Chapter 1

“I don’t deserve you…”

Callum Saxon’s eyes widened. “No, hey.”

But the man, the most stunning man he’d ever seen, had already made the distance between them wider. And wider. Callum gasped. Ainsley Carlisle began to trot and his long, flowing blond hair changed. It was a mane now, dancing in the wind, only it wasn’t possible, because they were under water, and the stride was more—more elegant, coordinated among those four legs. Four. Callum’s head was spinning. Ainsley, or a creature that used to be him, galloped away from him. But it wasn’t fast enough. Callum caught sight of a horn, bouncing the moonlight from its tip, showing itself for all creatures on the bed of the lake to see.

A unicorn.

* * * *

A couple of days earlier

Callum gasped, swallowing a large gulp of air. His eyes slammed open and he staggered into a sitting position. It was a mistake. A big mistake. He hurt everywhere, even his eyes, which he squeezed shut. His neck, his chest, and he felt certain his heart, too, ached.

“Not so fast! You just woke up.”

Who is that?Callum’s heart stalled for a second and he dared to peek around. He’d thought he was alone. No, he’d not been thinking at all. The voice was right. He was barely awake. Yeah, tell me something new.

“W-who are you?” Callum pressed his back against the headboard—or was it a wall? He wasn’t sure.

The man standing next to his bed ran his fingers through his hair, combing it back, and Callum was mesmerized by the motion, and the hair. Blond, sunlit bright, seemingly velvety soft. Callum gulped and had to cage one hand with his other or he’d have seized the hair and stroked it. He concentrated instead on anticipating a name that must be as magical as his locks.

But the name wasn’t forthcoming. Normally Callum would’ve huffed in either annoyance or disappointment. Yet, that didn’t come, either. Instead, he stared in awe at the man’s sparkling eyes and light-pinkish lips, and the deep cleft in his chin. That a person as ethereal as this was speaking to him was beyond Callum.

“Ainsley.”

Callum slowly registered that the man was introducing himself.

“Ains—Oh.”

“Carlisle. Ainsley Carlisle.”

In a way, Callum was a tad disappointed. The name wasn’t as magical as he thought it would be. Not as magical as Ainsley’s angelic features.

Yet, when he offered his hand to Callum, he barely cared. The hand was fair with long, neatly-manicured fingers.

“Come.”

Callum dragged his gaze from the hand to Ainsley’s eyes. “Where are we going?”

“Wait and see.” Callum thought the smile would him knock down with its brightness.

“Don’t you want to know my name?” He let go of Ainsley’s hand.

Ainsley looked over his shoulder, arching an eyebrow. “I know who you are, Callum Saxon. I don’t need to ask.”

Callum stammered. “B-but how? You really know who I am?”

“I know you better than you know yourself.”

Callum shifted to the edge of the bed, which he noticed was a spacious four-poster. “Yeah?” He tipped his chin up. “Tell me.”

Ainsley huffed and turned around, folding his arms across his chest like he was about to indulge a small boy. “Why don’t you, you know, tell me?”

Huh.“Yeah, of course, why not. I—” Callum halted mid-sentence. “I’m…” He frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

Callum sat up straight. “I—I can’t remember who I am.” His heart pounded in his chest and bile rose to his throat. “What’s going on here?”

He didn’t realize Ainsley had moved but suddenly Ainsley was sitting by him. “Hey, that’s okay.”

Callum jerked away when Ainsley wrapped an arm around him. “No. How can that be okay?”

“You’re in shock. It’ll come back to you.”

“Why would I be in shock?”

“You woke up in a strange place next to a stranger?” Ainsley shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.

Callum gaped. A myriad of questions swirled around his brain and he wheezed. “Oh, God.”

“What? What is it now?”

Callum leapt to his feet and swayed a little due to the sudden movement. “You.” He flailed a hand in Ainsley’s direction. “You distracted me. You’re putting me under a spell that makes me think of nothing but you.”

Ainsley started to chuckle but he cut it out as soon as he did. “Come on. I’m putting you under a spell? Are you admitting you’re attracted to me?”

“Shut up.” It was so confusing. Everything made him dizzy. “Don’t flatter yourself.” He sulked and slammed himself back to sit on the bed. “But how can’t I remember myself?”

“Like I said, let it return to you on its own. It will happen, slowly, I promise.” He gathered Callum to his side and shook him a bit. “Now, shall we? I was about to take you around this place.”

* * * *

Soon Callum forgot not only about himself but also about the discussion he’d had earlier with Ainsley. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected once he crossed the threshold, but it certainly wasn’t to step out of the house immediately. He’d been in a bedroom, had he not? Yet he was certain he was no longer in a part of any house, or even on the surface of the land. Oh, right, he had suffered a kind of amnesia—but he was positive he’d not been living under water.