Page 102 of In Her Own Rite

“Em,” he says, his eyes widening. “Agaayu,I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that Maren had been shifting by accident before she started training. Her wolf was close to the surface, and you had to learn how to bring yours back. I never meant you couldn’t do it. Just that you it was a different situation.”

I nod. “It still hurt.”

He nods, his thumb running over my knuckles. “Hey. Maren’s great. And I know Seb thinks she’s amazing. But she’snothingcompared to you.”

I smile a little, despite myself. “To you, maybe.”

“To me, definitely. I know I was wrong for underestimating you. And I want to tell you the second thing. It’s about my rite—about what I saw and heard, so that the last little bit makes sense.”

I feel my eyes go a little wider, and something in my chest softens.

“Like Seb told Maren?”

“Like Seb told Maren.”

“But… Kier,” I say. “You know the edict. You can’t tell another soul.”

“What if you’re not another soul?”

He gives me a look, and suddenly I realize what’s happening. He must see it in my eyes, because a small smile tugs at his lips.

“I guess you paid more attention in school than I did,” he says.

“Ayagaayuni, don’t ruin this with your dumb jokes,” I say, laughing, feeling my eyes sting. “Wait, hold on. What are you saying?”

“Em.” He grabs my other hand and looks at me gently. “I love you. I’ve loved you since—agaayu, I don’t know. I think I loved you since that day I first saw you, in your yellow bathing suit at the quarry. I loved you the night we first kissed on Halluk, and I loved you on thoseagaayit-forsaken years on Keist. All I can do is love you. I don’t think I know how to do anything else.”

I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

“I’m not gonna ask you anything now. Not because I don’t want to, and not because I don’t think you’re my mate, because Iknowyou are. But ‘cause you deserve something more special than me asking to claim you in the library.”

I let out a soft laugh. “I don’t know. Some special things have happened in this library.”

He nods, grinning. “Yeah. But you deserve more than that, for something like this.”

I scooch closer to him, putting his face in my hands, looking up at his eyes.

“You’re it for me, Em,” he says quietly. “There was never anyone else. There never will be. You are the other part of my soul.”

He swallows, and I can hear his voice waver.

“Will you love me?” he asks. “Will you let me love you?”

“Iija,” I whisper, kissing his cheeks. “Yes, yes.Kiyyuni.”

He kisses my mouth, and the feeling is soft and gentle. I take in the scent and taste of him; wood and amber, a little salt from the sea air this morning. After a minute, he pulls away.

“Hey,” he says, leaning his forehead against mine. “I wanted to tell you this now, instead of at, like, some fancy dinner with candles or something, because I need to tell you about my rite before you go up to the ring.”

“Okay,” I say, pulling back. “What do you want to tell me?”

He swallows. “That night in the ring, I saw your father.”

“Yeah, I know,” I say, nodding. “I figured that much out already.”

“No, but I really, reallybelievedI saw your father. And your mom was there.”

I feel something in my chest twist. “My mom’s spirit came to you?”

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