Page 214 of The Defiant Curse

And he meant that.

Even if he hadn’t been told he was no longer the Shaman if he chose the white world, he still would have run with her.

Finally, she spoke.

“Know what’s annoying?”

He waited.

“Being married to a shrink because you’re absolutely right,” she stated.

He laughed.

“Oh, trust me. I know that it’s annoying. I irritate myself sometimes when I talk to myself.”

Elizabeth said nothing.

“Decide, Elizabeth. What do you need from me?” he asked.

She laid it all out for him, trusting that Ethan would hold her up now that she couldn’t do it herself. Like with last night, she sat on his shoulders and he’d not dropped her.

“I need you to stay with me until I figure all of this out. I’m asking you to put me first, over your people, over our jobs, over everything. After almost sixteen years of being the Raven, I need you to tag in and help me fight this because I can’t do it myself. I’ve lost me.”

And there it was.

Trust.

Faith.

Respect.

Gently, he kissed her on the forehead, and Ethan was grateful she understood what he had been asking.

“Okay. So, we stay until you feel up to going back. What else do you need?”

She was surprised it was that easy.

“I think I need a big cup of coffee, and something to eat. I’m hungry today. I want to eat. I’m getting too old to run on anxiety and stress. For once, I want to eat food, not run, and not have to worry about kicking anyone’s ass.”

Well, that sounded like a vacation to him. Could his workaholic wife have finally realized what one of those was?

God.

He hoped so.

With tenderness, he kissed her softly on the lips.

“Well, let’s go get something to eat and enjoy our vacation together,” he said.

That worked for her. Honestly, this had all been so easy, and he was grateful, too.

Elizabeth stretched.

“I’m going to shower,” she said. “Had someone awoken me before, we could have done that together,” she stated, rolling out of bed and heading there. “Next time, wake me, Ethan.”

Oh, he would.

Bet.