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I guess it is. Being with Ellister makes me different. Makes me more… myself.
For the first time in my life, I feel right.
Whole.
In the past, when I’ve grieved the loss of relationships, it wasn’t about my exes. Not really. I could never pinpoint where my heartbreak came from, but now I know it’s because I was missing something—someone—I didn’t have yet.
“I promise you this,” Ellister rasps passionately. “I’ll spend the rest of our lives giving you—my lovely, wonderful mate—everything you deserve. You’ll have the finest dresses, even if I have to steal a new one every day. We’ll have a sturdy house on a farm good enough to call paradise. I’ll learn how to bake the best desserts, and I’ll find a way to make you the sweet tea you love.”
His solemn vow fills me with warmth and triggers a sugar craving.
“Speaking of sweet tea, I need some, stat. All this healthy food is making me too skinny,” I comment playfully. “I can already tell I’ve lost weight during the time I’ve been here.”
Mouth tight with stress, Ellister is all seriousness when he asks, “Have you?”
His hands drop to the dress, and he starts tugging the floor-length skirt up. Without any decorum, he gropes the waist of my pants. He sticks his fingers inside and starts feeling the looseness.
Gasping at how good it feels to have his knuckles caressing my lower belly, I grip his biceps to steady myself.
It’s the morning in my bedroom all over again when he had to button my pants for me.
So much sexual tension.
“Ellister, you better stop that unless you plan to do something about it.”
Ignoring me, he presses his palm to my forehead, then my cheeks. He’s breathing hard, and there’s a tremble in his fingers. “Are you feeling all right? Are you sick?”
He’s genuinely rattled, and I feel for him.
He’s traumatized. Not only does he harbor guilt over what happened with me, he’s terrified of it happening again.
“I’m fine,” I insist softly. “Just hungry.”
“I’ve been starving you.” Stalking over to the sleeping area, he swipes my empty water cup. It’s a rustic thing—just a hollowed-out tusk from some large animal. Maybe a boar. “I’ll get you something special.”
My hair gets blown around as a vortex suddenly opens behind Ellister.
“Where are you going?” I step toward him, wanting to cling to his arm so he stays with me.
“I’m going to remedy this at once. I must do better. I have to keep you well.”
Before I can reassure him of my health again, the breeze kicks up. The air behind him starts moving faster.
Quickly grabbing the candlestick to try to see better, I shield the flame with my hand so it doesn’t go out.
Distorted and churning, the rock wall looks like water swirling down a drain.
I can feel the power of the vortex. The pull.
“Take me with you,” I blurt.
“It’s too dangerous.” The vortex is spinning and spinning. “Don’t fret, Hannah.”
“I don’t want you to leave me—”
He catapults backward and vanishes.
“—alone.”
