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“Remember, I’d been outcast by my father.”
“So?”
“So, if he couldn’t love me, who else could?” It made sense in my head.
Katerina shook her head. “Right. Your dad whochoseto not love you. That is different thancouldn’t. And I don’t know a whole lot about the situation, but of the few things you’ve just said, I don’t know why you’d let this one guy dictate your self-worth. He’s clearly an asshole.”
“Yes, yes he was.” I chuckled. Rather than try to explain in another way, I let the topic drop for the time being. “Regardless of how logical my reasoning is or isn’t, I’d come to terms with the idea of being alone. Then you entered the castle and all of that changed. I wanted to properly woo you. To bring you into my world and show you the possibilities of our future together. And then I messed it all up.”
“Turning into a dragon first thing in the morning is definitely far from a gentle introduction,” Katerina said.
A small smile was on her lips as she spoke. I was making ground.
“I left because I didn’t want you to go into shock. While I was gone, I came up with all the reasons I should stay away.” I held up a hand when she opened her mouth, probably to protest. “I know it’s no excuse. Leaving, and especially not returning, was not the right course of action to take. In the moment, I wanted to protect you. Then, I decided you could do so much better than me.”
She laughed. “Funny, I’ve been thinking the same thing myself. That you could do better thanme.”
That broke my heart to hear. “But you’re perfection.”
She gazed at me for a second, then cleared her throat. “What now?”
“I want another chance. I want to show you how true our connection is.” I gazed down at my hands in my lap. “Please, forgive me.”
“I can’t deny there is a connection,” she said softly. “I felt it that night, and I feel it now. As much as I tell myself there’s nothing going on, nothing between us, I know it’s a lie. Fighting it is starting to get exhausting.”
“Then we can return to my realm and—”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not going back there. It’s cold and bleak and my life is here! I have a class of students who are counting on me, and my dad. If Sarah and Nadia stay over there, then who is going to look after him? He’s really sick. I’m not sure if Sarah told you. Our relationship with him isn’t stellar, but I could never abandon him.”
I nodded, my heart sinking once more. Rejected again. “I understand. Then I will take my leave.”
“You’re going?” She gasped. “Just like that?”
“If you don’t want me...”
“I said I’m not going back to your realm,” she snapped. “But you can stay here...with me. If you want to.”
My heart began to beat faster at the idea. Excitement and fear pulsing through me. She wanted me to stay! However, staying in the human realm would be tricky. No other shifters. I’d be forced to live the life of an ordinary man. Was I capable ofonlybeing human? What if I couldn’t blend in?
But when I looked at Katerina, with her big, beautiful eyes and stunning face, I couldn’t refuse. This was my chance to prove to her that I wanted her. All of her.
I nodded. “All right, I’ll stay with you. Long enough for us to figure out something more long-term.”
“Sure,” she mumbled. “I’ll get some blankets and pillows for you so you’re comfortable on the couch.”
“The...couch.” A loud and clear message if there ever was one. She didn’t want to share her bed with me.
She disappeared down a nearby hallway, then I heard a door open and close again. “You got lucky once. I’m not ready to be so...intimate with you. I have a lot to think about, and a lot has changed.”
“For the better, I hope.”
When she returned, she held a small pile of blankets and pillows. She was smiling, so I took that as a good sign. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you. Right now, that’s all I can promise. You wanted a chance.”
“Yes.” More than anything.
“This is it.” She handed me the blankets. “Now, I was just eating dinner. Are you hungry?”
I nodded. My stomach still churned with nerves, but I would do anything for my one true mate. Every second we had to bond, I was going to take. Even if it meant living in a foreign world.
