“He’s the one, isn’t he?” Vanessa doesn’t phrase it as a question.
“They’re all the one. That’s the whole point.”
“No, I mean—” She waves a hand. “He’s the one who sees you the clearest. The one who already knows what you’re going to need before you do.”
I don’t answer. Because she’s right. He is the one.
“That’s the scariest one,” Pepper says quietly. Not looking at me. Looking at the sky. “The one who knows you. The others can fight for you. Bleed for you. But the one who knows you?” She picks a piece of clover and rolls it between her fingers. “That’s the one who can actually hurt you.”
A flutter of nervous energy bubbles in my chest. All teeth and hardness.
I want to argue. I want to say they all know me and none of them would hurt me and it’s different from what you think.
But Pepper has five mates. She’s not speaking from theory. She’s speaking from scar tissue.
“We should go meet them,” Sabina says, pushing herself up. “Before the brooding one actually manifests an ice storm. I can feel the temperature dropping from here.”
I sit up. Brush clover from my hair—the silver-pink strands that still catch me off guard when I see them in my peripheral vision.
“Pepper.” I say her name and nothing else.
She looks at me. Full on. Grey eyes without armor for exactly two seconds.
“I’m here, Ash.” She stands, brushes off her jeans, then offers me her hand. “I showed up. Don’t make me regret it.”
I take her hand. Let her pull me to my feet.
It’s not forgiveness. It’s not the light left on.
But it’s her hand in mine, and right now that’s everything.
50
Ash
This is goingto be a disaster.
I know it the way I know ambush weather. The air changes before the first shot.
We walk across the clover toward the tavern and the bonds at my wrist go tight. Silver-blue sharp enough to sting. Gold warm against my pulse. Orange pulling like a hand on my sleeve.
Here goes nothing.
It’s fine, everything is fine. Just my family meeting the Fae I’ve already bonded to for my very long, very immortal life.
Kieran stands in the doorway. Arms crossed. He’s already taken in my cousins, head to toe. His face gives nothing away, but I know the way his mind works.
Too quickly. Too sharp.
Orion leans against the wall beside him. Just casually appearing unreasonably large. His amber gaze finds mine and doesn’t let go.
Finnian still sits on the bench. Legs crossed. A book open on his knee that he’s definitely not reading.
“Oh,” Vanessa says. “Oh, they’re pretty.”
“Nessy.” My cheeks go red. They burn—which is interesting, because it’s the first time I’ve been embarrassed around them.
It’s fine. Everything is fine.
