Page 49 of Monster's Reward

Perhaps I should offer to leave the Academy to keep everyone safe, but this was literally the only home I’d ever really known and I wasn’t willing to give it up.

Not until I had to anyway.

I returned to our room that evening and crawled into Jahrdran’s arms.

We lay beneath my bed in silence as we had for the majority of the semester while I gathered my thoughts.

“You need to let go of the guilt and the shame,” I said softly into the dark, safely wrapped in his arms, my head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. “You’re not to blame for what your ancestors did. Let go of the guilt and shame and I’ll let go of my anger and my bitterness.”

“How can you even offer that?” His voice was gravelly and rough. “Youshouldbe angry and bitter. Your people were slaughtered for no reason. Andmypeople did it.”

“Because my anger and bitterness will destroy me if I’m not careful. Worse, they’ll destroy usandour mate bond. So I have to let them go—for me, for you, forus.

“I’m begging you, Jahrdran. Please, do the same.”

He shook in my arms. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Of course, you can.” I leaned up to stare into his eyes. I cradled his cheeks in the palms of my hand and rested my forehead against his. “I’m here with you, loving you,needingyou. To be here in the moment with me, Jahrdran, all you have to do islet them go.”

He shook his head, shoulders shaking as a tear slid from one gorgeous, blue eye.

I caught the tear with my finger, smoothing it away, then kissed his cheek, his jawline, his lips.

“I love you, Jahrdran,” I murmured against his lips. “Love me enough to let it go.”

His arms wrapped around me in a compulsive move and he buried his face in my neck.

I rolled us over so that he was on top, then cradled him close as my sweet monster mate broke into a million pieces in my arms, then allowed me to put him back together again.

When the storm had passed, he lifted his head to stare in my eyes again. “Can you really forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Jahrdran. Unless, of course, we’re talking about how you rejected me—not once, but twice, mind you—then, well.” I shrugged and grinned up at him. “I have to think about it.”

He chuckled, the sound and vibration of it rumbling through me, then sobered. “You joke, but I truly am sorry, my love.” He leaned down and kissed me slowly. “You’re everything to me and you cannot imagine the strength of will it took to walk away, but I just couldn’t trust that I wouldn’t give in to the oath at any moment and kill the one I loved more than life itself.”

I blinked back tears, stunned.

It had never really occurred to me that he was rejecting me to protect me, but it should have. A tiny, still hurt piece of me began to heal in that moment. “I love you, Jahrdran.”

“Ah, sweet Kasi mine. I love you, too, and I am grateful every single day that the fates believed I deserved a mate such as you.” He captured my lips in a searing kiss, then murmured against my lips. “I cannot imagine what I did to earn such an exquisite reward, but I am truly blessed.”

“I’m your reward, am I?”

“You are.”

I shook my head. “I think you have it backward. After all the loneliness and sorrow, after being left alone for so long, the last of my people in an unkind world, I thinkyouaremyreward.”

“Perhaps, my love, we shall be each other’s.”

I smiled up at him. “I like that. Very much. Now claim me. Claim me again, so all will know that I am yours and you are mine and nothing will tear us apart ever again.”

“Kasi,” he rumbled, then took my lips in a kiss so scorching hot, every thought was obliterated as heat rolled over us in a massive wave.

We clutched at each other, struggling to remove our clothes and get closer, skin-to-skin.

We rolled ourselves from beneath my bed right into the shadow realm, where the shadows enveloped us, blanketing our bodies in joyous welcome.

Shadow came bounding out of the dark and bounced around us happily a couple times, making me giggle and Jahrdran let out a rumble of impatience.

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