Page 26 of Hunting for her Heart
“A little too hot for you, still. We’ll let it cool down a bit so you don’t burn your tongue.” Bo hands Hawk some skewers, then comes to sit in front of us with his own meal.
While I stare at the cooling meat, I think about what Ronan said, that I’m allowed to speak, to ask questions. There are so many things I don’t know about this world, but one thing sticks out as the most important to ask, so I take a deep breath, lift my gaze to Ronan, and ask, “What are you going to do to me?”
Chapter Ten
Willow
“Do to you?” Ronan asks before pulling off a piece of meat, breaking it in half, and tossing it in his mouth. “It’s cool enough now,” he says, holding up the other piece to my lips.
I don’t know why they don’t think I can feed myself. Maybe they think I’m too injured? I try to take the meat from him, but he pulls it away and shakes his head at me. “No, I want to do it.” I don’t understand why he’s so insistent, but letting him feed me isn’t exactly a hardship, so I open my mouth and let him gently place the piece of meat inside.
I close my mouth and chew as a pleased smile covers his face. “Good girl.” My cheeks grow warm, and I feel another strange need inside me. But this time it’s noticeably lower than my belly. My eyes grow round in realization.
It’s my private area that’s pulsing with need!Is this desire? Do I…desireRonan?
I have no idea what to do with this new realization, and luckily, Bo distracts me from my thoughts before I can freak out about what itmeans.
“Holy shit!” he exclaims, staring at the ground behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see another patch of grass, similar to the first one he saw, but this one is twice the size and has a tiny blue wildflower growing from the center. “That definitely wasn’t there when I was sitting there,” he says in awe.
“How did it grow so fast?” Ronan asks as he reaches over to run his fingers through the soft blades.
“It must be some sort of magic.”
“Magic?” I ask in surprise as I look around the cave, wondering what other surprises could be in here.
“Yeah. I’ve never heard of a magic cave before, but anything is possible,” Bo says, as he eyes the area cautiously.
I bite my lip as a new question surfaces, and Ronan gives me a little squeeze when he notices. “Ask,” he tells me, clearly already able to read me.
“Is magic normal in this world?” I ask.
“Not normal,” he says, his lips twisting in thought. “But there are a few rare people born with magical abilities. But it tends to be looked down upon on the mainland. I’ve even heard of people being arrested for possessing magical abilities.”
That only opens up a dozen new questions, like what type of magical powers could people get? Were they dangerous? Was it hereditary or random? Do any of these three have magic?
“I can see your mind is filled with questions,” Ronan says, clearing watching me through my spiral. “But maybe we should start with your first question.” When I just stare at him, he reminds me, “You asked what we’re going to do to you.”
I nod nervously as he lifts another piece of meat to my lips and continues feeding me while he speaks.
“Earlier, I asked if you knew of fated mates, and you said you didn’t.” I nod, remembering he brought that up right before we had to flee from the pond.
“They are very rare in our world. So much so that mainlanders think it’s a myth. But in Redmere, we have never forgotten the old days, when almost everyone was graced with a fated mate. The stories of what that means, and feels like, have been passed down for generations.”
“But what are they?” I ask right before he pops another piece of meat into my mouth. I chew silently and listen intently.
“It’s when your soul has been fated to belong to another, and theirs to you. It means that you are destined to be the perfect match.”
I lick my lips as I ask for clarity, “Do you mean… in a romantic way? Like as a husband and wife?”
He nods. “Yes. Although we tend to call them mates.”
I chew on another chunk of meat as I glance at Bo, who’s staring at me with a great deal of intensity, making me glance away at Hawk. His hazel eyes bore into mine, as if trying to tell me something before he looks away.
Does one of them think I’m their fated mate? They’ve all been quite forward with me, and I don’t feel any stronger about one over the other.
“Do you understand what I’m saying?” Ronan asks, and I shake my head, needing him to spell it out for me. “You, Willow, are our fated mate.”
My jaw drops open as I stare at him with wide eyes. I mean, I sort of guessed he was going to tell me I am one of theirs, butall three.
