Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ASTER
Something was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it at first — just a feeling, a prickle at the back of my neck, the same instinct that had kept me alive through years of running.
But over the past few days, the feeling had grown stronger, sharper, impossible to ignore.
It started with small things. A fence post on the north pasture that had been fine the day before, suddenly broken clean through.
Feed bags in the barn that had been slashed open, grain spilled across the floor like someone had taken a knife to them.
Tools that went missing and turned up in strange places, if they turned up at all.
Reid noticed it too. I could see it in the tension that had crept back into his shoulders, the way his dark eyes scanned the property with renewed vigilance, the way he'd started doing perimeter checks twice a day instead of once.
I found him on the porch that morning, coffee in hand, his gaze fixed on something in the distance, his jaw tight with worry.
"Something's wrong, isn't it?" My voice was soft as I stepped through the screen door, my bare feet quiet on the wooden planks, my arms wrapped around myself against the morning chill.
"Feel what?" He didn't look at me, his voice carefully neutral, his fingers tightening on the mug, steam curling up between us in the cool morning air, his shoulders rigid beneath his flannel shirt.
"Don't." I moved to stand beside him, close enough that our shoulders brushed, my voice soft but firm, my eyes searching his profile, my hand reaching out to rest on his forearm.
"Don't pretend with me. Something's wrong.
You've been checking the perimeter twice a day and your scent's been off for a week. "
He was quiet for a long moment, his dark eyes still fixed on the horizon, his chest rising and falling with a slow, controlled breath. Then his shoulders dropped slightly, some of the tension bleeding out of him.
"The fence on the north pasture." His voice was low, rough, his jaw working like he was chewing on the words before letting them out, his dark eyes finally sliding to meet mine. "It wasn't weather damage. The posts were cut. Clean through, with a saw."
My stomach dropped, cold dread pooling in my gut, my fingers curling into fists at my sides.
"Easton." The name came out flat, certain, my voice hard with barely contained anger, my jaw tightening at the memory of his smile, his scent, the way he'd looked at me like I was something to be owned.
"Maybe." Reid finally turned to face me fully, his dark eyes soft despite the worry in them, his free hand coming up to cup my face, his thumb stroking across my cheekbone with familiar tenderness. "Maybe not. Could be coincidence. Could be kids from town causing trouble."
"You don't believe that." I leaned into his touch, needing the contact, needing the grounding weight of his palm against my skin, my voice quiet but certain, my eyes searching his.
"No." He admitted, his voice rough, his dark eyes burning with something fierce and protective, his hand tightening on my face, his jaw flexing with barely contained emotion. "I don't."
We stood there for a moment, the weight of unspoken fear hanging between us. I could feel his worry like a physical thing, could smell it in the sharpness of his scent, cedar and woodsmoke gone bitter with stress.
"Reid." I reached up and covered his hand with mine, pressing it more firmly against my cheek, my eyes holding his, my heart pounding with something that had nothing to do with fear, my voice dropping to something soft and urgent. "Whatever happens. Whatever's coming. I love you."
He went still, his dark eyes widening, his breath catching in his chest, his whole body freezing like I'd said something he couldn't quite process, his fingers trembling against my skin.
"What?" His voice came out strangled, disbelieving, his hand trembling against my face, his eyes searching mine like he was looking for a lie, his lips parting in shock.
"I love you." I said it again, stronger this time, surer, my voice steady despite the way my heart was racing, my free hand coming up to rest on his chest, feeling his heart pounding beneath my palm.
"I should have said it sooner. I should have said it a hundred times by now.
But I love you, Reid. I love you so much it terrifies me. "
Something cracked in his expression — the careful control he always maintained, the walls he'd built around himself, the distance he kept even when he was holding me close.
His eyes went bright with tears he refused to let fall, his jaw working with emotion he couldn't hide, his whole face softening in a way I'd never seen before.
"Aster." My name came out broken, reverent, his voice rough with feeling, his forehead dropping to rest against mine, his breath hot on my lips, his hands coming up to cradle my face like I was something precious.
