“Agreed,” Alaric says, others echoing their assent.
I draw in a deep breath. “Then I accept…conditionally.” I pause for a moment before I continue, “But there’s one last thing I need to do first.”
27
Chapter 27
Kara
Isitonthegardenbench, watching fall leaves dance across the ground as the sun sets. My fingers toy idly with the pendant against my skin; it’s become a habit now.
Mom, Dad, and Gran are strolling around the garden, enjoying the last rays of sunshine, but I just can’t let my guard down that much. The battle replays in my mind – Lucien’s end, saving Gran, the moment I thought Marcus would die.
My stomach clenches at that memory.
“Here.” Rowan hands me a steaming mug of chamomile tea as she appears at my side. “You look like you need this.”
I wrap my fingers around the warmth, breathing in the familiar scent. A part of me is picking up on Marcus. He’s…troubled about something. I’ve kept my distance this past week,and while part of me wishes he’d push harder to see me, I’m glad that he’s giving me space.
“You can’t avoid him forever,” Mia says, settling beside me. “We all see how miserable you are.”
“I’m not miserable.” But the words don’t ring true, even to me. “I just… I need time to think.”
“About what?” Rowan perches on my other side, Poppy on the back of the bench behind her. The pair have been inseparable since we saved her – which should have given Rowan the perfect opportunity to learn more about her unimaginable powers, but the squirrel’s steadfastly tight-lipped. Gran says she’ll tell us more when she’s ready.
Rowan is still looking at me. “Think about what, Kara? He nearly died saving us. Saving you.”
I stare into my tea. “That’s exactly it. How do I know these feelings are real? What if it’s just the blood match forcing us together? I want…” My voice catches. “I respect what you have with Darick, Ro. What Mia has with Soren. But…” I heave a breath. “Call me old-fashioned, but I want real love, not some illusion.”
“You think the blood match creates feelings?” Mia’s laugh is gentle. “Kara, it only works if there’s something already there.”
“But how can I be sure?” The question that’s been haunting me finally spills out. “Every time I feel something for him, I question whether it’s genuine or just the blood bond.”
I feel Marcus’s presence at the edge of my consciousness – steady, patient, waiting. It would be so easy to reach out to him, but I hold back.
“I’ve never been so confused,” I admit quietly. “I’m supposed to be the strong one, the one who has everything figured out. But with Marcus… I don’t know what’s real anymore.”
Mia bumps her shoulder against mine. “You’ll figure it out, hon. It’s not that hard.”
I give a mild snort. “Easy for you to say. You’ve already drunk the Kool-aid.”
“Ooh. Low blow!” chirps Poppy.
“Cut it out!” Mia scowls at me. “Just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean that what I feel is wrong. I love Soren. Truly love him. And I know he loves me. If my blood happens to keep him alive, it makes no difference to our feelings for each other.”
“If anything, it adds a dimension,” Rowan says from the other side of me. “Something extra that other people will never get to experience.”
“If you say so.” I frown at her for a moment. “Wait. Where are your glasses?”
“Don’t need them anymore. I haven’t since the bond was sealed.”
“What?” My brow furrows further. “Then why do you wear them?”
“Habit, I guess.” She shrugs. “And Darick thinks they’re cute.”
“Ugh.” I roll my eyes. “You really are beyond help. And you’re gonna ruin your eyesight.”
“Nah. She’s a witch. And she has mad power now. Though God knows it took her long enough.” Poppy wrinkles her nose.
