Page 158

“I do.” He could read me so damn easily.

Draven led me to the edge of a large clearing, and I looked around. “What is this place?”

My mate walked over to a massive ancient tree. His eyes were bright with excitement as he turned to me and pressed his hand to the rough bark. The clearing shimmered, a rainbow of colors, that shot up as far as the eye could see.

“What…what is this?”

Draven strode to me. “Our oasis. We’re on our honeymoon, petal. And before you ask, Nia’s with Ebs.”

I gaped up at him. “But I haven’t packed anything?”

“You won’t need clothes,” he growled.

Excitement filled me, and I grinned up at him. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“If we have an eternity together, petal, I think we need to start it out right. You game?”

I grinned so wide my cheeks hurt. “Always.”

He flashed his teeth, gripped my hand tighter, and we walked through the shimmering wall into paradise.

Rose

Music drifted into my window from outside.

It was Mom’s birthday, and my sisters had thrown her a party. I’d been downstairs for a while, but when I’d started falling asleep, Art had carried me up to bed.

Else was sitting in the chair beside me, missing out on all the fun because, for some reason, I was still alive.

I was more than ready to die.

It’d be better for my family and for me if this would just…end. They’d miss me, but they’d been forced to take care of me my whole life. It hurt them to look at me, to watch me suffer, and I didn’t want them to hurt anymore. I wasn’t even strong enough to use my magic to help them. It was still inside me, I felt it there, but it was as weak as I was.

“You can go down, Else. I-I’m fine here on my own,” I said and hated how weak my voice sounded.

“I’m not going anywhere, kiddo…”

“I can stay if you’d like,” a deep yet quiet voice said from the doorway.

Ronan.

I didn’t know why he hung out with me, but I was glad he did. He didn’t treat me like I was made of glass. He wasn’t bogged down with emotions, so he didn’t feel the need to tiptoe around me or feel sorry for me. He told me the truth, always.

“You okay if I leave you with Ronan?” Else asked and winked.

My whole family thought I had a crush on him. They were wrong—I was completely and utterly in love with him.

I nodded.

Else stood, kissed my forehead and walked out, patting Ronan on the shoulder as she passed.

He walked in, and I ate up the sight of him. He was wearing trousers and a deep blue button-down shirt; the sleeves rolled up his muscled forearms. He’d let his hair grow a little longer, and tonight he’d combed it back. He looked sexy and dangerous, and I really wanted to see him naked.

Too bad I wouldn’t be able to do anything with him if he was naked. I couldn’t stand, let alone have sex. I was going to die a virgin, which sucked. Not that Ronan would ever want me that way—I didn’t know if he wanted anyone that way, honestly, but a dying girl could dream, right?

“How are you this evening, Rose?” Ronan asked and placed a small plate of cheese and crackers beside me since his life mission seemed to be trying to feed me.

“Okay,” I said and smiled up at him. The male had that effect on me. He didn’t smile back. He never did. I didn’t think he knew how. “Wouldn’t you rather be down having fun at the party than up here with me?”