"God, Aster. I love you too. I've loved you since the moment you growled at me in my own barn. "
I laughed, the sound wet with unshed tears, my hands fisting in his shirt, my heart so full it ached, my eyes bright as I looked up at him.
"I didn't growl." My voice was thick with emotion, my lips twitching toward a smile, my fingers curling tighter into his flannel. "I made a... assertive sound."
"You growled." His laugh was soft, warm, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me against his chest, his chin resting on top of my head, his voice dropping to something tender and teasing. "Like a little feral kitten. It was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen."
"I am not adorable." I grumbled against his chest, but I was smiling, my arms wrapping around his waist, my body melting into his warmth, my voice muffled by his shirt. "I am fierce and terrifying."
"You're both." He pressed a kiss to my hair, his arms tightening around me, his purr rumbling to life in his chest, the vibration spreading through both of us, his voice soft with adoration. "Fierce and terrifying and adorable and mine. All mine."
"All yours." I agreed, tilting my head up to catch his lips in a soft kiss, pouring everything I felt into the gentle press of my mouth against his, my hands sliding up to cup his face.
The moment was broken by Kol's voice floating through the screen door.
"If you two are done being disgustingly cute, breakfast is ready.
" His tone was teasing, warm with amusement, his golden eyes dancing with mischief when I turned to look at him through the screen, his dark hair still mussed from sleep, an apron tied around his waist. "And by ready, I mean it's been ready for ten minutes and it's getting cold, so chop chop. "
Reid sighed against my hair, reluctant to let go, his arms loosening but not releasing, his voice low and fond, his breath warm against my scalp.
"Coming." He pressed one more kiss to my forehead before stepping back, his hand finding mine and intertwining our fingers, his dark eyes soft as they met mine, his thumb stroking across my knuckles. "We'll talk more later. About the fence. About... everything."
I nodded, squeezing his hand, my heart still racing from the weight of what we'd said, from the love I could feel pulsing between us like a living thing.
Inside, the kitchen smelled like bacon and coffee and Kol's particular brand of chaos. He was plating eggs with a flourish, his dark hair falling across his forehead, his golden eyes bright with the simple joy of feeding people he loved.
"Sit, sit." He waved us toward the table with his spatula, his voice warm and commanding, his apron — bright yellow with "Kiss the Cook" printed across the front — splattered with grease, his bare feet padding across the kitchen floor.
"I made your favorite. Cheesy eggs with extra cheese, because I listen when my girl talks about her preferences. "
My girl. The casual possessiveness of it made my chest warm, made something flutter in my stomach.
"Kol." I caught his arm as he passed, stopping him mid-bustle, my voice soft but urgent, my eyes searching his face, my fingers curling around his wrist.
"What?" He looked down at me, his golden eyes going soft with concern, his brow furrowing slightly, his free hand coming up to brush a strand of hair from my face, his touch gentle and automatic. "What's wrong, little flower?"
"Nothing's wrong." I shook my head, my hand tightening on his arm, my heart pounding against my ribs, my voice dropping to something vulnerable, my cheeks flushing with heat. "I just... I need to tell you something."
"Okay." He set down the spatula and turned to face me fully, giving me his complete attention, his golden eyes warm and patient, his hands finding my waist and settling there like they belonged, his head tilting slightly as he studied my face. "I'm listening."
"I love you." The words came out softer than I intended, almost shy, my cheeks flushing with heat, my eyes dropping to his chest before forcing themselves back up to his face, my heart hammering against my ribs. "I love you, Kol."
His whole face transformed — shock melting into joy melting into something so tender it made my chest ache. His eyes went bright with tears he didn't try to hide, his smile spreading wide and brilliant across his face, his hands tightening on my waist.
"Yeah?" His voice cracked on the word, high and hopeful, his hands tightening on my waist, his whole body leaning toward me like a flower toward sunlight, his golden eyes searching my face like he needed to make sure he'd heard right.
"Yeah." I reached up and cupped his face, my thumbs brushing away the tears that had started to fall, my voice steadying with certainty, my eyes holding his.
"I love you. Your terrible jokes and your stress baking and the way you call me little flower like it's a sacred thing. I love all of it. I love you."