I tugged on my boots again and slipped outside. Godric sat in a chair a short distance away, carving wood with a little knife. His gaze flicked up to mine.
Busted.
“I’m…” My voice struggled. “Kaelric needs to see me,” I lied.
Godric rose, slid his wood project into his pocket, and walked ahead without question. He escorted me to Kaelric’s tent. The guard saw me and lifted the flap immediately. As if I was expected.
Inside, Kaelric stood near a tin firebox, warming his hands. He spun at the sound of me entering. Hope sparked in his eyes.
“If you’re here to yell at me, maybe save it for tomorrow. I don’t think I can handle it tonight,” he offered.
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
I turned, walked three steps, then spun with a grin.
His mouth popped open. “Brynn Brighton, you are truly evil for a little human.”
I walked back over to him, feeling my heart melt at his pet name for me.
“What can I say, little alpha? I’ve learned to be tough to survive.”
He winced. “Never call me little alpha again.”
I laughed, tipping my head back. He stepped forward, arms sweeping around me, lips brushing my throat.
“Creator help me, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Heat flushed my skin. I rose up, fingers gripping his biceps. “I got your letter. Did your mother teach you how to apologize, or your father?”
He grinned. “Neither. Elia did.”
I laughed. “Then I owe her a thank you.”
His expression softened. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I think old childhood wounds broke open, and I lashed out at the wrong person.”
My chest ached at his honesty. “I forgive you,” I said. And I meant it.
Love was messy. Love was flawed. Love was forgiveness. And sometimes men were just stupid.
“And I didn’t even need to get you a fig tree,” he added.
My mouth popped open. “You know that story?”
He nodded. “My father told me a dozen times growing up.”
He cupped my face and looked deep into my eyes. His gaze flickered from green to yellow. “I love you, Brynn, with everything that I have.”
I whimpered when his lips crashed against mine.
The kiss stole all thought. His arms locked around me, powerful and sure. My fingers threaded into his hair, and the world shrank to the taste of him. Warm. Wild. Familiar. He pulled me closer, and the hard planes of his chest pressed against mine. My heart raced like it wanted to leap into his ribs.
Time unraveled. His thumb brushed my jaw. His mouth moved with unguarded need. I felt dizzy, alive, unraveled. When he finally pulled back, our foreheads rested together, lips barely apart, breaths mingling.
“You undo me,” he whispered, voice rough.
I closed my eyes, savoring the warmth of him. He squeezed my hands.
“In my dreams, I make you my queen, Brynn. Have children with you. Grow old arguing on the porch in Hildreth.”
