Page 88 of A Fate In Moonstone

“Rune, I—”

“I don’t care if it’s days from now, months, or decades that we marry. I just wanted you to know how I feel, my desires, and that I am yours. No matter how much time you need.”

I’d sought him out because I felt hope burning inside me. I would beat Verin’s impossible poisons, and I would finish the job with his life. Basking with my mate made me excited for a future I hadn’t taken the time to imagine.

A life with Rune beyond the engagement to Tor, the war, the secrets.

We’d be happy. Blissfully so as long as we were together. Sweet babies with icy blue eyes, brown skin, and wild hair like mine. Oh, or dark black hair like his running around us. Even if they had the werewolf gene, we would kiss their faces, not burn them.

I wanted that life, that future with my mate, and after tonight when I took out my core to heal, I’d fight for it with every breath I had.

“I love you, Rune. You are the warrior of my heart, and as long as I have you, my fire will never die.” I pressed a kiss to his lips and whispered against them. “Yes, I am yours.”

A free hand of his snuck into mine and retreated, leaving something small yet hard in my palm.

“For when you’re ready.”

A tiger’s eye band.

He gave me a ring from his tiger’s eye core. He made me a ring from his essence, the very fabric of the male I loved himself.

“Celestine’s deadline ends soon.” I lifted the ring to inspect the beautiful marbling of yellows, blacks, and browns. “We will marry then.”

“Are you—” It was my time to silence him with my lips.

“Yes. I don’t need any large party. I just want to be yours in the kingdom’s eyes and take on Verin and any other threats together.” A headache started to grow from the back of my neck. Looks like my break from the poison was over. It’d seen enough, though. Pain or no pain, Gregory’s book would get me through the worst of it, and this was what I had to look forward to. A future with Rune, my mate, my warrior, and my soon-to-be husband.

“I’ve gotta go back. I may have to do something dangerous, and I need you to trust me, okay?”

He watched me with a raised brow but nodded.

“I love you, and I cannot wait to be claimed by you and the beast.” I kissed the tip of his nose. Rune held me tight before I untangled myself to eagerly race to my room and take out my core.

As I walked, I crafted a ring like Rune’s but from my own sapphire core but for him. I know he’d like that, feel honored as I had. I’d keep it safe until we bound ourselves together. A symbol of hope for the future.

The closer I got to the palace, the worse I felt. My headache expanded to my eyebrows and pain shot up my arm while sliding the ring into my pocket. I hissed and tucked myself behind a column in the throne room and watched the darkness in my veins spread with a vengeance.

Focusing on keeping my breaths steady, I bit into my free hand, while the other burned like molten lava crept through my bloodstream. If anyone found me right now, it’d be over. Keeping quiet and letting this rush of pain wash over me unnoticed.

Two steps echoed in the ballroom two columns down before a woman with a somewhat familiar shrill voice spoke. “I did as you asked, Father. I searched for the entrance to the Heart Tree’s cave.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

“We thought it may be along the lake behind the palace.”

They must be talking about Crystoria. That’s where most of the books I read said it would be despite not finding it.

“But it was near those twin peaks in the mountains where we’d stopped that foolish brat,” she hissed during that last bit and the pain in my arm moved up and down the side of my ribs.

“It has protectors, so I won’t be able to portal you too close. But we can cause a distraction for you to slip through without being noticed.” That feminine voice sounded so eager to please, hopeful that she’d done right by the other.

“This is excellent news and perfect timing.” Verin. Verin knew the Heart Tree’s location.

Shit. What now?

“What is your will for me now?” she asked, voice slightly hushed.

I held my breath for a long minute just in case they were listening for any eavesdroppers. Thankfully they didn’t have Rune’s werewolf hearing, or my heartbeat would have given me away from the start.