Page 164 of Beast and Remedy
I mean, he has seen me naked before, but—
“Would you like me to—”
Beau’s voice startles me, and I rush to reassure him. “No, no. It’s fine.”
He chuckles. “Oh, sonowyou’re okay with me gawking?”
I blush. “N-N-No. Yes!” His amusement grows from my stammering, and I run a hand over my face. “Ugh. I don’t even know what I’m doing.”
Beau closes in. “That’s what I’m here for.”
I regard him, still uneasy and at war with my reeling thoughts.
“What’s making you most nervous?”
“Besides the obvious?” I gesture to our surroundings.
He smirks. “Besides the obvious and the plans we hashed out, what else is keeping the brightness from those emerald-green eyes I so love?” He cups my face and runs his thumb along my cheek. “What is going on in that brilliant mind of yours?”
“It’s ridiculous and irrational.”
“Doesn’t matter. I always want you to share every thought.”
My pulse quickens from his unwavering support. “I appreciate that. Truly.”
“When it comes to you and your happiness, Vi, there is nothing I won’t do to be everything you want and everything you need.”
I admire the gold shimmering in his irises, loving and marveling at how happy this man makes me. Opening up more is something I will regret later, but I can’t help but lean into it—lean into him.
We are meant to have this time, and I want to completely and unabashedly give him all of me with the hope he will do the same.
With a long sigh, I cast aside the doubt and worry. “Itisthe obvious,” I start, “but it’s also Sybille’s warning I can’t stop thinking about.”
“From what you said, it makes sense to use my blood. And we even discussed imbuing some vials with my magic for extra measure—”
“No, not that part. The part where she warned me about the shadows.”
Realization dawns on him. “Ah, yes.”
“Do you think it’s not a coincidence?” I ask. “I can’t stop thinking about how sheandPrince Stefan mentioned shadows. Even the esprit told me something similar before we even left for Northtry.” I press my lips together, hesitant before I add, “It felt like such an ominous warning, and yet I can’t help but think—”
A sliver of doubt creeps in, and I shake my head, deciding I don’t want to go down that path with him.
There is already so much at risk with us being together, and with bad blood between him and Papa, I don’t want to bring up the past when we don’t even know how much time we have left in the present.
“Think what?” Beau asks hastily.
But I brush off his question, creating space. “It’s nothing.”
I shouldn’t be wasting time on it when I should be preparing for a shift. Taking another step and turning, I survey the trees, soaking in the summer breeze warm enough to not leave me chilly as the sun sets.
But heat presses against my back, Beau returning into my space and grabbing me. He spins me to him.
The pit in my stomach deepens, trepidation crawling along my skin.
But with his expectant expression, I can tell he still wants to hear what I have to say.
Releasing a long breath, I confess, “I can’t help but think it has something to do with my mother.”
