Chapter 32
AUREN
Iwake just before dawn. The forest is quiet around us, the last embers of the fire glowing faintly outside the tent.
Vivienne is still asleep beside me, her head on my shoulder, her hand resting on my chest, directly over my heart.
Her hair spills across the furs like strands of burnished copper, her lashes casting delicate shadows across her cheeks.
She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I lie perfectly still, afraid that if I move even slightly, I might wake her. My fangs extend as my gaze drifts to her neck. I want so desperately to mark her… to claim her as my mate.
Desire floods my veins as I recall the soft moans and breathless sounds she made beneath my touch last night. The primal urge to claim her was so strong, I nearly lost control.
But I cannot claim her fully. She still believes I’m a common soldier—a blade in service to the king. She doesn’t know the truth.
Every time I wanted to tell her, something stopped me: another long day of travel, another night by the fire, another fragile moment where she smiled at me without anger in her eyes.
I told myself I was protecting her from the Goblin King, but I should have trusted her with the truth sooner. I offered her the thirty days to prove myself because I wanted her to choose freely… not because of what I am, but in spite of it.
And now that she has, I fear I’ve left it too long.
The thought settles heavily in my chest. We will reach my kingdom in less than a day, and I will have to tell her soon.
My gaze drifts back to her face as she shifts in her sleep, pressing a little closer. Gods, I love her more than anything.
I brush a strand of hair away from her cheek, careful not to wake her, and then slip from the bedding to coax the fire back to life.
By the time the sun crests the trees, Vivienne awakens. She stretches slowly, blinking sleep from her eyes, and when she notices me watching her a faint blush spreads across her cheeks. “Good morning,” she murmurs.
The sound of her voice warms my heart. “Good morning.”
She sits up, gathering the blanket around her shoulders. She gives me a shy smile, then softly bites her lower lip.
Unable to help myself, I move toward her and drop to my knees. Cupping the back of her head, I lean in and press a tender kiss to her mouth.
When I pull back, I drop my forehead to hers, and she smiles. “Well, that’s certainly a lovely way to be greeted in the morning, my dear husband.”
“I’m glad you approve, me’lira.” I grin. “Because I plan on doing this for the rest of our lives.”
Her smile grows even brighter as her green eyes stare deep into mine, and she whispers, “That sounds wonderful.”
For a heartbeat, I forget how to breathe. The words hit me like a blow, and I go completely still.
She is choosing me.
Every doubt I carried… the fear that she would leave, that she would take the thirty days and walk away, shatters in an instant.
And yet… a quiet, unwelcome thought slips in beneath it. She doesn’t know everything. I force it down just as quickly as it rises. This moment is hers… ours, and I will not taint it.
“You mean that,” I murmur, searching her face as if I might find hesitation there, but there is none.
My hand tightens in her hair as something fierce and possessive surges through me. “Vivienne,” I breathe, my voice rougher than I intend. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just given me?”
Her luminous green eyes meet mine as she whispers. “Forever… if you’ll have me.”
I capture her mouth with my own in a claiming kiss. “Yes,” I murmur. “A thousand times yes.”
She is choosing a life with me. And I will spend every breath I have making sure she never has reason to choose anything else.
After a quick breakfast, she helps me pack up our camp. The morning air is crisp and cool as I help her onto Vaelen’s back before swinging up behind her. The Dire wolf sets off at an easy pace through the trees, his stride smooth and powerful beneath us.
Vivienne settles against me without hesitation. Not long ago she would have sat stiffly in front of me, determined to keep distance between us. Now she leans back into my chest as though it is the most natural thing in the world.
I love the feel of her in my arms as I slide them around her waist to steady her. She curls her fingers around my wrist, squeezing gently. “You’re quiet this morning,” she muses. “What are you thinking about?”
“You.” I nuzzle her hair. “Always you.”
She huffs a quiet laugh. A moment later she twists back and presses a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth.
The gesture is so unexpected that I nearly forget to breathe.
“Well, I’m thinking about you too,” she says, smiling up at me before she turns back in her seat to face forward again.
My chest constricts as she rests her hand on my arm around her waist. She trusts me. I don’t know how I’ll bear it when she learns the truth… when she looks at me with betrayal instead of warmth.
I nuzzle her hair. We only have just a little longer in this borrowed happiness before it shatters.