He pulled away and held out his hand. “Come, my love. Your chariot awaits. I’ll even pick up your favorite coffee on the way.”
She blinked, then playfully glared at him as she slipped her hand into his. “Oh, you dirty fairy.”
He laughed as he drew her against him. Though his eyes appeared human, they blazed down at her with that otherworldly intensity. “We’ll play dirty later.”
They took the elevator down to the garage, hopped into his car, and drove. Willow’s eyes repeatedly flicked to the dashboard clock, which kept ticking away the minutes, but she didn’t feel the stress she should’ve been feeling.
Being with Kian, who kept his hand on her thigh as he drove, and feeling this fullness, this love…it had a way of making her problems seem insignificant. She’d get to the meeting on time. Everything would be okay.
As promised, he stopped at her favorite coffee shop, where he parked and ran inside. She might’ve asked why he hadn’t just gone through the drive-thru, but when he emerged from the shop with a steaming cup in hand before even a single car had made it through the line, she understood.
Lines were optional for Kian.
Willow rolled her eyes and shook her head.
She sipped her coffee as they finished the trip, drinking the last few drops just as he pulled up in front of her house.
“Don’t be concerned if your cats look at you differently,” Kian said. “They’ll get over it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Blood, seed, and lifeforce.” He pressed a hand over her chest. "You're still human, but you're also more. And, well, you aren't exactly mortal anymore, Willow. My eternal life is yours to share."
Wait, what? Eternal life…
She hadn't thought about that at all when they'd made their bond. Immortality wasn't anything she'd ever wanted, wasn't anything she'd ever thought about. It was just so big. So incomprehensible.
"That's, um…"
"A lot, I know. But you don't have to face any of it alone."
She smiled at him. "Yeah, you're right. We'll figure it out, won't we? Not like we don't have time to."
His fingers flexed over her chest, pressing the tips of his claws to her skin ever so lightly. "We will, Violet. We will. But For now, just understand that the spirit of a fae exists within you, and your cats...they might need a little time to adjust."
Her eyes rounded in horror. “Are they going to hate me now?”
Kian laughed, returning his hand to her thigh and giving it a squeeze. “Hate you? No. Cats think too highly of themselves to bother hating anyone. But they might judge you just a tiny bit.”
“But they’re my babies!”
“They’ll still love you, Willow.” His expression sobered as he stared into her eyes. “It’s impossible not to.”
Her heart thumped. She simply couldn’t handle how loved he made her feel.
Removing her seatbelt, she leaned across the center console and pressed a kiss to his mouth, letting it linger. He caught her chin and returned the kiss, his lips caressing hers.
“When will you be done?” Kian asked, voice husky.
“Around three.”
“I’ll be back at three, then.”
She pulled away, and he released his gentle hold. Willow hesitated as she reached for the door handle.
Why was it so hard to go? Why was it so hard to leave him when she knew she’d see him again in a few hours? Everything inside her was screaming for her to stay.
“Willow?”