Page 9 of The Forgotten Princess

“You think?” His grin widens at my words.

I wonder if I should’ve said that. What if she isn’t coming? What if I’m just reading into things? But the words feel right.

I nod.

He rubs at the scruff on his jaw. “You know, in the summer, Devin was pretty antsy. He shifted nearly every single day and went on a run. It’s like his wolf knew that he was about to meet his mate. Maybe our wolves can sense the things that we can’t.”

I lean forward in my chair. “It must be hard for you to see your younger brother meet his mate before you.”

Dawson closes his eyes for a moment, then slowly opens them. His gaze lands on me. “I know it sounds horrible. It’s not that I’m unhappy for Devin—I’m so glad he has you. It’s just that I’m tired of waiting. I want to meet her now, Tori.”

My heart aches for him.

Dawson is a good guy. And the girl who he ends up with is going to be so lucky. I just hope he doesn’t have to wait too much longer.

“It doesn’t sound horrible.” I stand from the chair, walking closer to him. “You’ve been waiting for this your whole life and you’re ready for it. I didn’t know that I had a soulmate waiting for me. I imagine if I had, I would’ve been impatient too.”

He grins. “Dev was never impatient. He always seemed so indifferent when the subject of soulmates came up. He’s always been so focused. When he met you and allowed himself to fall for you, I’m not surprised that his entire life shifted to revolve around you. He loves you.”

My heart swells at Dawson’s words. I know he’s right, but hearing it from his brother means a lot. I like that Devin’s brothers approve of me. I’m a dark fae—they should hate me.

“I’m supposed to be making you feel better, not the other way around,” I tease.

He grins. “Just knowing my brother has you makes me feel better. You’re a great addition to our family. I used to worry about him. He seemed to only care about becoming alpha. He’s known his fate since he was a child. And he’s trained so hard. You brought happiness into his life. Seeing him so happy means the world to me.”

“I want to see you happy too.” I put my hand on his arm, careful to only touch where his shirt is covering his skin. “I know that waiting sucks, but there is a reason for everything. Fate doesn’t make mistakes. And every bit of pain you’re feeling now will be worth it the moment you meet her.”

“Was it like that for you?” Dawson asks.

I grin. “Devin hated me when we met. But when he finally accepted me, it made everything worth it. The only thing that is painful now is waiting to complete our mate bond.”

Dawson nods. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to talk to Damian about that, but he’s stubborn.”

“It’s an alpha thing,” I say, thinking about how stubborn my own mate is.

“Good luck.” Dawson chuckles.

No kidding. Not only am I mated to an alpha, but one of our children will be an alpha as well. I have a feeling they might inherit Devin’s stubbornness.

“I better walk you to lunch,” Dawson says. “Dev is getting impatient.”

Of course he is.

“Are you going to be okay?” I ask Dawson, as he stands to lead me toward the dining hall.

“Eventually.”

What if it’s a fluke?

After school, Devin and I head to the beach house for the evening.

My favorite part of the day is when Devin and I do our homework together. The school work isn’t my favorite, but getting alone time with Devin is.

When we’re sitting beside one another, he always has to be touching me. Either he’ll put his hand on my thigh beneath the table, or he’ll scoot his chair closer until our legs are touching. As he’s doing his work, I notice he keeps glancing up from the pages. He studies me more than he studies his work.

I glance at him and see that his green eyes are focused completely on me. I grin. “You should at least pretend to study.”

“I prefer to stare at you.” He doesn’t look away. “You’re beautiful, Tori.”

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