Page 20 of Ulfar

AUTOGRAPHED COPY

SARAH

“All right,” Ulfar says. His large, warm hands cover my eyes and I can hear the grin in his voice. “Open your eyes.”

He pulls his palms away, and as I stare out at the dazzling landscape, I suck in a gasp.

We’re standing in a clearing deep in the mushroom forest. Butterflies flit in and out through the trees and sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight that filters down to the surface. Vines hang from the tall trees and fungi, swaying gently in the springtime breeze. Before us is a beautiful grotto, formed from where the ground collapsed around the creek above. It’s created a sort of crater lake, shining with a surface like glass.

Ulfar’s hand is strong and comforting against the small of my back, and the gravity of the sight almost makes me weak in the knees. It’s beautiful…

And far more than I deserve.

“What is this place?” I whisper, craning my head to look up at him.

“This is what I wanted to show you. One of my favorite spots. Where I go to reflect. Relax.” He gestures at the shimmering lake. A pink leaf that looks like a lily pad floats on the surface, and I watch a small amphibian creature leap out of the water and land on top of it, staring up at us with beady red eyes.

“It’s amazing.” That’s all the words I can think of at the moment. My real feelings are much more emotional. Much more complex. But words can’t do justice to the sheer majesty I see all around me.

Aesirheim has been nothing but surprise after delightful surprise. It’s teeming with more natural splendor than any place I’ve ever seen on Earth, and the bright colors and mysterious plants and animals never cease to amaze me. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to it. I wonder if he has. If he realizes just how good he has it.

You won’t have time to get used to anything, remember?The sour memory sticks in my mind like a thorn.This is all temporary. You’re going to leave him. You’re going to betray him. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

I grimace against the pain and hope he doesn’t notice. For now, I just want to enjoy this time we have together.

Shut up, brain.

“I thought we could set up a tent here. Spend the night. Take in the stars away from the lights and activity of the ISA.” He nudges me. “Our own little vacation.”

“That sounds lovely,” I admit. My heart warms whenever I’m next to him. Like my whole life has been a cold winter’s day, and he’s finally the soothing hearth I needed. He breaks down all my barriers and makes me feel seen. Wanted. Loved.

“And I brought you something,” he adds, rummaging in the bag he’s brought along. “A gift.”

My heart nearly stops. “A gift?” What is he thinking now?

“It’s nothing fancy,” he assures me. “But it’s something I think you’ll like. Something...” Ulfar pauses. “Something that I hope will make you think of me, every time you look at it.”

My stomach twists in anticipation. Now I’m really curious.

Ulfar pulls out a thin rectangle wrapped in shiny gold paper. A red ribbon holds it closed. I turn it over in my hands, admiring the presentation, before tugging at the bow. It falls open easily, and there in the center of the wrapping paper is a book. But not just any book—it’s from the series we talked about not so long ago. And it’s one I’ve never seen before.

“Is this...?” My thoughts start to race as I look at the spine and check the numbering. “No way!”

It’s the next book in the series. I didn’t even know it was out yet, and here it is in my hands. My gasp turns into a scream of surprise when I open the cover and see an inscription there in elegant handwriting.

“To Sarah: don’t be afraid to reach for the stars. —Erzo Winston”

It’s all I can do to choke back the tears at this point. Not only did he go out of his way to find the new book in my favorite series, but he somehow got it signed by the elusive author himself. And not only that but made out to me personally as well? I can’t believe it.

Ever since we met each other, he’s been nothing but kind. Dominant, commanding, and devilishly sexy at times, but beneath it all is a tender kindness that I’ve never experienced before.

He’d be a great husband, I find myself thinking. He’s going to make some girl very happy one day.

Too bad it can’t be me.

Shaking my head, I focus on the moment between us. On the small ripples on the lake and the way one of the jewel-like butterflies alights on the surface of the water without sinking.

“Let me help with the tent,” I say, thinking that doing something with my hands will help keep my mind off of things. As long as I stay busy, stay active, I can get through this without breaking down.

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