon as they believed she’d broken her abstinence vows and was having sex with multiple men and, obviously, feeding on them, the hope was they’d return home and leave her alone. For good.

  Laughter exploded down the line of men. Thank God they were wearing loincloths, but all the rest of their stunning bodies glowed in the sun for the whole world to see.

  Brandt laughed with the others. Then he spread his arms to me in a mock embrace. “Hit me with it. I can’t wait!”

  I didn’t miss Roy’s grunt of disapproval, but when I turned to face him, he looked the other way. Fifi, meanwhile, wasn’t sparing any of her attention on any of the men and was, instead, giggling over something Marty was saying. As far as Marty and Roy were concerned, their apparent immunity to Fifi’s sexuality also worked in reverse—they seemed to be immune to her lack of sexuality, as well.

  More laughter greeted Brandt’s comments, and I tipped the bottle over him, drenching his torso with the mixture until it splashed on the ground. Brandt sniffed his arm, and his muscles tensed visibly. “What is this? It smells incredible.”

  “Keep your shorts on, Valentino,” someone called. “You have a job to do.”

  I finally made my way to the very last man. When I finished anointing him, I headed back and raised my voice for all to hear. “You all know what to do. We’ll parade into town and put on a show for Fifi’s family. As soon as we convince them you all are Fifi’s paramours, Roy will take you back to the colony. Everyone ready?”

  The men, still laughing, gathered around Roy’s pickup as we started decorating the truck with banners of fabric on which we’d painted: Congratulations and Honeymoon. We also attached random clothing to the rearview mirrors, bumpers, and the roll bar and a few empty cans to the rear bumper.

  “A bunch of you need to climb onto the hood of the truck in front,” I told them. “The rest of you get in the back and remember what I said. Once we get into downtown, you need to start cheering and making as much noise as possible.”

  “How do we even know Fifi’s family will be there?” Marty asked.

  “They’ll be there, waiting for me,” Fifi answered. “They know I’ll come back, eventually.”

  I strode to the side of the street where Marty, Finn, Fifi, and Roy waited for me. Roy wore his jeans and no shirt. He looked more like the Brawny Paper Towel Man than ever before. And, of course, that caused a sense of sadness to well up inside me all over again.

  “Why can’t Marty take my place and I drive?” Roy asked.

  I shook my head. “Every eligible sasquatch has to participate,” I responded. “And everyone knows Marty is a null anyway, so that wouldn’t work.”

  “Fine,” Roy said.

  I looked at him and gave him an understanding smile. “I need you to ride on the hood next to Fifi so we can sell this whole thing.”

  “Marty, could you ride with me, too?” Fifi asked as something further dropped inside my stomach.

  “Actually, I have to drive the truck, according to Poppy’s instructions,” Marty answered.

  “Right. Marty is driving and Finn and I are going to hide in the back seat so no one sees us,” I supplied. Not only did I not want anyone to spot Finn and me, but I also wanted to try to shield Finn as much as I could. I had no other options but to include him on this trip, but that didn’t mean he had to witness all of it.

  As far as regards to Fifi, she’d borrowed a sheer, thin-strapped dress from Cora that revealed every magnificent curve of her body. The lace of her half-cup bra showed through the fabric and made her look like something off a strip-club stage.

  Even with all that, she looked completely different since I’d anointed her with the repulsive potion, thus subduing her succubus spirit. Well, she looked the same, but her perfectly manicured appearance didn’t produce the same effect. I’d also asked her to cover up with a coat one of the men had provided until the time when we entered Haven Hollow, at which point she was to disrobe. Only after Finn was out of viewing sight, that is.

  I experienced an unmistakable wave of disgust just going near her. I couldn’t define it. She made me slightly sick and it didn’t have anything to do with her looks. I spread the female version of the Alsatian Sex Oil on her, too, so she wouldn’t turn everyone completely off (after all, Fifi’s family had to believe this was all real and if they thought for one second she’d been anointed with a potion, the believability would be completely shot to hell), but it barely made her tolerable. She just didn’t produce the same effect as before.