Page 128 of Until the Stars Fall

“That good, huh?” Mrs. Bishop asked with an empty laugh. “Well, that’s understandable, I suppose. Given what you both endured on your journey.”

I straightened slightly, bolstered by the hope that Mrs. Bishop might have some insight regarding Connor’s odd behavior. “Has he spoken to you about it?”

She shook her head and lowered her gaze to where her hands rested, clasped together, on the table. “No, but he will when he’s ready.” Peering up at me from under her lashes, she then asked, “Why don’t you talk to me though, Sunshine? What happened out there?”

I said the first thing that came to mind. “We were attacked by—”

“Not about the attack,” she clarified. “Between you two.”

Heat flooded my cheeks, and I half-expected the old fae to laugh at me for being so obviously embarrassed, but she simply looked at me expectantly.

“Honestly? I’m not sure,” I said, searching her eyes to make sure she could sense the truth in my voice. “I thought we had finally turned a corner, that maybe I was no longer just a thorn in his side, but…”

Mrs. Bishop’s expression turned thoughtful, tightening with concern. “But what?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. I keep racking my brain, trying to figure out what I did wrong, why one minute he looked at me as if he—” I huffed out my frustration, unable to say the words aloud. “Only to have him run away as fast as he could? What am I to think?”

Mrs. Bishop lifted a hand to her lips. Shaking her head slowly, she watched me as I finished my rambling. I averted my gaze, as much to avoid the pity in her eyes as to hide my inevitable tears. I didn’t want to cry over this when I wasn’t even sure whatthiswas. Hadn’t I shed enough tears over the Durands already?

“You asked me about mates once,” she finally said. My throat tightened. “I found mine. Long ago. But I was much like you in my youth. Stubborn. Independent. I didn’t want to be tied down, so I rejected the bond and walked away from Hugh.”

“Hugh? Hugh Marstens? In Engle?” Mrs. Bishop nodded silently. “But you had a daughter,” I said.

“I eventually married, later on—Nicholas Bishop—and we had a child, but there is one consequence of denying your mate that I hadn’t expected. I could never open my heart to another. I was never able to love another, and neither was Hugh. I wanted to love my husband; I did. I cared about him, of course, but it was never—”

“But if you loved Hugh, why leave? How could you ignore it?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around this.

“It wasn’t easy, Sunshine. But if you want something else strongly enough, it’s not impossible to walk away from that bond. I wanted my independence so badly, I walked away from the only love I was destined to have.”

“If you could go back, would you choose differently?” I asked.

Sadness clouded Mrs. Bishop’s eyes. “I’ve asked myself that same question so many times, and my answer changes day to day. It doesn’t matter though. The point is, Sunshine, we only get this one life, and some decisions cannot be fixed. We have to live with the choices we make, accept the consequences, and remember there are some mistakes not even a fae prince can save us from.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

A rueful smile graced her lips. “Because I want you to think long and hard before you make a decision you’ll regret.”

CHAPTER 63

Lieke

As I fell into bed that night, my whole body tensed in anticipation of seeing Connor again, which seemed rather absurd since I was only seeing him inmy dreams. Still, spending time with my imaginary version of him there held more appeal than sitting around, waiting for him to come out of his room.

My eyes fell closed, and when I opened them again, I frowned. I was alone in a dark room that wasn’t mine. For a brief moment, I panicked, wondering if I had accidentally walked in my sleep to some unoccupied guest room, but then I caught the familiar scent of spice and wood.

Looking down, I noted I was wearing my old servant’s uniform instead of the nightshirt I’d put on before bed. I let out a relieved sigh, thankful I hadn’t meandered around unknowingly, but disappointment pricked my chest when I realized I was here alone.

This wasn’t just any random room; it was where I’d foolishly confronted Connor after Brennan and I had been caught together. I spun around to find the spot beside the door where he had pinned me against the wall in his anger, and my core tightened in response.

“Fond memories in this room?” Connor’s voice struck my ear from where he stood close behind me, but his tone seemed more nervous than playful.

Slowly I turned to face him, and my shoulder brushed against his bare chest, sending a prickling wave of anticipation over my skin.

“What happened to your shirt, Wolfie?” I teased, hoping he wouldn’t catch the slight waver to my voice.

His lips parted slightly as his eyes flashed to my mouth, and I instinctively tucked my bottom lip between my teeth. When he answered, the edginess I’d detected earlier had been replaced with the confident tone I’d come to expect from him. But this time, it was desire—not anger—that made his voice rough.

“Just starting where we left off.”

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