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“Look at how big the sink is, and it has two sections.”
It was incredibly nice, in a domestic way, to see Ayla work herself up into a tizzy over different aspects of the cooking area, but it wasn’t until she got to the large island in the center that I realized she’d never had such a place of her own. She’d grown up in the coven—I got the impression their set-ups were much older fashioned—then lived in a cave, then went straight into the military.
For the first time in her life, even if it was just for a few weeks or a month, she finally had a real kitchen.
“Wait, do you smell that?”
“Smell what?” I asked, more than amused as I leaned back against the stone counters. Here, I could watch my girl be joyous day in, day out.
“I smell dried herbs!”
I took a deep breath as Ayla practically sprinted to a door against the wall and threw it open. I smelled something, too, but it just smelled indiscriminately “good” to me rather than like a specific plant.
“There’s a larder!” She practically screamed the last word, and it was so hard not to laugh outright. Gods, I didn’t know how she could be so cute, but she was absolutely being so adorable that if I had a scrap of drawing talent, I’d be animating everything she did.
“There are dried herbs in here. I know some of these, but I don’t recognize all of them. Do you think this Tove guy has a book on island herbology here? I’d love to learn what kind of medicinal effects all these strange ones have.”
I gently coaxed her out of the larder by her elbow as I turned off the light and shut the door. As much as I was thoroughly enjoying her wonder, we did need to get some sleep as the sun began to set.
“We can check tomorrow. I’m sure even if he doesn’t, Aodin can find an islander who will know everything that’s growing out there.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” With a dreamy sigh, Ayla pressed herself to me and placed a feather-soft kiss on the tip of my nose. “Isn’t it nice to think about someday having a house just like this?”
“It is,” I said, trying not to let into my voice just how much the idea appealed to me. If I could, I would put everything down and just run away with her into the woods and be a couple of hermits forever. But I had a duty to my people, and one day, to our children. Life couldn’t thrive in Camdaria if my father remained on the throne, with Vekas barking on our borders.
“It’s funny, I always imagined you in a cooler climate,” I said.
“I dunno, a summer cottage here wouldn’t be all that bad.”
“Ooh, a summer cottage? So, you’d want to be my mate in two different homes?”
She laughed and pressed yet another kiss to me. Sometimes it felt like I could survive solely on those little pecks. Were they thrilling? Arduous? Not at all. But they didn’t need to be. They were sweet little promises of everything I’d wanted from the moment I’d felt our uninhibited connection. Glimpses of a future life filled with simplicity, joy, and tender moments.
“I’d want to be your mate anywhere.”
“Curse or not?” I pressed, and fuck, the emotions I felt through our bond practically carried me away. It wasn’t that long ago that she was so much more guarded, so in denial of any connection that we had. But now, it flowed so openly and easily between us.
I wasn’t sure what finally let her be honest with herself and with me, but I was so incredibly grateful for it.
“Curse or not. A thousand curses or not. It may be selfish of me, but I can’t even pretend that I’m willing to give up what we have.”
“I’m right there with you,” I said, feeling a tightness in the back of my throat from just how much she moved me. Captivated me. “No matter what happens, it’s you and me.”
“Us,” she said like she could read my mind.
“Us,” I agreed with all my heart.
It was like that, connected by our souls, connected hand in hand, that we found our way to the bedroom and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
This time, I wouldn’t have to sneak away in the early hours before dawn, afraid that someone might spot us. I could awake at my leisure and pretend, at least for a few days, that we were just two people in love.
It was one fantasy I hoped would last.
Chapter 11
Ayla
I woke up to a delicious smell I didn’t expect. I’d gotten used to being fed every morning with delicious fare in the castle, but I was used to the scrumptious scents only filling my room after the full cart was delivered and the platters uncovered.
