Page 21 of His

“Who’s that?” She asks Astor.

Everyone freezes in place, shocked to hear her speak.

“She’s going to be helping us around the house, Valerie. Come on, let’s get you inside.”

Thirteen

Sabine

I’m pacing the guest bedroom like a caged animal while Astor makes Valerie tea and puts her to bed. I attempted to unpack, but when I put my shirts in the nightstand and grabbed a hanger for my panties, I realized I was far too anxious to complete even the most mundane task.

What the hell was that?

Valerie is substantially worse than I’d anticipated. Not to mention she looks extremely unhealthy. Emaciated to the point of skin and bones and when Astor carried her inside, she had this wheezing cough that sent a chill up my spine.

So far, my visit to Stone Cottage is not off to a good start. I didn’t realize how unstable Valerie was, and also what a strong reaction I’d have to seeing her—Astor’s wife.

When our eyes met, my reaction was immediate. Not fear, not unease, or guilt. It was resentment. Resentment for the woman between us.

And the feeling was mutual. Whether Valerie recognized me or not, she didn’t like my presence, that much was obvious.

Seeing him console her ignited a possessiveness inside me that I’d never felt before.

Astor is mine.

I am his.

I knew this wouldn’t work. What was I thinking?

Needing fresh air, I open the windows and look out at the ocean. I close my eyes, listening to the sound of waves crashing against the shore below. A gust of wind sweeps into the room and I get a rush over my chest, the feeling that something is about to happen.

Yes, something is happening, I think, trying to console the apprehension I feel inside. Astor and I are beginning our life together.

The bedroom door opens and I spin around, more than ready to be in Astor’s arms.

Though the stress of the evening is written all over his face, when he sees me, life sparks in his eyes and a smile crosses his lips. My heart swells.

“God, Sabine, I can’t believe you’re here,” he rushes across the room, cups my face in his hands.

I grab his wrists and nuzzle into his hands, inhaling the clean scent of him.

Love is the most powerful thing on earth. No matter the darkness that surrounds two people, if they are madly in love, they will always find the light, together. In Astor’s touch alone, my stress melts to joy.

We take a moment to just hold each other.

“Is she asleep?” I ask, pulling away.

“Yes.”

“Are Cillian and Leo gone?”

“Yes.”

“What was that about? Was that normal? Did something trigger her?”

“No. That was definitely not normal. She rarely gets out of bed, and when she does, she needs assistance.”

“Has this happened before?”

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