Page 16 of Knotting Sleeping Beauty

“Daddy.”

I throw myself into his arms, and he holds me so tight I can’t breathe. He’s shaking, this big, proud, powerful king, shaking. Then my mother is there too, throwing her arms around both of us, sobbing and whispering my name over and over like if she stops saying it I’ll vanish again.

I feel Kael standing back, giving us space. A warm, steady presence in my chest.

I’m here.

When I pull back from my parents, my mother cups my face. Her hands are thinner than I remember. Her eyes, though, are the same warm brown. And they’re full of tears.

“My baby. My baby girl.”

“Hi, Mama.”

My father’s eyes move past me. To Kael, who’s standing at the base of the tower, massive and scarred and fucking unmistakable. Then they go to the mark on my neck. And his eyes narrow…

“Rosalind.” His voice is dangerously calm. “What is that on your neck?”

“Uh… a bonding mark?” I ask than I say, thorn between amusement and worry about his reaction.

“I can see that. Whose bonding mark?”

I step back and hold my hand out. Kael steps forward and takes it. His fingers close around mine and through our bond, I feel his steadiness and complete absence of fear.

“Daddy,” I say, “this is Kael Voss, King of Valdemar. He walked through the thorns. He woke me up. And he’s my mate.”

My father stares at our joined hands. Then at Kael. Then at the mark on my neck. Then, at the matching mark on Kael’s neck.

Then, at Kael again. I almost laugh…

“You bonded my daughter,” he says flatly.

“Yes, sir,” Kael nods.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing.

My mother, God bless her, takes one look at us, at our joined hands, at our matching marks, at the way we’re standing close, like we cannot be separated, and bursts into new tears. Happy ones, I hope…

“Oh, you found each other.”

My father opens his mouth, probably to say something kingly and threatening, and my mother puts her hand on his arm.

“Alaric. Look at her.”

He looks. Really looks. Past the bonding mark, the too-big shirt and my tangled hair. My daddy looks at my face, my eyes. Then his jaw unclenches, and he turns to Kael with eyes that are still sharp but no longer lethal.

“You’ll take care of her.”

It’s not a question.

“With everything I have,” my mate promises.

My father nods once. Then he pulls me into his arms again and holds me so tight I feel his heartbeat against mine.

“I missed you, my little rose,” he whispers at my temple.

“Missed you too, Daddy.”

He laughs, letting out a wet, broken, fucking beautiful sound.