Page 26 of Harbored By My Mate
WhatdoI want to do now?
ELEVEN
Knox
I’ve faced worsethan this.I’ve been through combat and injury, losing everything I thought my life would be.
None of that compares to the quiet, suffocating fear sitting in my chest right now.Because this?This is Daisy.
She hasn’t answered me yet.The bathroom is filled with steam, the mirror fogged over, droplets of water clinging to her skin as I wrap the towel around her shoulders.My hands aren’t as steady as I want them to be.
She doesn’t miss it.Of course she doesn’t.My mate sees everything.
“You’re nervous,” she says softly.
I huff out a quiet breath, trying to play it off.“I’m not.”
She lifts an eyebrow,
“Okay, I am,” I admit, dragging a hand through my damp hair.“A little.”
That’s an understatement.My bear paces inside me, restless, anxious, waiting.Because everything comes down to this moment.
She’s free now.No more running.No more fear.No more chains holding her in place.
Which means she could leave.
The thought claws through me, sharp and brutal.
I don’t think she will.I don’t want to believe she will, but I’ve learned the hard way that wanting something doesn’t make it certain.
“I meant what I said,” I add quietly, my voice rougher than I intended.“You don’t have to stay here.You can go back.Get your life?—”
“Knox.”
My name cuts through the spiral instantly, and I look up.She’s watching me,reallywatching me, and something in her expression makes my chest tight.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she says, her eyes soft and certain.
My breath catches.“What?”
She steps closer, resting her hands on my chest over my heart.“I’m not leaving,” she says slowly and clearly, as if she needs me to understand every word.“I don’t want my old life.There’s nothing there for me anymore.”
My heart pounds as hope flickers bright and dangerous inside me.“Daisy…”
“I want this,” she continues, her voice trembling slightly.“I want you.I want us.”
I grip her hips, grounding myself in her, in reality.“You’re sure?”I ask, unable to stop myself.“Because if you stay… if you choose me… that’s it for me.There’s no going back.You’re mine, Daisy.Forever.”
Her lips curve in a soft, beautiful smile.“I know,” she whispers.“And I choose you anyway.”
Something inside me breaks, or maybe it finally settles and locks into place the way it was always meant to.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” I murmur, pulling her closer.
She smiles, sliding her arms around my neck.
“Then show me.”
