Page 20 of Engaged to the Mountain Man

“Don’t worry. I gotcha,” Roman reassures me when he realizes I don’t have the funds.

“I’ll repay you,” I promise. I saw how he regarded Rafe with such brotherly affection, the way it hurt him to disclose his past.

“Repay me by waiting for him. He loves you. Give him time to get his head on straight.” He gives me a brief hug. It’s over so quickly that I almost think I imagined it. Then he’s gone, melting into the crowd.

I take the ticket and board the commercial flight, knowing that my life as a commoner is officially over. I’ll never get to live like this again. Never get to feel Rafe’s arms around me.

As I leave American soil, I’m leaving half my heart behind. It amazes me that when I landed on this continent, all I could think about was the heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. The knowledge that I was shackling myself to one man for the rest of my life. One man who might be cold and cruel. But I arrived and found him kind. He was compassionate. He was quiet and funny, and he made me feel like I mattered.

My heart has stopped beating. My blood no longer circulates. I can’t even draw in oxygen. There’s only the cold nothingness of having lost love.

When the plane touches down on Velkan soil, I am home and yet for the first time in my life, Velkan is not home. My home is Rafe.

Violet greets me with an uncharacteristically warm show of emotion, folding me into a hug. As I gaze into her eyes, it strikes me that she looks as if she’s aged thirty years. “Your father has passed on.”

It’s the first time she’s called him that instead of the king. I don’t know what to say to the news. I don’t know how to process this. He didn’t feel like my father. He was more of a stranger that I’d desperately hoped would one day grow to love me.

“I couldn’t convince Rafe to come with me.” My throat is raw like I’ve swallowed razor blades. “But if we can find another suitable groom…” The words are vile on my tongue. I will never love another man. Rafe was—he still is—my soulmate. Even if we are never together.

She nods. The look she gives me is somehow stern and reassuring at the same time. “We can’t let the kingdom fall to Nico. I will select another groom for you.”

Ice flows through my veins. I’ve fallen into a river of heartbreak. It’s cold and consuming. I’m certain that I’m going to drown in the depths. “The sooner I can announce my nuptials, the better.”

* * *

Rafe

The sun has setby the time I realize what I’ve done. I’ve spent all day staring into this lake, pondering my life and all the choices that led me here.

No matter what my father was or what he did, he managed to do one thing right. He created the betrothal agreement between me and Aurora.

My chest aches as soon as I think of her, and I rub a hand against my sternum to ease the pain. Did I really do that? Did I really send her away?

The image of her hurt expression washes over me. I was angry. I wasn’t thinking clearly. In my anger, I wounded her. The only woman I can imagine spending forever with, and I let her slip through my fingers.

I race back to Roman’s cabin. It’s dark, but he’s on the porch. He’s sipping a mug of coffee with Hale, another of the neighboring mountain men. They’re having a quiet conversation. Sounds like they’re discussing his truck that needs to go into the shop. Either Roman bought the worst clunker in the country, or he has a thing for Gabby, the pretty mechanic who works at the auto shop.

“Where is she?” I demand, looking for Aurora.

Roman sets his mug down. “I drove her to the airport hours ago.”

“She’s gone?” For the second time today, everything tilts. I struggle to find solid ground. She’s my whole world. She can’t be gone.

Hale stands from his rocking chair, pausing to roll the kinks out of his neck. “She got a call. Her father is dying.”

“I have to go to her.” I can’t stand the idea that she’s facing this alone. She has to know I’ll be there for her. She doesn’t face life alone anymore. I’ll be by her side now. Always.

“The plane has already touched down. She’s back in her country. Are you sure that’s not for the best?” Roman is studying me intently. “Are you ready to be part of her world? You’re not talking about going overseas. You’re talking about giving up your citizenship here. You’ll be starting a brand-new life, adapting to a different culture.”

His words don’t even make me flinch. “I can’t imagine life without her by my side. I’ll do whatever it takes, but I have to go now. She needs me. If I miss my chance…” I can’t finish the thought. It’s too horrible to contemplate. I’m certain that my heart will stop beating if I can’t find Aurora. If I can’t tell her I love her and hold her in my arms every day for the rest of my life.

“We don’t have long,” Roman says and he stands too.

Hale grabs the bags on the porch. “Brennon loaned us his plane. Flight plan has already been filed. All we’ve been waiting for is you to get your head on straight.”

Within an hour, the three of us are in the air. Even Herbert has come along for the ride. I couldn’t leave him behind. The cabin can be replaced, and I can get new things. But he’s been my buddy for years.

Even though the plane ride only takes a few hours, it feels like three decades. I can’t talk to Aurora or get in touch with her while we’re midflight. The moment we’re on the ground, I’m racing through the private airport. But I stop in front of the TV and gasp in horror. There’s a ticker at the bottom announcing the king has passed away. Her dad died and I wasn’t there for her. She’s about to go through one of the hardest times of her life, and she needs me.

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