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He let out a resigned breath and straightened. “Do you remember the accident at the Hulten lake three years ago?”
How could she forget? On that fateful day, the first emissary had appeared in her life, claiming that she owed Dargan her future son or daughter. Although of course, Cullen hadn’t told her that at first.
“Yes?”
“I took my sister swimming that afternoon… and I got drunk with a friend. I didn’t see how rough the lake had become because I was so out of it.”
“The storm hit out of nowhere,” she reassured in a weak tone. The ground suddenly seemed to be moving under her as her past and present collided, narrowing in on her. Her fingers tightened around his arms, and the images barreled down on her.
The pleasant scent of sweet water surrounded her. The fish she’d caught flapped about inside the bucket by her feet. She’d loved fishing her entire life—as the daughter of a fisherman, it ran in her blood. But that afternoon in the lake, the sky turned black suddenly, and the wind kicked up waves high enough to rock her boat.
She wasn’t far from the shore, and the screams of two girls called her to the deep end.
The first girl she pulled out was young and lithe, with tawny skin and raven hair. Violet was an excellent swimmer, and with her magic aiding her she could drag the child into her boat, even though the waters were treacherous.
Then she chased after the fair-skinned girl with golden hair, diving into the murky waters. Deeper and deeper, until her lungs burned with the lack of air. But whatever Violet did, she could never get to her, could never reach her.
It was the first emissary who hauled Violet out of the water before she drowned herself in pursuit of the girl. She later found out there had never been a second girl at all. Cullen’s special power was to create mirages—a gift that ran in his bloodline and was coveted by the God of Shadows.
He’d tricked her into believing he’d saved her that afternoon—when he was the one who’d almost killed her with his storm.
“I rescued your sister?” she asked, pushing down the bitter memories. After Cullen had taken her back to shore, Violet had met the little girl she’d saved and her brother. Gavin’s features were a blur in her memory, like she’d been placed under a spell to forget him.
She remembered vaguely that a drunken fool had offered to help her feel better. Which now made sense, since Gavin was a healer. More missing puzzle pieces coming together.
Cullen had declined Gavin’s offer of help, likely because he had his own devious plans to nurse Violet back to health and make her fall in love with him so she would carry his baby. Then he could have delivered the child to Dargan with a golden bow. The bastard.
“You did,” Gavin said. “I was an irresponsible idiot. I was so out of it that I lost track of where she’d gone.” He scratched the back of his neck while his cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.
“You told me that she loved me when we were back at Laura’s place. You meant that.”
“Yes, and so do my parents. They were so happy that you were going to be my wife, and I…”
“You what?”
He swallowed and combed his hair away from his face, breathing faster as he looked back at her. “I have been half in love with you for the better part of three years.”
Violet’s pulse raced, and all the places his body touched hers tingled with a sudden awareness. His muscular arms flexed underneath her hands when he reached for her waist. She couldn’t possibly tell him she’d also been thinking of him for more than a year now, obsessing over him from afar.
While she’d been very good at denying it before, he’d completely torn down all the walls she’d built around her heart to protect herself from further heartbreak. His words made her giddy in a way she’d never allowed herself to be in her life.
Violet couldn’t promise him a forever, but she would enjoy being with him for however long Dargan and his emissaries let her. She rose up on tiptoes, and everything fell away the moment her lips touched his. All that was left was the softness of a kiss that caught fire.
His breath hitched when she pulled the hood of his coat off his head and dug her fingers into his hair. She’d been craving to do that for so long. His tongue traced the edge of her mouth, and she opened to him, eager for more. He tasted like home.
Violet pressed herself to him until there wasn’t an inch of air between them. She wanted to suffocate the fluttering need that burst to life between her legs. He growled, and his hands trailed down her spine and hooked underneath her ass.
Then she registered a muzzle nipping at her hair. Right. Twenty-one had got tired of waiting. Her warm, steamy breath hit the nape of Violet’s neck. She swatted at her mare, but the beast was as stubborn as herself.
Gavin laughed against her lips and pulled away. There was something close to adoration shining in his eyes. She didn’t deserve it. “We need to go,” he said, although his resistance bled away when she drew him into another kiss.
She didn’t want to come back to reality, not just yet. She wanted to stay forever inside his arms. Allow his kisses to wash away all lingering traces of Julius’ touch, of all the hurt she’d endured in the past.
The sound of leather boots tapping over stone resonated in the background, and both of them broke apart.
Mios came through the doorframe a moment later, tilting his head so he didn’t hit it on his way in. Now that he’d cleaned himself and trimmed his beard, he looked ruggedly handsome in his new clothes, standing with a powerful and elegant stance. His ebony scarf held as many melting snowflakes as the mane on his head. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Was he? He appeared mildly uncomfortable. Mostly, he looked annoyed. Probably because he’d been outside in the snow while they were in here, getting extra cozy.
