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It was now her home with Kingston.
She had teleported them to the highest stone bridge that traversed over the series of waterfalls outside of the magical cottage where he would have the best view of the entire area. With her back pressed tight against his much larger body, she felt his sharp intake of breath and held her own as she waited for his reaction.
The cottage itself looked like it was built directly inside three massive trees that were partially shielded with a layer of bright green moss. There were mushroom cap porticos over the colorful stained-glass windows, and bridges that connected the trees together. The front door was set in the center of where the tree trunks merged, and the exterior of the cottage was surrounded by a kaleidoscope of glowing flowers. Those bright, colorful blooms also lined the walkway of smoothed gray stones that led down to the covered decks near the waterfalls.
All in all, it was a totally kickass magical treehouse.
“This place is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kingston said. “Are we still in the Human Realm?”
Pleased by the awe she heard in his voice, she told him, “We are right outside of the Bazin pack’s land. I created this place a few days ago.” She paused before saying, “It’s our new home.”
One of his brows winged up. “Our?”
“Ours,” she confirmed, turning in his arms so she could look up at him. “As in yours and mine…mate.”
Chapter Eight
By the gods,being this close to Kingston was enough to take Autumn’s breath away. Sure, she had stood by him, had briefly touched him, and brushed up against him before, but having his arms wrapped around her was a whole new experience. Even yesterday, being embraced by Kingston Spencer would have seemed like an unattainable dream.
However, doing the impossible was sort of her thing these days.
He was a handsome male, but it was so much more than that. Besides his perfect features, he had an almost regal bearing that commanded attention. She’d often heard people commenting about how cold his gray eyes were, but she’d always thought they were wrong. Whenever he looked at her with his piercing gaze, she thought his eyes were like twin globes of molten silver, exquisitely hot and beautiful.
She’d seen pictures of him from the past and wished his inky black hair was still long enough for her to run her fingers through. Still, even with an almost shaved head, he was devastatingly handsome. She wanted to reach up to touch him, to trace her fingertips along his strong jawline, and rub her palm against the dark stubble there.
He towered over her, making her feel even more feminine and petite than usual. Some people found his hulking frame and dark aura intimidating, but she’d never feared him. Being near Kingston had always made her feel protected, like nothing and no one could ever hurt her. That might have seemed odd since he kept himself aloof and distant most of the time, but she’d often felt his gaze on her like a physical caress, and his intense stare had the power to make her shiver.
Despite his usually reserved nature, she’d always been drawn to him. Since he was close to Huxley and a few of the other members of the pack, she had gotten to know him through them, as well as seeing him in the bakery almost every day.
While he’d never shown any overt interest in her, he always showed he had cared about her in small, subtle ways. Like how he would just materialize next to her car when she had groceries to carry upstairs or to drop off at the bakery. If something was bothering her, more than once she’d glanced up to find him close by, as if he’d been silently telling her that he was there for her if she needed him.
While she’d always considered that merely a fanciful thought, that had been before she’d known who he was to her. Now, Autumn knew she’d been feeling the bond between them, and that her attraction and admiration for him went way beyond a simple crush. They were no longer just friends and neighbors. They were true mates, and what they had was a love that would last forever.
“Tumi…”
Her gaze tracked down to his lips as he softly spoke her name. She had always loved the nickname her friends called her, but it sounded extra special coming from Kingston’s lips. She wanted to press her lips to his, to taste her name on his tongue. She wanted to suck his full lower lip into her mouth. She’d fantasized about kissing him for three long years and couldn’t wait to finally be able to lose herself in the heat and passion building between them.
But she held herself back.
There was something she had to say before they could officially begin.
Her hands trembled with the need to reach for him, so she curled them into fists so tight that her nails cut into her palms. She thumped a fisted hand against his chest in what she’d thought was a lightthump, but she’d obviously miscalculated. The little love tap was enough to send him rocking back a step. She hadn’t meant to hurt him, but she couldn’t accurately gauge her strength anymore.
At his grunt of pain, she immediately opened her hand and stroked the ache away with her fingers. She wasn’t an expert at healing, but she understood enough of the basics to make sure he was okay.
Freaking hell, she couldn’t even scold him properly.
She really was a fool in love.
“You knew. Damn it, all this time, you knew we were mates,” she accused, belying the harsh words with the soft, soothing strokes she used as she continued to pet his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He gripped her hand, holding it over his heart. “I couldn’t. Not with all the fucked-up shit going on in my life. I have too many enemies, and they are all watching for me to make a mistake. Until I can figure out who set me up and why, I’ll always have a target on my back. I couldn’t risk you getting hurt. I can’t. It would fucking break me, Autumn. Going to prison would be nothing compared to the pain I’d feel if something happened to you.”
She barely held back a wince. She knew who was behind the entire scheme against him. She’d seen it in the memory flashes, but she wasn’t going to tell him that just yet. He deserved the truth, and she would give it to him, but she wanted to hold off for as long as she could.
Because the answer was going to break his heart.
“I have to keep you safe,” he said, a little desperately. “If something ever happened to you, I—”
