Page 164 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

Eventually, when the sun starts to rise, its golden beams warming my skin and chasing my nightmares away, I give up on sleep entirely and get up for the day. But as I flit around my room, too early for me to go and find the others, the whispers of dream Jacob follow me.“You left me behind.”The words echo in my mind, making me shudder as I push them away, trying to keep myself busy.

I glance over at my bag by the door. We’re going to see the wood elves today. I’d been told to pack light, that I wouldn’t need much, so I’ve only packed the essentials. Not that I own much to take with me, just a few pieces of clothing and the bangles I wear to cover the marks on my wrists.

Standing by one of the large windows in my room, I admire the beautiful view and try to calm my troubled thoughts. I’m just working through a method Eldrin taught me to center myself when a knock at the door startles me. We’re leaving early, but this is earlier than I’d been expecting. Hurrying over to the door, I open it with a frown.

“When you said we were leaving early, I hadn’t thought you meant…” I trail off with a gasp when I see who’s standing in my doorway. “Tor!” I cry, my face stretching into a smile as I grab his hand and pull him into my room. As soon as the door is shut, he throws his arms around me and pulls me in for a crushing hug. The band around my chest loosens a little bit at being pressed against him, and it takes everything in me not to just close my eyes and sink into his embrace.

“I’ve missed you, Liv.” His words are muffled, but I hear the strange name that he calls me once again.

Pulling back, I look up at him, but he keeps his hands around my waist to stop me from stepping back. “I’ve missed you too. I thought the queen was never going to let me see you again.” I mean it as a joke, but it falls flat. His happy expression changesas he hears the note of truth in my voice. But something else is bugging me, and before he can change the subject, I arch an eyebrow. “Why do you keep calling me Liv?”

He lets go of my waist at the question, and I almost regret asking, but the sudden change in his actions just proves that it was the right thing to ask. “Ah, slip of the tongue.” He smiles, shrugging it off as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Yes, the queen keeps finding important things that I must do.” He rolls his eyes, which makes me smile. “She doesn’t technically know that I’m here, so it might be best to keep this between the two of us.”

“Of course,” I agree with a slight nod. I assumed the queen didn’t known about this little meeting based on how early it is. “And not that I don’t want to see you, but why areyou here?”

“To see you.” He rolls his eyes again like the answer is obvious. “You know I came here for you. Being an ambassador isn’t really my idea of a good time, Clarissa, and this is the only way I get to see you.” He steps forward now, closing the distance between us, his hand reaching up to gently brush against my cheek. “Besides, I heard you’re leaving to go to the wood elves, and I wanted to see you before you went.”

“Wait, that was supposed to be a secret. How did you know?”

Tor smiles at my surprised outrage. “Ah, the queen trusts me, she told me you were going,” he explains, but something still feels off, and his expression turns serious. “I have something I have to tell you first.”

“What is it?” I inquire cautiously, suddenly anxious at his sudden change of demeanour. The only time I’ve ever seen him like this was when he caused a distraction at the castle to help me escape, when he asked me to go with him.

“You are so much more important than you think,” he says softly, almost reverently, as he looks down at my confused face.“I know you have feelings for the elf, I know about your bond with him.”

Thoughts spinning, I suddenly feel sick. What does he mean?

“The bond with the elf formed in Arhaven, but you didn’t have feelings for him then. Something has changed, and I can see those feelings developing.” He already knows about my connections with Vaeril and Grayson, but my first reaction is to deny or justify it, but Tor holds up his hand to stop me. “It’s okay, because I know you have a connection with me too.” His statement floors me, and I just stare dumbly at him with no idea how to reply. He says it so confidently, and I know he fully believes in it.

“How—what…” I trail off as my words all mash together while I gape at him.

“In my culture, in rare situations, the gods bless two people who are going to do great things for their tribe. Those people are linked together, as they will be critical in helping the other complete the destiny planned for them by the gods,” he explains, watching my face carefully for my reaction. “The connection doesn’t snap into place until you’re eighteen, and it lies dormant until you see your destined partner.”

