I shuddered as I sank into his embrace. “The only one with the power to break anyone is you, Hawk.”
He chuckled darkly, the sound hollow and broken. “No,”he replied, the word cracking. “You are the one with all the power in this situation, Princess. I’m not going anywhere.”
I didn’t know what it was about those words that shattered my resolve. What finally made me believe him. It could have been the way he said the words, the conviction in them. Maybe it was everything coming together and finally breaking through the wall I’d had up for months. Or maybe I was just over fighting what I knew was true.
That despite everything, there had been moments—real, undeniable moments—where Hawk had peeled back pieces of my resentment and dislike. Had found ways to make me care about him.
The male was there when I needed him. Protected me despite me thinking he hated me.
He’d shielded me with his own body. Risked himself despite knowing I could hurt him.
Could trust be rebuilt between us? Deep in my heart, I knew the answer to that wasyes.
After another moment, Hawk cleared his throat. “Let me at least show you that I can be your partner,” he said, voice stronger than before. “Let me help you.”
I drew in a sharp breath as he released me. “How?” I asked, missing his warmth almost immediately.
“By helping you wash your potatoes, of course.”
My entire bodyfelt alight with a fire I couldn’t extinguish, not after the last few hours spent existing with Hawk and not feeling the same weight of tension from before the memory wipe. It was almost like getting to know Thor or Xerxes, like experiencing a new mate for the first time.
And for some reason, I wasn’t ready for it to end.
My heart pounded as I hesitated outside Hawk’s door. It became a war within me, two sides battling about what I should do.
Knock and accept him?
Turn and walk away?
The past and the present warred within me, crashing together with no clear winner in sight.
But I knew what I wanted—what Ineeded. And now felt right.
I knocked, my knuckles cracking against the dark wood three times. Each breath I waited had my heart pounding harder. I couldn’t hear the storm outside the manor beyond the thrumming of blood in my ears. Anticipation swelled within me, but so did fear.
The door opened a crack, revealing a shirtless Hawk. Smooth, tanned skin, blemished by a few raised scars. Surprise flickered in his dark eyes as he stepped back, opening the door wide for me.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, sounding worried. A crease appeared between his brows as he ran his eyes over my body, assessing me not in a lustful way, but with clear panic. “What?—”
I stepped into his room and closed the door behind me. The space was unfinished, though it mirrored all the other rooms on this floor set up for my mates; king sized bed against the far wall with windows either side of it, a canopy with no curtain, and ensuite bathroom hidden behind a closed door.
“Prove it,” I stated, leaning against the closed door, my heart pounding harder. “Prove everything you said to me this afternoon. Prove to me you want to actually be bonded.”
Something shifted in the darkness of his eyes as he stepped back, chest heaving as he drew in a deep breath. “You want me on my knees, Princess?”
A shiver prickled my skin, belly fluttering. “I want you to crawl to me. Show me how sorry you are for everything you’ve put me through.”
Part of me expected him to hesitate or deny doing it altogether. That would tell me enough about how badly he wanted to mend things between us.
But it took me by surprise, watching him lower himself tohis knees. My breaths came faster as he planted his hands on the ground, staring up at me through his thick lashes.
“I am sorry for saying I never wanted to bond you.” One crawling step. “I am sorry for being a jackass and showing you how fucking horrible I am.” Another. My heart hammered against my ribs. “I am sorry for not being the mate you deserve. For showing you how unworthy I was.” He was almost at my feet, still watching me. Something about it lit a flame, burning brighter the closer he got.
“I am sorry for not accepting our bond sooner.” Another, putting him almost within reach. “But most of all, I am sorry for losing my memories so that I couldn’t properly apologise for everything that I’ve done to you.” Stopping at my feet, he sat back, hands on his knees.
There was a vulnerability to the way he looked up at me. A sincerity that made my heart skip a beat before pounding harder.
“If you want me to repeat that in front of everyone,” he said, voice low, “then I will. I would do it again in front of your entire realm if you asked that of me.”
