Tears swelled in Evie’s eyes. Her lower lip trembled. “I am glad I could help, even if it was done inadvertently. Again, I apologize for taking your choice away. Please know it was not my intention. Sometimes the magic sees something to heal and goes rogue.”
Hope smiled. “Healing is never a bad thing.” She laid her hand over her heart and bowed her head to Evie. When she turned around, both of her eyebrows lifted, and a question sparkled in her eyes. I shooed her and Declan away and sat at the table facing Evie.
“Are you alright?”
“Better. The sandwich helped. Thank you.” She cringed as she looked out the kitchen window and saw all my shifters still outside waiting. “Did I do something to them? Besides a spontaneous healing?”
“They’re fine. Mostly curious.”
She rose and went to the kitchen window. In a small voice, she said, “Some of them are frightened, aren’t they?”
Evie touched a spot in her chest. “I can feel them. In here.” She exhaled a deep breath. “I should probably be more concerned about that than I am. I feel good. Better than good. There’s something about this land, Rowan. It speaks to my soul.”
I rose and came up behind her. My heart was both sore and full. She’d gone through so much to keep her autonomy, and this was the opposite of what she’d fought for. How could I tell her? Did I even need to?
“Do you know what happened out there?”
Her fingers tightened as she clutched the edge of the sink. “We’re bonded, you and I, aren’t we? Started in the dirt a few days ago, and I solidified it earlier.”
I moved closer and wrapped my arms around her. My chin rested on top of her head. Evie’s hair smelled like an English garden. “The bond isn’t finished.”
Evie went still in my arms, whether in relief or confusion, I couldn’t tell. Our bond was a lovely, soothing thing, but there was still one more step to take until we were bound permanently. Whether she would do so remained to be seen. “It feels complete.”
“We are also sharing land, and we are both fae. Our bond might be different.”
“Then how can you know it’s not complete?”
My laugh ruffled her hair. “You will know when it’s complete, Evie. I already feel you inside me, your power and your goodness, but when the bond is finished, you will be able to find me, no matter where I am.”
“Do you want this?” Her voice sounded small.
I gently turned her around, trapping her against the sink in the circle of my arms. She lifted her face to mine. “More than anything in the world,” I said. My heart felt tender and raw. If she wanted to wound me, she’d reject me, toss me away, and forfeit our bond. She still could. “Do you?”
She exhaled. “Rowan, I do not—” Evie licked her lips and tried again. “I am confused by all of this and heartsore from all the events of the last few months. I don’t know what this means or how it works. It seems unfair to Caelan.”
The mention of his name felt like a knife sliding through my ribs. “Bonds do not care who came before.” I touched her chin. “I know you’re confused and working through things. If I would have known this bond would advance so much when claiming my land, I would not have allowed you to do so. Your power and mine are complementary, and we are both linked to the earth. It’s the only explanation I have.”
Her eyes searched mine. “And if I don’t want this?”
It took everything I had to keep my face neutral, but my heart screamed in agony. “Then you can refuse this. You will have to leave and remove your claim on my lands and the other territory or remove me if you wish to keep your mark there. And then you must stay away. Eventually, the bond will fade.”
“Our friendship would be over.”
I nodded. “Every time we saw each other, the bonds would begin to reform. We could not see each other anymore. And it would be cruel to me to try.”
Evie’s lower lip wobbled. She lifted her hand and stroked my cheek. “I cannot give you an answer now, Rowan. As much as I wish I could do this, I am not ready for something so soon after Caelan.”
She’s right. We both know it, so all I could do was nod. I pressed a searing kiss to her lips and stepped away. “I’ll send the staff in later with lunch. I think it’s best if we do not go into town this morning. Not everyone will be able to see the bond between us, but some shifters have better senses than others.”
“Will the other Lords sense the bond?”
She meant Caelan but didn’t want to hurt my feelings. I inclined my head. “Yes. He will know.”
Evie flinched, and my heart broke a little more. “But he will know the bond is not finished?”
“How close are we?”
I smiled. “Too close,” was all the answer I could give her. I laid a hand over my chest. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me. No matter what happens, I will hold you forever close in my heart.”
