Page 121 of Veil of Blood and Bone

And in the pause I reach back for her as well. “I’m sorry.”

Her gaze flicks up to mine. “Why would you apologize? I’m alive.”

For now.

My skin tightens, prickled by awareness, as if the gods themselves are holding their breath for what comes next.

“Everything,” I murmur. I won't stop. “I’m sorry for all of it.” Another beat, then, “Odin came down to claim you himself.”

Helene turns my hand up to study my knuckles and the cracks that will never mend, the rough parts I’ll carry like reminders.

Odin doomed the four of us. I can turn others to immortals, but never her. My blood will heal mortal wounds on everyone but her.

“Experience is a harsh teacher. I am the cause of your death time and again.”

“In other words, we shouldn’t be this close,” she whispers. “So why can’t I stop touching you?”

The lump in my throat expands. It cuts off every assurance. “I don’t want to hurt you.” Why would she believe me? “I promise this.” It’s my concession. “I will do everything in my power to keep you alive this time.”

“Kind of hard when you’re fighting fate. And hunger.” Her lashes flutter down to her cheeks. “I know how it feels to want something bad enough to taste it, even when you know it’s wrong for you.”

“And what do you want, Helene?”

“A lot of things.”

A tense smile pulls, but I stay rigid, detached. As detached as a man like me can be with an inch between us, nothing more. Nothing less.

“Like what?”

My spine flexes as I push against her, heat rocking up where our palms meet.

Her throat works, and her scent changes. Deepens. The primitive part of me that first roared in recognition of her wakes.

“Like I said. I want a lot of things.” She moves slowly toward me. “I want a real house, a place to put down roots. Stability. I want to go to the grocery store and not count pennies.” And in a smaller voice, she adds, “I want to feel safe.”

She’s too near for me to keep fighting the thrall.

And she’s not going anywhere. Neither am I. No matter how much it kills me to be this close without tasting her.

I’m so fucking hard my cock rubs the inside of my pants like another punishment from the gods.

And I relish it. The flood of emotion, the anticipation of what might happen.

Alive. Damned.

“You can have all those things,” I reply.

“I don’t see how it’s possible, Nicholas...”

“At least you’re taking this well. It’s a start.”

She stares a hole through the wall, like this entire place will crumble around her and give her a different vantage, a better view. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“Illusions of control aside? I like to think there’s a choice.”

“Is it so wrong to want something more? To want something magical?” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Love, maybe?”

My throat closes.