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The cool night air brushed against my skin, and I shivered, turning my head to look around the room. With a start, I realized that the master bedroom window was wide open, and the curtains were billowing with the fresh mountain breeze. Goosebumps prickled along my arms, and I couldn’t help but glance around. Something about the room seemed different tonight.
Moonlight filtered through the open window, casting silvery shadows on the plush grey carpet. The large bed dominated the room, its pristine white sheets and fluffy pillows inviting us to relax, yet as I glanced around, I couldn’t help but notice that a few small details were out of place.
Someone had been in here.
My brush, usually neatly set on the nightstand, lay askew, its bristles lying against the smooth wood. A few trinkets on the shelves had been shifted from their usual spots, and the room, despite its dimly lit serenity, carried an undercurrent of unease that made my heart race. It was as if an intruder had tiptoed through the room, leaving behind subtle signs of his presence that sent shivers down my spine.
With a wariness that matched my own, Kane lowered me onto the bed with the utmost care, his eyes narrowing as he took in the disarray of the room. I grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed and covered myself as best I could.
My heart raced as he spotted a folded piece of paper resting on the pristine white pillow. His expression grew grave, and my fear intensified. I shifted closer to him, my eyes glued to the mysterious letter.
“I take it you didn’t write that for me,” I murmured. I worried my bottom lip with my teeth and clutched the blanket even tighter around me, imagining it was a shield that would protect me from whatever this was.
“No. I didn’t,” he answered, his voice strained with concern.
With deliberate caution, Kane picked up the letter, and my breath caught in my throat. The fear in my chest swelled, and I held onto him tightly, seeking comfort in his strength. His gaze never left the paper, and as he began to read, his brows furrowed with concern.
“It’s from Aric,” he said, his voice steady but laced with tension. “He’s willing to leave you alone, Lexie, forever, if I agree to meet him face to face.”
I couldn’t hold back a gasp, my heart pounding in my chest. The thought of Kane confronting Aric filled me with dread, and I shook my head.
He couldn’t.
“Kane, you can’t go,” I urged, my voice quivering. “He’s dangerous, and we don’t know what he’s planning. It’s a trap, I’m sure of it.”
Kane’s eyes met mine, a deep conflict etched across his rugged features. He understood the dangers as well as I did, but he also knew the threat Aric posed to both of us.
“I know it’s risky,” he admitted, his voice heavy with concern. “But if I don’t go, he’ll keep coming after us, and I can’t let that happen. I won’t put you in danger anymore, Lexie.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the depth of Kane’s determination. He was willing to face this perilous challenge to protect me, even if it meant risking his own life.
“Kane, I’m scared,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
He reached out and gently cradled my face in his hands, his touch reassuring and tender.
“I promise you, Lexie,” he said, his gaze locked with mine, “I’ll do everything in my power to come back to you, but I can’t let this threat linger over our heads any longer. I love you too much to see you hurt. It is a nightmare to imagine anything worse.”
I stopped short, opening my mouth in shock. The weight of Kane’s words, the depth of his love, settled over me like a warm, comforting blanket. To hear him declare his love first, to witness the sincerity in his eyes as he uttered those three powerful words, filled me with an overwhelming sense of joy and relief. It was as if he had peeled away the layers of uncertainty that had shrouded our relationship, exposing the raw, vulnerable truth that bound us together.
“I love you too,” I breathed.
“You’re my mate, my moon, my stars, my everything,” he murmured. “I can’t allow Aric to continue to exist now that I found you, not if it puts you in danger. Do you understand me, little one?”
“I understand,” I whispered.
“Good.”
CHAPTER17
Two days later…
Kane
Kane,
I’ve grown tired of the shadows. It’s time we settle this once and for all. I challenge you to a duel, a man-to-man confrontation. If you win, I’ll leave you and your mate in peace forever. But if I win, well, we both know what is going to happen after that.
Meet me at the old clearing near the river where it all began, three days from now, at midnight. Come alone. This is a matter between you and me.
