Page 98 of The Healer

She nodded, slipped from his arms, and hurried to their bedroom. “Want me to bring your boots?”

“Please.” He grinned and succumbed to an air fist pump. She wasn’t leaving him.

Chapter Thirty-One

REVELATIONS

“Justusingthebathroom.”Ilona shut the bathroom door and slid down it. Her mind reeled, while her heart leaped and danced. She couldn’t focus on any of the revelations from the past hour.

“Fuck me, James, Evie,” she whispered as soon as her friend answered the call. “I’m his mate, I’m a bear, and he loves me.”

“Oh.” Squealing followed then halted. “Wait, what?”

Tidal waves of emotion crashed against Ilona’s heart, only to recede and another to form. Air was scarce, and she struggled to inhale without asphyxiating herself. “I’ll text you the details. I don’t know how I feel about this.”

“Which part, girl?”

“I love him,” Ilona smiled, “so only two out of three to deal with.”

“And love conquers all, or they wouldn’t sing about it all the damn time. So, which one is the worst of the two remaining? Becoming a shifter or that you’re his mate?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, figure it out. As a shifter, we have access to your blood without needing to ask permission. Wacky doctor tests on herself. That ain’t news.” Evie bit into something crunchy and chewed.

“Apparently, becoming an animal is super painful.” Ilona stroked her scar and rested her hand over her thumping heart.

“So? Like women don’t give birth and live to tell the tale. Is it the mating thing? Did he go on one knee? What’s the story?”

Trust Evie to dumb it down, which was why Ilona had called her. If anyone could help her see reason, it was her bestie.

“He didn’t ask, just lost control…um…during sex, and made the mating permanent.” Ilona bit her lip. “Part of me is on cloud nine that he loves me, has married me. The other part wants to crawl in a hole and hide.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose and sighed. “I should be pissed, right?”

“You’re asking me? Honey, I’m still trying to date Eric. What if I wrestle him to the floor and chloroform him? In which country is that legal?”

Ilona chuckled. “Well, you could move here and choose a shifter yourself. If that’s possible, I mean, with you being human.” She frowned. How had they gotten onto Evie’s rollercoaster love life?

Rhys called her name, and Ilona whispered, “I’ve got to go. I’ll text later.” She scrambled off the floor and used the toilet because she did need to. While washing her hands, he rapped on the door. “I’m done.”

With two fingers, he pushed the door open and leaned against the frame. “You okay?”

She bit her lip. Lying wouldn’t solve anything, but how could she put into words the pendulum swing of her emotions. “I don’t know. I love that you love me, Rhys. Just…all the other stuff.”

He tugged her against him, and his strength soaked into her limbs. Sighing, she snuggled deeper, almost feeling as if she had come home. “Did you want the grand gestures, the rings, the white wedding? Anything for you, Lona-love.”

“A proposal would have been nice.” She titled her head to rest her chin on his chest. He dipped to kiss her, a brushing of his lips across hers, nothing more. “Gran might insist on a wedding.”

He tucked a curl behind her ear, stroked her jaw, and pinched her chin, holding her still for another kiss. “She might ask for a double wedding.”

Ilona laughed. “Oh, no, let’s not do that.”

“We’ll have the best cake.”

She groaned. “I’d love a slice of cake.”

“Or apple pie?” He released her to cup her cheeks, holding her still for one of his devasting kisses, deep, penetrative, thorough, snatching her breath again. “I love you, Lona.”

She smiled. “You’re just lucky I love you too. I should be losing my shit here.”

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