Page 515 of Once Upon a Fable

He yipped, licked me, then collapsed back into a fur puddle again.

Without even knowing it, he’d just passed the ultimate test.

I didn’t even have to be asleep for him to protect Gem against me. He’d tapped into my psyche. He understood the baseline of my happiness and recognized the flush of panic through whatever sixth sense dogs possessed.

For the first time since meeting Gemma, I fully relaxed.

I let my mindgo.

Truly,blissfullygo.

I stopped censoring my thoughts and pre-empting whispers and memories.

I let myself be fully with her, every piece of me—the broken and the mended.

Tiredness slammed into me.

A lifetime of exhaustion—decades worth of living on the edge, twitching with wariness, and bracing against future pain—finally coming to terms that it wasfinallysafe to rest.

Okay to surrender.

I was ready to let life happen instead of fighting it.

My body had been free for years.

But now...now my mind was too.

And it was all thanks to a dog who saw me.

A dog who would kill me if I ever laid a cruel finger on the girl I loved with all my glued-together, patched-up heart.

Turning Gemma until she faced away from me, I scooped her around the waist, pulled her into my body, and together...we fell into so much more than sleep.

We fell into our future.

A future we’d fought for, earned, and absolutely treasured.

A future ofus.

EPILOGUE ONE

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“EH, KAS...WHAT ARE you doing?”

Kas smiled as he ripped his blue T-shirt over his head and slipped out of his jeans. His boxer briefs were next, yanked down his legs and thrown onto the grass. “Giving you a pretty big hint.”

“A hint for...”

“Oh, I don’t know, Gem. Whatever could it be?” He narrowed his eyes at his cock. “Let me know when you figure it out.”

I fought a laugh, my heart skipping a beat. “You’re naked...in our garden.”

“I’m glad you figured out that bit at least.” He splayed his legs, his erection heavy and hard. “Figured anything else out?”

“That you should probably put some clothes on while we’re outside?”

“No one can see us.” He licked his lips. “And the wildlife don’t care. They’re naked all the time.”