Another fated connection. How is this possible? Why did their gods see fit to bind us together when I’m not even from the tribes?

“But, how…?” I shake my head, as if the movement could rearrange my thoughts into something that makes sense. A little part of me whispers that it must be okay for me to have feelings for the two of them because of the bonds.I can’t be a slut if the gods have willed it that way. Pushing those thoughts deepdown and refusing to think about them right now, I take a deep breath as I try to focus.

I feel like he’s kicked me in the stomach. Do I have feelings for Vaeril? Sure, we’re friends, and we’ve got an attraction.Images flash through my mind of when we first arrived here and we almost had sex, my cheeks flushing red. There’s no denying that there’s a physical chemistry between us, but love? Could I ever love an elf?You’re part elf now, you can’t think that way,my thoughts chide, and I realise I’m right. Race aside, can I see myself with him? The answer comes to me quickly, but I shove it away. How much of what I feel is because of the bond? Am I being ruled purely by some spiritual connection decided by the goddess? Do I have any free will and choice in this matter?

Tor shifts in front of me, pulling my attention back to him. Does anyone else know about this? Am I that obvious? No, no one else has said anything, Tor is just really observant. He just seems toknowthings about people, things that others couldn’t possibly know. Most people see Vaeril and me, hear we are mated, and assume we are a couple, but they have no idea about my connection with Tor and nothing about Grayson. The only person who seems to suspect is the queen, and she is already a threat.

I still haven’t fully sorted out my feelings for the three of them, only knowing that I’m pulled to them and we have a connection I can’t ignore. Could I pick one of them over the other? My chest tightens at the thought.

Sensing my distress, Tor reaches out and shakes me slightly until I meet his gaze. “Look, Clarissa, I don’t care. As long as I can be with you, I don’t care if I have to share you. Even being a small part of your life is better than not being in it at all.”

I stare at him. It takes me a few seconds to process what he just said. How can this be? How can I be so lucky to have a connection to someone so…understanding?It won’t last. When it comes down to it, jealousy will get in the way and they’ll make you choose,my inner voice warns. I have so little experience with any of this, and it seems too good to be true. I’ve been alone for as long as I can remember, and now I’mconnected to three guys. Reaching up, I rub at the place where my bonds sit in my chest. The ache, while not particularly painful, is distracting.

Examining his face, I see that it’s open, and I know he’ll answer any questions I have. “How do these connections work? Is it like the elves’ fated mates?”

“It’s similar,” he starts with a small frown. “Not everyone gets…involved, and it doesn’t have to be a romantic partnership.” He looks like he wishes he didn’t say that, but I appreciate that he’s telling me the truth. “We’re connected for a reason, Clarissa. We need each other.”

The goddess has chosen me for an unknown purpose, and I feel completely overwhelmed at that prospect. I knew the Great Mother had a plan for me, but now some unidentified gods from a different religion are involved in my fate? I can’t get my head around it.

I should probably tell him how overwhelmed I feel, that the gods must have chosen wrong, but when I open my mouth to speak, something else comes out. “I don’t know how Vaeril is going to feel about all this.”

That’s a lie, I know exactly how he’s going to react. He’s going to snarl and be possessive and deny it all. A part of me is thrilled at the prospect, but again, I push those thoughts away.Not helpful, brain.

Tor grins now, as if he can read my mind, relishing the thought of a challenge. “We’ll deal with that when it comes to it, for now, I just want to spend time with you.” Lowering his head, he moves towards me slowly, giving me time to pull away from what I know is about to happen. I don’t move, however, instead keeping completely still until his lips press against mine. Melting into his embrace, I raise my arms and tighten my hold around his neck, returning his kiss. It’s unhurried and confident, and the taste of him on my tongue makes me moan into his mouth.His hands move from my waist, sliding down until they’re cupping my ass, and my desire overtakes all of my reservations.

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