Page 266 of Cursed Evermore
My lungs locked, and my pulse faltered in my throat as the magnitude of what he was offering crashed over me.
Those words… they seared into the marrow of my bones and burrowed deep in my heart, marking me his in ways that went beyond this world.
“Wolfe.” I searched his eyes, trying to steady the rush of emotions crashing through me, but the tenderness I found there made my chest tighten even more. “That’s…that’s more than everything.”
“Looks that way.” His answer was low and reverent.
I wanted to scream with joy, but the ugly complications between us choked my elation. “But…” My voice trailed off.
“No. There is no but.”
“There is.” The words caught in my throat. “Because we can’t ignore what I am. I’m still the daughter of your father’s killer. And youwillhave to punish my father for what he’s done.”
"I won't kill him, Elariya," he said, his tone surprisingly tender.
My heart stalled, riddled with shock. I blinked at him. Surely, I'd misheard. “What?”
“I won’t kill him. I won’t execute your father because I don’t want you to remember me as the person who took someone precious from you. So, I’m going to imprison him instead.”
“But your father?—”
“I’ll have to live with that. The punishment is my choice. Imprisonment is how I choose to honour what we have."
A tear ran down my cheek. He caught it and wiped the rest away. “I want to thank you. But it doesn’t seem right.”
“I understand, and it’s okay. You can still thank me.”
“Thank you, Wolfe. Thank you so much.” A massive weight lifted from my shoulders, and for the first time since Wolfe came into my life, my mind loosened, unraveling from the darkness that had shrouded my hopes.
"You're welcome, Ziyka." He nodded. "I guess that's me being positive we'll find the ring."
I smiled. "Yes. I'm going to be positive, too, because I'd love nothing more than to remember you."
"I'd love that, too." He cupped my face, his smile soft before it faded. "But if it doesn't work... I've been thinking of taking you back to your family."
"What?" My stomach plummeted, taking all my joy with it.
"Just so the reset won't be as difficult for you."
I shook my head fiercely. "No. I don't want to go back to Stormfell. I'm staying here with you."
He gave me a knowing look. "I figured you'd say that. But hear me out—maybe we leave together on the last day. You stay with them for a week, maybe longer if you need it. Then I'll come get you." His voice gentled. "I just want what's best for you.Maybe being with them will help you form better memories of me."
"I don't need better memories of you."
"Maybe not, but you'll need your family when the curse resets." His conviction was absolute. "When it happens, you'll think you're fifteen again. You'll have the terror of watching your father disappear into that vortex fresh in your mind. You should be with people you know and trust." His voice cracked slightly. "That won't be me."
The truth of his reasoning silenced my protest.
He was right. No one could care for me better than my family in that moment. Even Thayden had failed to understand that. Regardless of what I wanted now, and how badly I wanted it, I’d be different when my memory reset. Wolfe was making the best choice for me.
"I won't stay long," I whispered, accepting with reluctance.
"Good. Because I couldn't be without you for too long." He brushed his lips over mine. "And I don't want Thayden anywhere near you."
I laughed despite everything, then sobered when I thought of the dynamics of the plan. "Wolfe, how would it work? What about Dreynthor? And I've been missing all this time. What do we tell my family?"
"I'll handle those details. I'll need to rework my plans to keep things secret from Dreynthor, and I'll figure out what to tell your family."
