Page 37 of Shifting Fate

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She clasped her hands together with a mirthful giggle. “Oh, good. I think there’s hope for him yet. What did you buy him this time?”

“Headphones, for his terrible taste in music.”

“Not everyone likes what you like, my love.”

“I didn’t say he had to, but if you heard it? You’d be wishing for a pair of earplugs. Trust me on this. It’s safer for everyone involved that he funnel that music straight into his cute little head.” And heaven forbid he start singing…

I swung a kitchen chair around backwards, straddling it. “Anyway, he smelled the roses.Andthe card.”

She beamed and blew messy brown bangs out of her eyes, then joined me at the table, mimicking my seating choice. She folded her arms over the back of the chair and rested her cheek on them.

“He sounds lovely.”

“He is,” I murmured. “I wish...” I stopped myself when my inner-wolf growled, short and sharp. “I hope you get to meet him, someday.”

“Your father says he’s a punk,” she said with a devilish smile. “He says he’s got pink hair and piercings!”

I thought of Dallon, purposely dying his hair my favorite color. “It’s purple now, but yeah, he does.”

“Ohhh, I see.” She winked. “And do you like it?”

“Which?”

“Both?” Another tinkling laugh. “I don’t need eyes to tell me that you do, my darling boy, and so does your wolf. He feels calmer today. Maybe he likes the gifts?”

“Maybe.” The weird thing was, hedidfeel calmer. Less agitated, anyway. He wasn’t growling nonstop like he had been, but his whines followed me deep into the night. I drew in a sharp breath. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“You don’t think…that he’d hurt Dallon, right?”

She sat up a little straighter in her seat, and I could feel the gentle whisper of her magic against my skin. She studied me for a moment, turning her head to the side. “You can’t live your life in fear, Arias. It’s not good for your soul. What are you afraid of?”

I clenched my teeth together, then released another slow breath. “I’m afraid of losing control. I’m afraid that if Dallon does forgive me, that I’ll fuck it up again, or hurt him without meaning to.” I dropped my gaze. “Like what happened with Amara.”

She quirked a brow. “You hurt Amara on purpose, Arias. Not by accident.”

I felt her words like an open-handed slap. I deserved it, though. “I did. But what if—”

“Dallon cheats on you?” she shot back. “What if he breaks your heart?”

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“Dallon is your mate. He is the other half of your heart. He feels your pain as if it’s his own, even now. That isn’t something that’s going to fade away. His feelings aren’t going to diminish over time. If anything else, he’ll want you more. Do you think for a moment I would cheat on Jaeger?”

“No. Never,” I uttered, because as fucked up as my father was? After what he did? She still loved him. I couldn’t count the amount of times he’d sworn that Mom had saved his damned soul. “You love him.”

“And Dallon will love you.”

“I’m not—”

She growled, low and shockingly vicious. It froze me in my tracks. “If you so much asthinkthat you’re somehow unworthy of love, so help me god, I will turn you over my knee.” She pointed at me. “You are worthy. Everyone is worthy of love.Everyone.Even Liora Fleur. Do you understand?”

I swallowed. “Yes.”

“Dallon is yours as much as you are his. Be patient with him, but don’t go pulling mental strings because you’re afraid of the truth. Leave your magic out of it. You don’t need it.” She smiled. “Love is magic all its own, and you don’t need to be afraid.”

“Easier said than done,” I muttered.

She stood and came over to me, patting my cheek. “Didn’t say it was gonna be easy, love. I said it would be worth it. As soon as you two kiss and make up, bring him over for dinner. I can’t wait to meet this so-called punk.”

I grinned. “Me too.”