Page 81 of Devoted to the Dragon

“This isn’t on you. Maybe we both made mistakes out of fear.” He braces himself against the tree and pushes off, stumbling to the barrier. His palm lines up with mine, but our touch is blocked by an invisible wall. “You scare the shit out ofme too. I don’t know how to be good at anything. But I want to be good at loving you. I’m sorry?—”

“No. Don’t apologize. Not anymore. You’re right. We’ve both made mistakes.” My voice wobbles. “What if we start over?”

His violet eyes flash. “No.”

I look away, knowing I deserve that. I’m ready to forgive Knox, ready to be brave and give us a chance, but maybe I’m too late.

“I refuse to give up any of my moments with you,” he hisses, the sound of the serpent’s rattle adamant and unyielding. “I accept what I’ve done. I won’t erase it.”

I bit my lower lip, holding back tears. “Then can you forgive me too? Can we find a way?—”

The smoke thickens, and I know what that means, but I’m not ready.

“Knox!” I cry out, but I can’t see him in the dense fog. “Wait! Don’t go?—”

The wind whispers, but I can’t make out the words.

Chapter 39

Gunnar

Ipace by the bedroom door, my heart pounding. On the next pass, I peek my head inside. Randi is on the far side of her bedroom, huddled on the floor, rearranging blankets. She keeps making these growling sounds of frustration, tearing her work apart, and starting over.

“Beautiful?” I take a tentative step inside. “Let me help you.”

She lifts her head, sees me, and hisses, sending out a tiny blast of blue fire. I jump back, plastering myself to the wall, hands fucking trembling.

Fennik trusted me to take care of her, and I’m failing miserably.

You had one job.

My wolf whines, desperate to fix it, but I have literally no idea what to do. I’m just a dumb-ass scrapper from the villages. They’re counting on me, but I’m so far out of my depth that I want to cry.

Where the fuck is Fennik anyway?I went to bed, and everything was normal. Well, the sad new normal of the last few days. But she woke me, calling out in her sleep from some kind of dream. She was having awful cramps. We cuddled by the fire, and she was a soft little ball of sadness that broke my heart.

I called Fennik, but he can’t answer because the damn thing is plugged in by the bed.

I thought I would cheer her up when I gave her the sage leaves. When we were out at the farm, I grabbed a stash of them and wrote new wishes for her about being bonded to her horde. I kept them in her bed and let all of us sleep with them. But they had the opposite effect. She freaked when I brought her to the deck so we could send them into the wind.

Randi snatched them from my hand and wouldn’t let them go. Her scent went wild—oranges and honey sprinkled with mint, so thick it felt as if I was drinking the air—and then came the scary cat. Her eyes turned the color of water mint growing by the lake, and she hissed at me until I backed away. She ran back to her nest and hasn’t let me inside since.

I’m a fighter for a living, which means I’ve seen some crazy shit. But the sight of Randi so upset is wrecking me.I just want to fix it. Heavy footsteps sound on the stairs, and I want to weep in gratitude.Fennik will make it better. He’ll know what to do.

Fennik rounds the landing, and I throw myself into his arms. “Thank gods you’re here. She won’t let me in.”

My body tenses, the sweet smell of campfire clogging my nose. Possessive jealousy and pure rage like I’ve never known surge inside me.

I push Fennik against the wall, forearm pinning him. “Why the fuck do you smell like the serpent?”

Fennik’s eyes turn the steely silver of his alpha. His lips curl, but it isn’t a smile. “I know you’re angry at me, but think carefully about what you do next, pup.”

I don’t think carefully. I can’t think at all.

I growl, my wolf asserting his dominance. I’ve never even tried to match Fennik’s wolf, but right now, I’m beyond pissed. My omega mate is hissing fire, and my alpha smells as thoughhe’s spent the last few hours bathing in Knox instead of being with us.

“While you were with that asshole, your omega mate has been spinning out of control. She won’t let me in the nest, and you”—I push against Fennik’s chest, practically spitting my words—“weren’t here!”

Fennik surges forward, twists me in his arms, and clasps a tight grip around my hands, binding them behind my back. He walks me to the doorway of Randi’s nest, watching her for a moment before he bends me over the nearby table in the den. He keeps my hands bound with one hand, and with his other, he clears the books around us, sending them to the floor.

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