Page 28 of Their Fated Magic

His head lowers, and we kiss. A soft kiss. A kiss meant to show the way he cares.

I think I’m in love.

Our kiss breaks. His expression is absolutely tender. “Tara, my heart is full with you.”

I feel my defenses fall away. Really fall away. For the first time since he and the wolves fought over me. Since he’s been working so hard to build back my trust. “I feel the same way.”

Suddenly, the light streaming above us darkens, and my head jerks up. The princes’ faces appear in the hole above us, staring down with concern. My logical mind feels a wave of relief. They know we’re down here now.

“What the hell is going on?” Drogo yells.

“Are you all right?” Arlys calls down.

“Are either of you hurt?” Rinan adds, concern in his voice.

And it’s strange. The wolves really do seem concerned. For a second, my heart softens to them. My mind plays a hundred little moments with them that I thought really meant something. And then I remember the truth: without me there’s no cure. They’re concerned, but not about me.

Finding my voice, I try not to sound as disappointed as I feel. “I’m fine. Garrick protected me when we fell through the earth.” Then I glance around the darkness. “But what the hell do we do now?”

To my surprise, Garrick answers, “I think there are tunnels all around us. Tara and I are going to try to find a way out.”

I never would have thought of that. I’m lucky that my… husband is a smart guy who seems to know a lot about the world. I’ve never seen myself as someone who needs protecting, but maybe everyone needs that sometimes. Maybe that’s okay too.

“We’ll look for the entrance up here,” Rinan calls down.

“But be careful in the tunnels,” Arlys says. “You have no idea if they’ll take you deeper into the mountain or lead you out.”

“Don’t worry, I have a good nose for this,” Garrick tells him confidently.

“You better, bear,” Drogo says, but for once there’s no malice in his voice. Just hope.

Then they all disappear, and Garrick and I are left alone in the dark hole. My gaze finds him, my nerves fluttering, but he doesn’t look concerned in the least bit. His head is held high. His shoulders are lifted. He looks every bit the confident prince of the bears.

“Ready?” Garrick asks, reaching for my hand.

Am I ready? I pat more dirt off my shoulders and legs, then take his hand. He holds me tightly in a way that makes me feel safe. How is it that I always feel safe with him?

We start moving through the tunnel. It’s dim, but there’s enough light from where we fell through, and random places above us, that we’re not lost in total darkness. Even still, we go carefully. Him in front, holding my hand and leading me in a way that makes me feel taken care of.

“This was unexpected,” Garrick says, glancing back at me with a smile. “But I like having you all to myself, even if we’re trapped underground and don’t know how to get out.”

I laugh. He’s right though. The two of us together feels natural and right. I can be myself around him, and I’m not worried that he’s going to jump in my face yelling or accuse me of lying or working against him. There’s a… trust, and affection, that I’ve never felt before.

And I like it.

“Having you all to myself is a girl’s dream come true,” I say, squeezing his hand.

“Yeah?” His smile turns a little cocky.

“Yeah,” I say, unable to stop grinning.

“I like knowing I’m your dream guy, since you’re my wife. Although having you look at me like that might give me an ego.”

“I doubt that.” And I do. He’s just too genuine for an ego.

We’re quiet for a minute as we continue through dimly-lit twisted tunnels. At any other time, I’d be scared, but not with him. This feels less like a dangerous exploration and more like a date.

“Tell me what your ideal day would be,” he asks, as we turn another corner.

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