“Ah, the one who was returned recently?” the clerk asked. His gaze filled with recognition as it flitted to Woods.
“Yes.”
When he left, I turned to Woods, whose eyes were wide with anticipation. I lowered my voice and asked, “What was it you said he tasted like?”
Woods said with complete honesty, “Apples.”
A shiver ran through me. I thought he’d lost his mind when I first heard it, but now it was a salve on my nerves. Woods had experienced the same thing. Iwasn’tmaking it up.
The guards brought out Bjorn. The alpha’s face lit up like a firework when he saw Woods.
“Eugene!” he cried.
“Bjorn!”
“Release the alpha,” I told the guards.
They let Bjorn go. He and Woods crashed into each other like long lost lovers, kissing and tangling their arms around each other and God of Fertility knew what else, as I had looked away to give them a moment of privacy.
After they had finished their sweet murmurings, I confronted both of them. Since the workers couldn’t defy my orders, we withdrew out of the building and stood secluded in its shadow.
“I want a full explanation of whatever is happening between the two of you,” I demanded.
Bjorn and Woods exchanged a glance. They were still holding hands, and at least for Woods, his mood was highly improved over any instance where I’d seen him separately. He seemed like a different man.
“An explanation?” Bjorn asked. “What do you mean?”
Woods, who was now in my debt and no longer hated my guts, quickly added, “He means, what do you mean,Your Highness.”
“Oh, uh, right,” Bjorn said, nodding.
“You two say that you’re fated,” I began. “Is that right?”
“Yes,” they replied at the same time. Even in my foul mood, I had to admit it was kind of disgustingly sweet.
I turned to Bjorn. “Mr. Woods told me you tasted like his favorite fruit. Do you have the same experience with him?”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
There was still one thing I wanted to confirm. “And what is your favorite fruit, Bjorn?”
“Uh, it’s kinda embarrassing,” Bjorn mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Spit it out.”
“Um.” Bjorn grinned. “Tomatoes. That’s what Eugene tastes like to me. I just love ‘em.”
Woods laughed. “You’re so silly.”
I took a moment to get over my repugnance—tomatoes, really, of all possible fruit?—but once I’d calmed down, I realized they had confirmed my suspicion. The truth was beginning to unravel itself before me.
“So, the fruit doesn’t have to match,” I murmured. I felt a brief prickle of guilt. This was new knowledge to me, so perhaps that explained in hindsight why I was irritated with Rourke when he told me oranges were his favorite. But then again, what reason did I have to be upset that Rourke’s taste didn’t mirror my own? That meant Iwantedhim to be my fated mate—
That wretched pain flared up again, making me swallow a hiss through my teeth. Thankfully, I had better control over my emotions now and neither of them noticed my suffering. Only Marianne glanced up at me with a questioning expression.
“Say,” Woods began. “What happened to that alpha that was with you earlier?”
Of course, he has to bring up Rourke now,I thought irritably.
