Chapter Thirty-Three
Wade paced back and forth, wearing a path in the plush carpeting. Adalyn had been out cold for hours and his nerves were shot. He paused his pacing to sit on the bed beside her. Pulling the covers up over her waist, he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“I will not lose you,” he whispered. Though he’d had relationships before and he’d felt love before, he’d never known what true love was. A love that penetrated every fiber of his being. Not a thought crossed his mind that didn’t force him to consider his mate. When she was out of his sight, his worries would fell him if he didn’t know of her own capabilities as a fighter. When he looked into her eyes, he saw a future he’d never dreamed of. Just the simple act of watching over her while she slept brought a smile to his face and a calmness he never knew to his heart.
He’d almost lost her during the fight with her crazed mother. Gods, he never wanted to face that again. As soon as Erin had returned with Bjorn and the others, she’d checked on Adalyn and caught him up on all he’d missed. He’d told her of Mariska’s demise and Adalyn’s collapse and promised they’d speak more later, after she’d fully recovered. When Erin left, she’d given him an elixir to help restore Adalyn’s strength and power and sent a tray of food to their room.
“That smells amazing,” Adalyn said, slowly moving to an upright position.
“How are you feeling?” Wade set the tray on the bed beside her.
“Like I’ve been in a car accident—and starving.” Her stomach chose that moment to growl.
“Erin brought this for you. She said it would help you regain your strength and majik quicker than just waiting it out.”
“Great. It’s the nasty purple potion again.” Adalyn tossed her head back and chugged the concoction. She really was going to have to talk to Erin about adding a flavor to that crap.
“That bad?” Wade chuckled.
“Yeah, it is. At least it does what it’s supposed to.”
“Let’s eat.” Wade removed the lid from the tray, filling the room with the scent of freshly baked chicken, rice, and sauteed vegetables.
“This looks delicious.” Adalyn grabbed her fork and dug in. Maybe it was the effects of the elixir, or maybe it was just the seasoning on the food, but for whatever reason, it tasted better than anything she had ever eaten.
* * *
With their plates clean and the tray returned to the kitchen, Adalyn was content to snuggle against Wade’s chest and enjoy the quiet, knowing it wouldn’t last long. They had so much to talk about. She wanted to know what had happened and yet part of her didn’t want to know.
She’d love nothing more than to stick her head in the sand and act as if none of it had ever happened. She didn’t want to think about the fact that she could never repair her relationship with her mother, because her mother was gone—never to be the woman she’d always hoped for. Mariska’s legacy would always be that of a villain in countless stories. A sad reality Adalyn had hoped to change.
Wade must have sensed the shift in her mood. He eased her into a sitting position, keeping her close.
“Adalyn, we need to talk,” he said softly.
“I know. I’m just not sure if I want to know.” And that was the god’s honest truth. She didn’t want to hear any more horrors or deal with the repercussions of traipsing off on her own, hellbent on rescuing her father.
“It’s not your fault, love. None of this is. You have to understand that.”
“It sure feels like I’m the reason she’s dead. If I had just waited—”
“No!” Wade interrupted her. “You’re the reason Bjorn is alive and home. The reason we are all alive. Had we gone in together to rescue your dad; it would have been a slaughter. We would have lost countless members of the pack. She would have killed every last one of us without a second thought. You know the truth.”
“I know.” She did, but that didn’t mean it didn’t suck. Because it did.
“Before all of this. You seemed worried about our mating.” She needed to change the subject and fast.
Wade ran his fingers through his hair and stood. “Adalyn, I am a true immortal. I was created by the Allfather for one task and one alone. I wasn’t sure if our mating would be allowed to stand or if it would be broken. I didn’t know what would happen. What punishment I would face for disobeying my creator.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked.
“I couldn’t. It was forbidden.”
“So, are we allowed to remain mates?” Her voice shook as she asked the question.
After all they had been through, she couldn’t imagine giving him up now. Not when she needed him more than ever.
“Odin has accepted our mating and given us his blessing. To be allowed a mate after a millennium of service is more than I could have ever hoped for.”
