Page 253 of Psycho Beasts

“Anything,” he repeated.

I swallowed thickly. He’d thrown himself face first off a platform in the fae realm to cushion my fall with his body.

“I know, Ascher. You’ve shown me.”

The big man fell to his knees in front of me, his tattooed biceps lying on either side of the toilet as he caged me in.

Intoxicating pine filled my nose.

Ascher said, “I know I’ve fucked up in the past, and I have some anger issues, but I would go to the ends of the earth for you, Sadie.”

He swallowed thickly, flames leaping across his throat. “You’re my everything,” he said as he dragged a colorful knuckle across my lips.

The man who was closest to my age, who’d already killed hundreds of people, trembled before me.

“I love you, Princess,” Ascher whispered as he leaned his head forward so our foreheads touched.

He inhaled deeply, and his voice broke. “I love you so fucking much it terrifies me. I don’t know how to fucking take care of someone. Don’t know how to be something for anybody. But I want to be someone for you.”

I held my breath as a buzzing sensation spread across my chest.

“Princess, I want to take care of you. I want to love you.”

I exhaled shakily. “I love you too, Ascher. I want to take care of you too.”

Ascher grabbed my face and slammed his warm lips against mine, consuming me with his mouth until all I knew was the heady scent of pine.

He pulled back. “Even if you have crazy fucking friends.”

I chuckled and punched him in the arm weakly. His hands on my face were the only things keeping me sitting upright as exhaustion pummeled through me.

“Please, don’t mind me,” Aran drawled. “Should we all do celebratory anal now that we’ve established we all love each other?”

Ascher chuckled as I groaned with embarrassment.

Why was she like this?

“No, please continue,” Aran said. “I only puked in my mouth six times.” She lowered her voice in a mockery of Ascher’s. “Oh, baby, I love you so much I just wanna protect you and have your babies and be a little bitch for you.”

“Oh, fuck off. You’re just jealous,” Ascher said as he rolled his eyes at her.

Aran continued, “Is he always this sappy? I’ve literally never been so embarrassed for someone in my entire life. Did you plan that speech beforehand, because if so, I’m ashamed for you, man. You should have come to me first.”

“All right, I’m leaving,” Ascher said as he stood up and looked down at me. “Are you sure you’re okay, Princess?”

The corners of his mouth pulled up in the cutest little smile, like he was still buzzing from telling me he loved me.

Sun god, he was adorable.

Six feet, five inches of tattoos, muscles, and sweetness.

I grinned back at him, then rolled my eyes dramatically. “We’re fine. I’m not some weak woman that’s going to collapse as soon as the men leave.” I pushed my shoulders back and projected competence. “Go get ready. We don’t have time.”

With furrowed brows, Ascher backed out of the bathroom, eyes on my face as he waited for me to ask for help.

“Love you,” he said softly, a red tint staining the tops of his golden cheeks, before he turned around and hurried away.

My heart soared as my body gave out on me at the same time. I slumped forward, exhaustion hammering through me.

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