“Smartass.” I squeal when he tickles my side. “I stayed with Dean after that. Less than a month later, he got my father to announce he was stepping down. When the council started asking questions, my father said I was ready. That he had taught me more than enough.”
I snort. “I highly doubt that.”
“In some ways, he wasn’t wrong. I’d been running things behind the curtains since I was eleven, while my father did Fates know what with all his free time.”
“It sounds like he didn’t want the title.”
“Oh, he wanted the title, but not the pressure or the work. My parents wanted to travel the realms and be free of everything that held them back. Including me. It actually worked out perfectly for them.”
“It’s still strange your father didn’t put up more of a fight.”
Angel tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his brow creasing in thought. “Dean would never admit to it, but I think he threatened my father to step down.”
“If he did, then I owe Papa a big thank you. You deserve that title and the respect.” I drop my voice to a whisper. “Are you sure you don’t want me toaccidentallykill your parents?”
Angel snorts and chooses to ignore my offer. “Anyway… that’s how I ended up taking over Conquer at seventeen. Dean helped me move into the Horsemen castle soon after that.”
Angel sits up, steadying me by the waist until I’m straddling him, my thighs on either side of his hips. I don’t even realize I’m still staring at him with my head on his shoulder until he brushes a chaste kiss on my lips.
My mate certainly knows how to face his challenges and mold them into something that makes him happy. I admire his ability to always see the brighter side.I could never. But I love that about him.
I cup his warm cheeks in my cold hands, trying to break free from the spell his sparkling green eyes always bind me in. My mind plays every lie his parents fed him, and I hope one day he’ll see just how wrong they were.
“Your parents don’t know what they lost.” I kiss his lips twice before pulling back to meet his gaze. “You’re more than enough, Angel. You’re so good to me, to our little boy, to the family you created. You make me want to be better, to find ways to make you even half as happy as you make us.”
His hands dip under my sweatshirt, and I groan internally.How are his hands still warm when I’m freezing, even with his heat wrapped around me?
“I’m grateful you found me that night. I didn’t think anyone would ever want this… damaged version of me, but you didn’t even flinch. You accepted me. Happily embraced all that I am.”
Angel tightens his grip on my waist and pulls me closer. “Don’t you dare talk about yourself like that. You’re not damaged, Nevaeh. Not even close. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met.A survivor.” He kisses me gently, and my heart swells with the depth of it. “I’m proud to be your mate. Proud ofeverythingyou are.”
I bury my face in his neck, fighting the lump in my throat. No matter what he says, I know Angel lost the lottery when it comes to mates. But he never makes me think I’m less for my shortcomings. He never stops giving me his all.
And I know it’s not just the mate bond that makes me feel so safe, it’shim.
Angel makes my happiness his mission every single day. He catches my triggers before they explode, feeds me by hand on days I forget I now have access to food, and fights my nightmares so I can sleep better, even at the cost of his rest.
I never thought I’d be able to do this, but the slow burn of my mate’s warmth and care spreading in my chest is giving me the courage to tell him my truth. I want him to know my scars.
“Can I tell you what happened?”
Angel tenses behind me. “You don’t have to do that. I know how much you want to bury your past and never look back. Don’t open your scars for me, sweetheart. I don’t need to see them to love them.”
The wall I spent years building around my heart crumbles to dust.
I want him to know. I don’t want him to spend the rest of our lives wondering why I can’t sleep through the night, why my balance is shit even on my best days, or why he has to fuss over me not eating enough all the time.
“I want to get it off my chest. It’s selfish, really. I want youto know why I am the way I am. I know I’ll never talk about it with anyone else, but if I can tellyou, then at least one person in my new world will always understand me, even if everyone else thinks I’m crazy.”
I know Angel is considerate enough that he’d rather be clueless forever than risk upsetting me by asking about my nightmares.
When I hesitate, Angel gently turns me so I’m sitting between his thighs with my back against his chest. His arms wrap around me protectively as he presses his cheek against mine. “Look up, sweetheart. Watch the stars you love and let it all out. Don’t worry about anything else.Just lean on me, baby.”
The mess in my head calms down, and I do what he asked. I lean on him.
“Promise you won’t run away after I tell you everything?”
I’m mostly joking. Maybe.
