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Chapter Nineteen
Soren
Our betters…
She didn’t think she could walk up and say hi to one of her betters. Not that I didn’t know how things had worked for the last several decades. And I blamed myself for accepting the way things were and not attempting to make changes sooner.
“Freya, you’re the better of us. Every moment we’ve spent with you has shown us that. You make our home a place of peace and happiness. And you don’t seem at all interested in what being our mate can give you in terms of material possessions.”
She gave a tiny shrug. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the comforts of our home. It’s just…I don’t know. I guess my priorities are different. Growing up with Hilda”—her eyes swam with tears at the name, but she blinked them away—“I didn’t have a lot of stuff, but I had what I needed. Clothes and enough to eat and a comfortable place to sleep. And someone who cared about me.”
“We care about you.” I swallowed hard and held her close to me. “And we’re going to find her, mate. Promise.”
“I believe you.” The pink tip of her tongue peeked between her lips then disappeared. “Why did you want me to stay, by the way? Did you need something?”
My smile appeared all on its own at her words. “You. I need you.”
“I’m right here, Soren. In case you didn’t notice.” She reached up and outlined my lips. “So, if you want to kiss me or…or anything? I don’t have any other plans right now.”
And then I did kiss her. She was so close to me, her warm breath fanned over my lips before I moved at all, but once our lips connected, there was no turning back. I’d thought to just spend some time together, make out a little and start to build physical comfort between us, but somehow that all went out the window. Or maybe the door as I strode through it with my mate in my arms. I was headed across the living room with my bedroom in my sights. Freya’s scent wrapped around me. Sweet and spicy and delicate and wild all at the same time. And I couldn’t wait any longer for her.
“Soren?” she whispered.
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
My heart melted into a puddle in my shoes. “I love you, too, mate, and I want to show you how much in every way I can.” My bedroom door was open, and I carried her inside, giving the door a shove with my hip to close it behind us.
Setting her on the bed, I sank to sit beside her and took her hands in mine. “Freya, when we were first presented to you—”
“Or me to you.” Her voice was tense.
“Could we agree we were given to one another?” I waited for her nod before going on. “Okay, so I was offering you a gift at the time?”
She looked down at our linked hands. “And I rejected it. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. We weren’t ready for one another then. But if I offered it to you now? Would you accept it?”
She lifted her gaze to meet mine. “I am learning that the gifts from that day have some real significance. I take it this one does, too? I think it was a book?”
“My grandfather’s journal.”
“Oh my gods, and I rejected it out of hand.” More tears filled her eyes, but this time I kissed them away.
“No, Freya, no tears. It was too soon, and you were right to say no. It wasn’t even my idea.”
A crease formed between her brows. “Whose idea was it?”
“Grandfather’s. He told me to give it to my mate so she would understand.”
“Understand…”
“Everything. The things we were talking about earlier. How we got to this point. And I have a feeling he thought maybe you were the answer to undo the mistakes he made and the ones we’ve made since.”
“Okay, I want it, but I am not going to read it tonight because all I want in this room right now is you and I,” she said. “I mean…okay?”
“More than okay.” I let go of her hands and dragged her across my lap, a place I hoped she’d be spending a lot of time going forward. I didn’t mind sharing her with her other mates, but I’d be sure to get kisses every day and more as often as I could.
