“I wonder if Conri is with the other alphas now, plotting my death.”
Evander folds his arms and his muscles tense. His mouth is pressed into a hard line. “If they so much as lay a finger upon you…”
“The three of us will leave before they get the chance,” I say optimistically. Allowing him to fantasize about hurting Conri too much could be dangerous; he might act on those impulses. “Weknew this was a risk of our approach to the circumstances…just like we knew we had no other choice.”
“I still hate it.” His words and tone are in direct contrast with his body language. Were someone to emerge from the caverns and lay eyes on us, Evander would look bored but attentive for possible threats against Aurora and me. “It’s probably the only thing I could hate more than seeing him touch you—his mouth on yours…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” Evander says firmly. “You’re keeping yourself safe—all of us safe. We have roles to play, still, unfortunately.”
“Does keeping us all safe even matter if it breaks us in the process?” The words are faint and small.
The question prompts movement from Evander. He drops to a knee beside the stone Aurora and I are on, tilting his head to meet my eyes. It briefly draws my focus from Aurora and the depth of his stare steals my breath.
“Nothing,nothingwill break us. Fate has tried, the wolf king has tried, but we continue coming back together despite it all. You are my mate, Faelyn. The other half of my soul. Not even the hands of the old gods can break that.”
The furrow of my brow relaxes as a small smile curves my mouth. “Your optimism is infectious.”
“It’s not optimism, just simple truth.” He returns my smile. “I will spend the rest of my days at your side, so long as you will have me.”
“It would be my life’s joy to spend every breath in your company.”
“Then it shall be so,” he says.
“It shall be so,” I echo. As I speak, there’s a gentle tingle—like a thousand butterflies settling upon me and then lifting allmy hopes and wishes on their rainbow wings. Evander feels the same, I think, as his gaze softens into something akin to elation.
“I wish I could kiss you,” he whispers.
“We shouldn’t risk it out in the open.” I hate to be a voice of reason.
“I know.”
“So, you two finally figured it out.” Aurora startles us both. I look back down at her to find her eyes open.
“How long have you been awake?” I ask, fighting a flush that’s smoldering behind my cheeks.
“The whole time.” She grins slightly. Her expression is still worn thin. “Think of it more as meditating than sleeping.”
“You were intentionally eavesdropping.” I purse my lips and narrow my eyes at her.
“You made an assumption, it’s not my fault.” She closes her eyes, wearing a little smile. So smug.
“It’s true, then?” Evander doesn’t seem bothered by Aurora’s actions in the slightest. Instead, he has the air of excitement. “We are actually soulmates?”
“Why do you ask questions you already know the answers to?”
Evander shifts his attention from her to me. All doubt is gone. All pretense with it. The barriers I had built within me, the doubt, it crumbles. The feeling that’s been there all along flows between us as freely as the magic between Aurora and me.
“How long have you known?” I ask Aurora without taking my eyes off Evander.
“From the first moment.” She scoffs, though doesn’t sound truly offended. “I am one of the oldest spirits still roaming this world. Do you think such a thing would escape me?”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” I’m surprised at how I don’t feel upset with her concealment in the slightest. Perhaps it’s because of the pure joy that continues to surge through me.
“I’ve been around long enough to know that there are some things that mortals must figure out on their own. You tell a mortal something, and they fight it. Guide them to their own conclusion and they’ll accept with open arms.” All the little suggestions suddenly make sense. Her openness to suggest Evander as an outlet for me, her insistence that I could trust him despite appearances…
“Did I ever really need to ‘relieve the tension’ to fight Conri’s charm? Or was that just a way of pushing Evander and me together?” I ask out of curiosity.
