Page 31 of A Hal for my Heart

I nodded. “Whatever you want, sweetness.”

He beamed at me as he stood in front of me in all his naked glory, my marks scattered across his body, the mark on his thigh still there from when I bit him during his heat. Pride filled my chest. Briar was truly mine. “I want to make it our home,” he said. “Bright, happy colors and lively patterns. Flowers everywhere.” His eyes sparked, and his excitement was so contagious that laughter bubbled in my chest.

“We should do that. I’d love to build a home with you.” I paused, weighing my words carefully. “But I also think you should talk to Seb and Elias.”

“About what?”

I pulled him against me, resting my forehead against his. “About the curse.” As I’d expected, he froze in my arms.

“Hal, no! I can’t.” He pulled away from me, blinking up at me.

“Briar,” I sighed.

He shook his head, curls flying. “I’m not doing it, Hal! You might be my alpha, but I won’t. They’ll just judge me. Or pity me.” I doubted he truly meant that. Seb and Elias weren’t the types to judge, and I truly couldn’t imagine them pitying him either. Compassion, yes, but never pity.

I held out my arms, and he immediately came to me, letting me embrace him. “Sweetness, some things are hard to face, painful even, but we cannot hide from them. If we do, we give away our power. And you are powerful, strong.” He didn’t say anything, just held me tighter. “Trust your friends, Briar. Trust me. No one will judge you or think any less of you. On the contrary. Seb and Elias love and respect you, and if you tell them, they’ll be able to help you.”

He sniffled. “That’s not fair,” he pouted.

“What?” I tried to hide my smile, but he was just too cute as he stood there, scowling in my arms.

“To play the trust card. When you know I trust you with my life.”

I sucked in a breath. “Briar…”

“I’m scared,” he admitted.

“I know. Things that matter are scary.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re an alpha.”

“So? Alphas get scared, too.”

“They do?” His eyes filled with wonder.

I nodded. “Of course.”

“Of what? What are you scared of, Hal?”

My chest squeezed. The truth was, there was only one thing that scared me. “Of ever losing you, Briar.”

He leaped into my arms, making us crash onto the bed. “You won’t ever lose me, Hal. Not ever.” I prayed to all the gods that he was right, because I didn’t think I could survive losing him, now that I’d finally found him. I hugged him back, locking my body around his.

“I know I don’t have anything to offer you, Briar,” I murmured against his neck. “But I’ll always be there for you. I promise.”

“You’re offering me the only thing I want, Hal. You,” he sniffled. “That’s all I want.”

“You have me.”

He pulled away from me. “Will you come with me? When I tell Seb and Elias?”

“Of course!”

He smiled carefully. “Then you can tell Seb, too.”

I frowned at him. “Tell him what?”

“That you don’t want to continue as a royal advisor.”