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“It is not that simple.”
“Yes, it is.” He drops his forehead gently to mine. “My heart has always belonged to you. And if you will give me a chance, I will prove myself worthy of yours again, Luna.” His green eyes stare deep into mine. “You are my mate, and I do not want anyone else but you. Please, will you allow me to court you according to your human ways?”
His words pierce my heart.
All this time, I thought I had gotten over him, but I know now that I was wrong. With just one look, he has already broken through the walls around my heart.
CHAPTER11
MALAK
My heart clenches as I wait for her reply, worried she will reject me.
“I need time, Malak,” she speaks softly.
I’m relieved at her answer. She still loves me. I know she must. If she did not, she would have said so. Instead, she has asked for time.
This is something I can give her. And in doing so, I vow that I will prove to her that I am worthy to be hers. That I can be the mate that she deserves.
“I understand.”
Rain continues to fall around us, and an icy wind blows through the woods. I tighten my arms around her, and she nestles into me, still shivering. “This will not do,” I whisper. “I need to shift forms.”
I gently set her on the ground and then step away. In a whirl of leaves and wind, I shift into my wolven form and then return to her side. I curl my body around hers, and she nestles against my side. Draping my tail over her body, I am pleased when a soft sigh of contentment leaves her mouth. “Thank you, Mal.”
I love the familiar way my name rolls off her tongue, reminding me of all the time we spent in the woods when we were younger.
“Do you remember that time we got caught out in the snow in the forest?” she asks.
I turn my head toward her, arching a brow.“I recall that I told you the weather was turning, but you insisted that we stay out.”
“I thought it was only going to be a light snow,” she says wistfully. “How was I to know it would turn into a blizzard?”
Playfully, I nudge her shoulder with my snout.“Because I told you it would.”
“You and those superior wolf senses of yours.” A faint smile curves her mouth. “My parents were so worried… They thought I was dead.” She traces her hand along my jaw. “But you kept us safe and warm like this.”
I lean into her palm, relishing the contact between us. When we were younger, before we’d admitted our feelings for each other, I would often take this form, knowing how much more comfortable she was… how easily she would touch me like this.
My inner wolf knew then that she was my mate long before even I recognized it myself.
She snuggles further into my side, and I drape my tail over her form to cover her. “What did you do?” she asks. “After we left? How did you keep your father from coming after us?”
“I burned the estate to the ground, with my father’s guards inside.”
Her jaw drops.
“He did not even know I’d been gone from the castle when I returned that night.” I frown. “And when he finally discovered you were still alive, it was too late. You were already in Avalor.”
“What of you?” I ask. “What did you do after you escaped?”
She lowers her gaze. “At first, Father sent me and Mother into hiding, worried your father would send assassins.” She pauses. “When Winterhold pushed through our borders, your warriors were so close to the capital, we had to evacuate to the south. Father is favored by the king and so we were evacuated with the royal family.”
A low growl rumbles my chest as I think of Prince Duren. I’d always heard he was a rake and then witnessed it in the gardens. The thought of him touching Luna sends fire racing through my veins. “Did you spend much time with the prince then?”
She shrugs. “A fair amount.”
I bite back a growl. I know I have no right to be upset or to even ask, but I cannot stop the words from leaving my mouth. “How close were you to the prince?”
