She nodded. “I’m not crazy about it either, darling, but I’ve sworn loyalty to the king, so here I am.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll need one thousand cash. Five hundred to repair my intruder curse and five hundred for the herbs for this. The Witch Mother stays behind with me tonight, and in the morning you pick up the brew.”
Morgana snorted. “Anall-nightbrewing? I haven’t done that since I was in my twenties.”
He looked at her like she was beneath him, which made me wonder just how powerful he was. “It must be stirred every sixty seconds under the moonlight. Neither of us will be sleeping tonight.”
Morgana looked at Brayden like she was going to murder him. “You owe mesobig for this!”
He winced a little and nodded.
“Thanks, Morgana,” I told her honestly.
“Yeah, thank you,” Leah piped in.
Morgana softened then, giving us each a nod. Something had happened in the year I’d been gone, because this woman was completely different from the one I’d met.
‘She’s changed,’I sent to Brayden mentally, hoping the mental speak worked and went to the right person.
He perked up in surprise at hearing my voice in his head.‘Her shop was attacked by Novus four months ago. The pack and I have kept her and her coven safe this whole time.’
Oh wow, that made sense now, why she would vow to be by his side.
We said our goodbyes and left the two of them arguing over the use of dried rue or fresh, and what affect each would have on the potion.
We were silent nearly the whole drive back to the Amarok’s farm. As Brayden drove onto the land and the barn came into view, a heavy feeling settled into the car. Tomorrow, Leah and I would forget our past lives and what little we remembered about them.
“Brayden, I remember when you were crowned king. Castiel, Axel, and Gabe picked you up and carried you around the great hall for over an hour,” Leah said.
My heart pinched at what she was doing—talking about the good memories before they were gone.
Brayden cracked a small smile. “I still remember the pies the palace chef made that day.”
I snort-laughed. Men were so food motivated.
I looked back at Castiel. “I remember your wedding to Wren, it was so beautiful,” I told him, and he looked at Leah, reaching out to stroke the top of her hand.
“It was,” he agreed.
Brayden parked the car and Leah and Castiel got out, leaving us alone.
Brayden then turned to face me, his eyes a stormy mix of orange and blue. “You remembered our wedding?”
Our wedding.My heart pinched. For the first time he was treating me like I was Lena even though none of us were one hundred percent sure who was who, and we never would be.
I nodded, tears filling my eyes.
“Kiss your wife,” I said softly, remembering how much I’d liked the demand Lena had uttered.
Brayden grinned ear to ear, reaching over to squeeze my thigh. “These memories will always have a place in my heart, but maybe this is for the best. You won’t reincarnate anymore, so I get to love this version of you forever. Make new memories with Averly. No more tattoos. No more names. Just you.”
Just me. Brayden always knew what to say to put my mind at ease.
“I love you,” I said suddenly, and it was like all of the oxygen was sucked from the car.
Brayden froze, his chest heaving as he leaned forward and cupped my face in his hands. A small smile danced at his lips. “Every life I wait for you to say it first because it means so much more.”
My heart fluttered wildly in my chest. “Why?”
