Page 117 of Oathbreaker

“Well, that is enough for today,” Hunter says. He reaches out to me, helping me out of the low seat.

I lace my fingers between his, letting out a big yawn.

“Tired, baby?” Hunter asks me, pulling me into his side.

“It’s been a long day,” I reply. My body is tired down to the bones.

We stroll back into the house, and Hunter detours us into the kitchen to grab two slices of chocolate cake and two glasses of milk before heading toward our bedroom. I hold the milk; he grabs the cakes.

I toe off my shoes as soon as I hit the bedroom and put the glasses on the nightstand. Wordlessly, Hunter hands me a slice, and I dig in immediately.

He doesn’t take a bite right away. Instead, he chooses to watch me eat.

“What?” I say with a mouth full of chocolate.

“Thank you, Winter,” he says with a soft voice.

“I wish I could have given you something bigger. I’m sure you’re used to celebrating your birthday in Ibiza and hitting up Nobu.”

The side of his mouth rises in a smirk.

“Actually,” he begins, “I haven’t celebrated my birthday since my mom died.”

The cake turns thick in my mouth. Swallowing, I say, “What? What do you mean?”

He sits next to me, still not touching his cake.

“My mom was the only person who cared enough to throw me a party or even acknowledge my birthday. Ella cared, of course, but she’s younger than me, so she wouldn’t coordinate something like that.”

I put my cake plate on the bed next to us, half-eaten.

“So none of your friends ever...” I ask.

“Nah. I mean, Leo probably would have taken me out if I had ever been around him on my birthday, but I was always off somewhere else, alone.”

He blinks a few times, one-two-three, then smiles and looks down at his cake.

“I love this cake,” he says finally, taking a big bite. “Thank you for the best birthday.”

Taking in my sad face, he leans over and kisses me, the chocolate on our lips sweet on my tongue.

“Next year’s will be even better,” I whisper against his lips.

He smiles against mine. “As long as you’re with me, it will be the best every year.”

TWENTY-FOUR

HUNTER

I’m irritable.

That’s the only way to describe the persistent annoyance I feel behind my eyebrows as I look up at the radiant face of the woman currently giving me indigestion.

“Winter, I love you, but there is absolutely a less than zero percent chance that you are coming with me.”

We’re in my office, where I’m seated behind my desk, and Leo stares at the two of us with his hand over his mouth. Probably to control his laughter.

“There is so much wrong with this situation. Like why I had to hear from August that you’re planning on leaving the country for some undetermined amount of time.”

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