I sighed. “I don't think I can do this, Rian.”
“What?” He shot to his feet and stormed over to me.
I jerked back.
He stopped. “Damn it, Galin! I'm not going to hurt you.”
“I know.” I held up a shaky hand. “My mind knows. But my body remembers . . .”
“What?” Rian snarled as he went to one knee before me. “What did King Dhrostan do to you?”
I shook my head.
Rian grabbed my hands, holding tight when I tried to pull away. “Tell me, Galin.”
“I can't.”
“You must.”
I jerked away from him, snarling, “Don't you understand? Telling you would make it worse! I can't, Rian. And it's just one more reason why I can't be with you.”
“You're my mate, Galin,” Rian said as he reclaimed my hands. “You are meant to be with me.”
“You don't know that.”
“I do. And I think you do too.” He let go of one hand but only to place his palm on my chest. “In here. You know.”
I shook my head. “I can't be in that castle.”
“You don't have to go back. Not ever again.”
I snorted. “If you do mate me, I'll have to live there.”
“WhenI mate you, we will figure it out. I won't let something as minor as where we live stop me from being with you.”
“No, I can't do this.” I stood up. “I'm sorry, Rian. I'm so very sorry. But I can't be with a king, any king. I'm too broken for you.”
“No, you're not.” Rian stood up as well. “You're not broken. You're wounded, and wounds heal. I will help you heal, Galin.”
I let out a sob as I fell forward.
The Dragon King,myDragon King, caught me and tucked me in against his chest. “It will be all right, my love. You'll see.”
“Love?” I whispered and pulled back to look at him. “Did you just . . .?”
“Bad timing?” Rian grinned.
I snorted despite myself. “The worst.”
“I don't care.” He cupped my cheek. “When you ran from me, I knew. I knew because my heart, the one you've claimed in the blink of an eye, broke to see you flee. I've never known such despair. All I could think was how I'd threatened to hunt you. Itwas as if I'd known all along that you'd run from me.” He lifted my hand and kissed it. “And I will track you, Galin. I'll search and find you if you run again. But it won't be hunting. You aren't an animal, and I don't want to trap you. I'll find you so that we can work out whatever sent you running. I'll do whatever it takes to reassure you and bring you home. But it will always be your choice.”
I blinked. My heart slowed. I looked at the remains of my door. Then I looked back at him with a lifted brow.
“I never said I wouldn't destroy all barriers between us,” Rian said with a smirk.
“I love you too,” I said suddenly.
Rian went still. “Truly?”
