“Don’t be. I’m the bloody idiot who went and fell for you. This was supposed to be fake, and I went and blew everything out of proportion.”
Gunnar shakes his head and closes the distance. He hooks a finger under my chin and makes me look up at him. He presses his trembling lips into a thin line. “You’re not an idiot.”
His touch feels so good, I can’t help leaning forward, resting my forehead against his shoulder. “Would you just stop being sweet and nice and break my heart already?”
“Break your heart?” He sounds bewildered.
“You took the potion.” I choke out the words into his shoulder. “You don’t need a mate, not anymore. You can keep your sanity and your promise to Leif. So what do you need with me anymore?”
He tenses against me, fingers tightening around my biceps. His chest shudders on a deep inhale, touching mine. “And what if I need you anyway?”
Hope surges through me faster than I can tamp it down. I rub my wet eyes against his fur cloak before I look up. “Why would you? Your berserker is calm, so you don’t need a mate.”
Gunnar leans in and touches his forehead to mine, his shaky exhale warm against my skin. “I already have the mate Iwant, Arlo. It’s you. It’s been you since I first saw you.”
My heart skitters to a stop and restarts, thundering wildly in my chest.
Big, warm hands frame my face. Gunnar’s eyes are wet, but he holds my gaze, not bothering to hide his emotions. At least I’m not the only one about to be a blubbering mess. “There’s no competition, Lo. I loved Leif. I always will. But there’s room in my heart to hold his memory and everything I feel for you.”
I arch a brow and try for a cocky smile. “Which is? Go on.”
He laughs softly, the sound so sweet it melts my heart into a puddle of goo.
“I’m in love with you, Arlo. I’ve been in love with you since I caught you in my arms that first day we met.” Gunnar smiles, and I can see the weight that falls from his shoulders, one he’s been carrying for so long. His eyes light up, and his smile makes him look years younger. If there ever were a physical manifestation of everything I feel for him, the way Gunnar’s looking at me now would be it.
“Gods, I want you. I want to marry you, and claim you, and wake up next to you every day for the rest of our lives. And I really, really want to kiss you right now.”
A laugh tumbles out of me, and I wipe away a stupid happy tear before it can spill down my cheek. “Are you waiting for an invitation?”
His smile widens, crinkling the corners of his eyes as his lips take mine. Everything that was broken up inside me when he left this morning falls back into place.
“I love you, too,” I whisper against his mouth, and goddess, it feels so good to finally tell him how I truly feel.
Gunnar nuzzles his forehead against mine. “Think I love you more.”
I slap his shoulder. “You do not.” My face hurts from how hard I’m smiling.
Gunnar brushes his mouth against my ear. “How about I stop telling you how much I love you and show you instead, aye?”
Leaning in, I press my lips to his. “I think that’s the best idea I’ve ever heard, stud.”
Gunnar leads me away from the village and up a mountain trail. Just when the cold is setting in, a cabin comes into view between the trees. “I didn’t know you had another home outside the village.” I slip my hand into his as we walk. My stomach keeps doing flips, and my heart is trying to climb out of my throat.
“I built it myself so I would have somewhere to go when the berserker rage crept up on me.”
His admission gives me another perspective on the quaint cabin. I wonder if Gunnar had looked out of the window, yearning for the outside world. How had it felt to be lost in his berserker rage with his family only minutes away? I tighten my grip on his hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“But you must have been lonely. Scared.” Does this cabin hold any good memories for him?
Gunnar shrugs. “Sometimes, aye.” He digs into his pocket and retrieves a key. “But I’m not anymore. You’re here, and we’re going to make good memories here.”
He becomes a bit blurry through my watery eyes. This man has many skills, but finding new ways to melt my heart is one of his specialties.
The door opens, welcoming us into a small and cozy space. The walls are decorated with mounted reindeer heads, and what looks like a bear pelt rests before an ashy hearth. There is no sign of any cookware, not even a cauldron or two. I suppose Gunnar did all his eating and hunting in wolf form.
“Are you cold?” Gunnar wraps his arms around me and pulls me back against his chest. His body is big and warm, and I melt into him with a sigh.
