Page 13 of Final Shift
“Mmm.” I touched his face. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
He blinked in surprise. A small smile lifted the edge of his lips. “Bears are stubborn. We don’t give up until there’s zero chance of winning.”
He cupped my chin. “I would have stayed by your side until the bitter end, Evie. Even if you had chosen against me.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Well,” I said shakily, “it got real close for a while, didn’t it?”
“I knew you’d walk away from him. You’re too smart not to. Whether you’d open your heart to me was another matter entirely.”
He was right. I kept trying to talk myself out of loving him, convinced we were moving too fast, that I was somehow betraying Caelan.
The truth was love never waited for the right time, but it wouldn’t wait around forever. Rowan would have eventually left me if I hadn’t given in to my feelings, and he would have been well within his rights to do so.
He was way too much of a catch to wait around for me to get my shit together.
Instead, he’d given me the time I needed, even if the fae bond between us hadn’t been so patient.
“How are you feeling?” I asked as I curled into his chest. The bond had made us both feral for each other and showed no signs of stopping. I wasn’t worried about that so much as the strange way our bonds had solidified. Rowan knew I was his mate long before I did, but once the shifter bond began to form, the fae one followed soon after. When we decided to be together no matter what may come, those bonds had melded into one and came with some surprising side effects. Nothing major, yet, but Rowan’s innate magic had tripled in strength, and he was showing some signs of pulling on my Chimera magic.
I, on the other hand, had an overwhelming urge to eat all the time. Much like the bear I was snuggled against.
He brought his arms around me and rested his chin on top of my head.
“You worry wart,” he said affectionately. “I’m fine.”
“You’d tell me if you weren’t?”
He chuckled. “You’d know. Our bond does not allow us to lie to each other.” He paused. “Not well anyway. We will know when something is wrong with the other.” He shifted. “Look inside and tell me what you see?”
I sighed and laid my hand on his chest. The moment I closed my eyes and focused, the bond came into view. A few monthsago, I could not see our mating bond, but Mom had been giving me lessons. Now I could do things I’d only once dreamed of.
The shifter and fae bonds had melded together in a knot of silver, gold, and watermelon tourmaline. Resting in the center of both our chests, the bond pulsed with life, content and rested. No sign of distress or illness. Rowan’s heart beat strong beneath my palm, his breath steady and even.
“Fine,” I huffed. “You gotta admit it’s weird.”
“Everything about us is weird.”
I snorted. “And how do you feel about the crown?”
Rowan shrugged. “Same way you do, I suppose. Not something I’m thrilled about, but I wasn’t keen on becoming a Lord, either. Duty always sits upon weary shoulders, Evie. You and I will be good rulers when the time comes. We've already proven such.”
Mom and Dad were having a tough time ceding power, and Rowan and I didn’t give a whit. We’d happily be the figureheads for as long as they wanted.
“I don't know many of the fae, but the ones I've dealt with haven't impressed me much.”
“Mmm. Yes. They have tried to kill you on occasion.”
“Tough way to start a new job.”
Rowan huffed a laugh. “Don't expect a Happy Boss's Day fruit basket any time soon.”
A smile tugged at my lips as a confession pushed up from my heart. Rowan wouldn't judge me, but I still felt guilty every time I thought about what I'd done, as if I realized in the deepest recesses of my mind that things were beginning to fall apart. “When everything first started going wrong with Caelan, I seeded his land with the poison plants I made while I was recovering at Hazel's house.”
Rowan stilled. “How many?”
I didn't say anything for a long moment. “Do you really want to know?”
His chuckle held a wicked edge. “Actually…” His voice trailed off. “No. Surprise me, wife.”
