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“But instead I did the opposite,” Domenico finished heavily. So many damn years had been wasted, and all because neither of them had been able to be honest.
Danilo cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt your tearful reunion—-”
“Smartass,” Domenico muttered.
“I think the same many times,” Dio said under his breath.
Danilo grinned. “Oh, so you two are on the same side now, is that it?” His voice sobered. “Are you flying back to look for that woman?”
“Her name is Misty.” And as he said it, Domenico realized with a start that it was all he knew of her. That and the fact that she worked for the family.
“Misty then. I’m afraid I have bad news. I tried to have her followed, but somehow, all the cameras in our building were down. No one’s been able to pinpoint even the direction she’s headed.”
“But she was working for us. She said so. Surely we have her on our own records—-”
“I already had Avery check all our records. She’s not in any of them.”
“I’ll still fly back,” Domenico said curtly. “I’ll find her, one way or another.” He didn’t know why he had to right now. All he knew was that he had to find her this very moment, the sooner, the better. Maybe it was the way she had looked at him before he had allowed security to take her away like a goddamn coward. It was as if she loved him, as if she wanted him to know that she loved him because the knowledge that he was loved was her way of saying goodbye.
MISTY SAT ON THE FLOOR of the bookstore across the Morettis’ building, watching the sun sink lower and lower as morning darkened into afternoon.
She looked at her watch. 01:01
An hour and a second to live.
She touched her heart, but still it beat normally, her love for Domenico never wavering.
It no longer made sense to love, to keep waiting, to keep hoping.
But she did all three anyway.
I love you, Domenico.
The words made her want to cry, but it also made her feel stronger at the same time.
Time ticked by.
00:56
I love you, Domenico.
00:45
Would the jinn truly allow her to die here? Perhaps she would be like Sleeping Beauty, and maybe it would just be one long sleep for her until a prince in wolf’s clothing came to wake her with a kiss.
00:32
Her eyes drifted closed, and pulling her legs up, she tucked her knees under her chin and bowed her head down.
00:24
I love you, Domenico.
DOMENICO’S HEART WAS beating hard, and he found it hard to breathe. He stood right outside the building his family owned and looked around him wildly. She was out there somewhere. He could feel it in his guts, like a guardian angel whispering to him what he needed to know.
He looked around again, trying to narrow down the places she could go to.
A nightclub? No, Misty was no part-goer.
A coffee shop? Not likely. Misty didn’t seem to be much of a moper.
A bookstore?
He stilled.
Yes, he could see her doing that.
She was a dreamer. Only dreamers wore their hearts on their sleeves like Misty did.
The thought had him breaking into a run, and he nearly shoved the people who blocked his way as he burst through the bookstore’s doors. His entire body shuddered with relief when he found her on the floor, looking like a little kid taking a nap.
He fell to his knees across her.
Her eyes slowly blinked open. “Domenico?”
God, she sounded so frail. Somehow, he knew that was his fault.
“Who else?” He tried to sound teasing, but the words came out uneven.
“I saw you...fly away.”
“You did.”
“But you’re here now.”
“I came back as fast as I could.” He tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ears, unsurprised to find his hand shaking.
“You turned into a werewolf?”
“A what?”
“You’re a wolf. I know you’re a wolf.”
If she didn’t sound so drowsy, he would have thought her insane. “No. I’m not. I’m a prince, a billionaire, an ex-playboy, but I’m not a werewolf.”
“Oh.”
He inhaled sharply. “Misty...I know I have no right to ask this after the shitty things I did to you, but I’m going to ask it anyway.” He looked into her eyes. “Will you be mine?”
“Not for...sharing?” Her voice broke, and it still sounded so weak it terrified him.
He said hoarsely, “Never again. If you take me, I’m yours...only yours.”
She touched his face. “D-do you think you’re in love with me?”
He shook his head.
She looked like she was about to cry.
“I’m going to sound as crazy as you are,” he whispered just before hauling her into his arms, “but I know I love you.”
Their lips touched.
When Misty opened her eyes, she was still in Domenico’s arms, but they were back in the forest and the jinn was standing in front of them.
Domenico began shaking her. Then he embraced her, tightly, just before shaking her again, as if unable to make up his mind about what he wanted to do more. “You idiot,” he grated. “You goddamn, lovable idiot. You actually thought of letting yourself die—-” The words had him cupping her face and kissing her hard.
