Page 53 of Foretold

Fuck it, I need to just come out with it.

I lower my voice as I tell him the truth. “I’m a seer, Rave. My mother told me never to tell anyone about it, so I didn’t. Sometimes, I get random visions and see things, flashes of the future.”

His eyes flare, and confusion and disbelief flickers in them. “A seer?” he mutters to himself, absently stroking his thumb along my jawline. “Wait! Is that why you ran from me?”

I swallow hard. “Yes, I saw a vision of you. The same one for years. I was on my knees, and you were standing over me with a crown on your head. You took my power, left me weak, and—”

“That will never happen,” he promises me, a muscle workingin his jaw. “I would sooner give up my power than leave you without.” A hint of shame passes over his expression. “Once, I did consider such a thing… before I met you.”

“The future is always changing,” I whisper, resting my hands on his chest. “That was the pathway I saw at that time. That’s why I ran. Going to you was a death sentence.”

He closes his eyes and rests his forehead on mine. “From the moment I saw you, I loved you, Astrid. I could never harm a hair on your head. You are the only person aside from Vale who is completely safe from me no matter what you do.”

“I know that now,” I admit, kissing his lips gently. “But back then, I didn’t. And clearly, neither did you since the thought had crossed your mind to take my magic for your own.”

“I’m ashamed to admit that,” he rasps, his eyes darkening. “But I only want honesty between us now. Does anyone else know about this?”

“Only August. I told him just before I met you,” I say, ignoring the darkness surrounding us. “I know how kings treat seers, Rave. Just look at Laurel. I was scared if your father found out, he’d try to use me, and—”

“You did the right thing by not telling anyone,” he admits, running his hands down my back and holding me close. “But you’re safe with me, baby. I would never use your gift if you didn’t want to. You’re incredible, you know that? There are seers, and there are healers. In the history of our realm, there has never been one who is both.”

I knew that.

As far as I am aware, I am the first.

“Just how strong is your seer gift?” he asks, studying my face.

I scoff. “Well, let’s see… I saw a vision of Vale and thought he was my child, our child, so not very.” He stills against me, the muscles in his body tightening. “I see things, but I don’t always understand them. And threads are always changing. Sosometimes, if I tell people what I see, it might cause it to change. It’s hard to explain.”

“You saw a vision of Vale and thought he was yours?” he asks, his throat working as he swallows.

I nod. “Yes, that’s why I agreed to bond with you. I thought—”

His large body trembles, and his eyes bore into mine with an intensity that makes my skin tingle. “Fucking hell, Astrid. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I whisper, resting my cheek against his shoulder.

“It’s not fucking fine,” he growls out, his eyes now pitch black. He gently lifts me off him and places me on the bed. “I need a minute.”

He disappears into a cloud of smoke, and I lay back on the silk sheets, sighing heavily. I didn’t tell him to make him feel bad, but now the truth is out there like it needs to be.

I don’t know how much time passes when Rave returns or where he went to cool off, but when he returns, he’s covered in blood and heads into the bathroom to wash up. I find him braced over the sink, naked, his eyes closed. His muscles tense and relax as he takes a deep breath, and his eyes open when I run my hand down his strong back, admiring the pure masculine perfection that is my mate.

“Are you okay?” I ask him, pressing a kiss against his spine.

He turns around, holds me tightly against him, and kisses the top of my head. “I just needed to clear my head.”

“By killing?”

He stays silent for a few moments. “Thank you for telling me your secret. I hope it goes without saying I would never use you or take advantage of your magic. My father would have wanted to. I wouldn’t have let him, but I see why you chose to keep it a secret. From now on, I want nothing else between us. It fucking kills me you shared that with August and not me. That you didn’t trust me. And after what happened with Vera and Vale, Iunderstand why. It hurts, but I fucking understand. You are my queen, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.Nothing. You hold my shadowed heart in your hands, Astrid. You thought I was going to take your power, but the truth is, you took mine. I’ll give you all that I fucking have.”

“All I want is you,” I whisper.

“No more secrets.”

I nod. “No more.”

He lifts me, and I wrap my legs around him. I feel him harden against me, but he simply holds me and carries me back to bed, tucking me against him.

---