Page 54 of A Crown of Fates

Carefully, he leans over and slides an arm under me, holding me against his chest as he strokes my back. “I thought I was too late.”

“Never,” I promise him. “I knew you’d find me.”

He presses his lips to the side of my head, his body shaking against mine. For several minutes, we just hold each other, soaking in our nearness while the bond pulses with barely restrained power that seems to be bringing my energy back.

“Well, as fun as thisisn’tfor me, I’m going to go,” the woman says from behind me.

Theo doesn’t lighten his hold on me. “Thank you, Elyn. I owe you my life.”

Elyn?The smooth voice doesn’t sound anything like the elder wolf. But before I can figure that oddity out, a door bangs shut.

My senses begin to return to me. I can feel the softness of the mattress beneath me, the heat from my body being retained by a thick comforter, and the steadying beat of Theo’s heart, soothing any lingering worries.

He finally pulls back, and my vision is clear once again. Theo’s eyes are tense and darker than they should be even though he smiles lovingly at me. “Are you okay? Do you want something to eat or drink? Drea washed and dressed you, but I can start the shower if you want one. Or I can call for?—”

I place my hand over his, stopping him mid-ramble. “I don’t need anything other than what I have right now.” As I sit up, my head spins a little, but there’s at least no pain.

When I glance at my stomach, searching for the wound Orix inflicted, it’s nowhere to be found. “I expected there to be a scar.”

Theo’s fingers brush over the smooth skin. “Thanks to Elyn, there shouldn’t be any trace of that hell left in you, but you might still be tired. You were filled with dark energy when I got you back here. I thought it would kill you, but Elyn said that’s what was actually keeping you alive.”

Once again, I find myself indebted to that wolf and I’m not sure how I feel about that, but that’s something for me to figure out later. As my heart races, I know the only thing I need right now is Theo. Well, and maybe a few answers.

“How did you get me out of there? Did you have to fight him?” I give him a once-over, but there’s nothing of immediate concern.

“He came after us, stabbed me, but thanks to Aurora’s essence, Orix became distracted,” Theo explains. “I didn’t waste a second getting you out of there once I had the chance. I’m so sorry I let this happen to you.”

His eyes pinch closed, and I lift my hand, cupping his cheek. “This is just as much my fate as it is yours. You couldn’t have stopped this from happening even if you knew he was going to take me.”

“He wouldn’t have taken you if you weren’t my mate.” Theo’s head drops further, agony in every line of his face.

“Would you rather I wasn’t your mate then? Because that’s the only way I might’ve been safe,” I challenge, but I still let him hear my compassion.

That finally breaks his self-reproach and has him holding tightly to my arms. “There isn’t anyone else in all the worlds thatcould be more perfect for me. I just hate that you’ve been put in danger because of my choices.”

“Without those choices, good or bad, you wouldn’t be who you are right now,” I tell him sincerely, holding his stare. “That would be worse than anything else. I know I did my best to push you away and maybe even make you feel like a failure over the state of Selaris, but I see you now, Theo. You’ve always done what you thought was best, and nobody should fault you for that, least of all me.”

He takes a shuddering breath, his body shaking as he draws me close. “I thought you’d hate me for this.”

“I might have wanted to, but that had nothing to do with you and everything to do with my own fears,” I say, steady and sure. “I finally feel you, us. What we can and will be.”

Theo breathes me in, his lips grazing my neck as his shoulders drop. “I’ve been dying to hear that since the moment I sensed your arrival.”

I lean back, needing to see his face again. The strong lines of his jaw, the deep care in his eyes, and the love he exudes even when he doesn’t realize it. My strength is returning with every shared touch.

“I’d say I’m sorry that we were robbed of that moment, of us realizing at the same time that we’re mates, but I’m not.” I offer him a smile. “We’ve each been through hell in our own ways. Our story wouldn’t be ours if it was easy, and now, I can appreciate you even more.”

He blinks, his head seeming to shake with awe. “My Starlight.”

We push toward each other, my need to taste and touch my mate growing more insatiable by the second. Theo’s urgency seems to match my own as he fumbles with the buttons of my silk pajama shirt.

He nips at my neck, and his low growls send shivers down my spine, all the way to my toes and back. “Are you sure?”

I’m already tugging at his pants, but I stop to look into his eyes, holding his gaze. “I’ve only ever counted on myself. It’s been me against the world for centuries. Even with Isla, I’ve felt alone.” I place a light kiss on his lips and settle my hand over his chest. “Being in the shadow realm, I wanted to give up, but then I thought of you, and there was only peace. I knew you’d come for me, but more than that, I needed you to. Not just to survive, but so that I can finally live. You are mine, Theo Northcroft. There are no more doubts, no more waiting. It’s just me and you, now and always, if you’ll have me.”

He wraps his fingers around mine and nods. “Always. For now and every lifetime after this, it will always be us. You’ll never be alone again.”

Our mouths crash together, and even though our bond can’t technically be completed without a ceremony for the gods, our connection grows brighter with every shared touch. Our energies reach for one another with desperate need, just as our bodies do.

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