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“If you think Alana’s presence makes it easier to control my thoughts where you are concerned, it doesn’t. I am much too aware of the fact she is unable to perceive me.”
“Nothing like that crossed my mind.”
His face blisters, and he pulls one hand from beneath his head to scrub it against his cheeks. “So one hundred percent of your innocence rests on my unreliable shoulders?”
I reach for his shirt and tug on the magic fabric, which feels remarkably tangible. “Don’t be so old-fashioned.”
“Coquettish maiden. Dost thou seek to tempt me with thy winsome wiles?”
“I only want cuddles, my lord. And to get you off the floor before your old man back gives out.”
With a heinous sigh, he rises, looming over my small bed. “I love you. Most ardently.”
“That’s from something, isn’t it?” I ask as I scoot back toward the wall in an effort to make room for him.
“Really?” He tucks me into the covers then settles himself on top of them on the opposite edge of the narrow mattress. “Pride and Prejudice is still popular.”
“Oh yeah. Pride and Prejudice. I watched it with Alana once, but I couldn’t pay attention.” I yawn. “Had trouble understanding the archaic language.”
He pulls his fingers through my hair, muttering, “Archaic? It’s not even Middle English…”
“Some of us are still in their first human lifetime, mind you,” I mumble, scooting myself as close to him as I can in my comforter prison. “You smell like earth and trees. Night time rain.”
He swears against the crown of my head, the word rough and harsh, bound with restraint. “Beautiful…” His arms hesitate before closing around me. “This is all you want, right?”
“Yeah.” His heart thunders near my ear. “This is more than enough for me, but if it’s not enough for you and we’re already some sort of fae equivalent to ‘married’ because we’re soulmates, can we wait until we’re back home before doing anything else? Regardless of what my sister will or won’t be aware of, I would die of embarrassment on my own forever.”
His body quakes as he inhales, shaking fingers tangling in the locks of my hair. “We’re not already married.”
“Oh… Okay. Then I’d like to wait until after that…too. Whenever we’re ready. Like a fairy tale.” My words slow as ever-elusive sleep creeps up on me. It’s been a long day, ending with big revelations. It’s almost like I’m shutting down so I can attempt to process them.
“Let me know if I’m too close, or if you’re uncomfortable. I would give you anything. Everything.” His lips graze my hair. “I don’t know how it could ever be enough, but whatever I have is yours.”
“I told you back before I knew any of this, Ollie.” I let his warm earthy night scent soak into my veins. “If you have loved me through all the moments in this past year where I have found it hard to love myself, you will always be so much more than enough.”
Chapter 16
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My magic blood lives rent-free in my veins, like a useless freeloader.
You’d think, if I’m part faerie, I’d have some kind of superpower, right?
Wrong.
In fact, according to what Ollie’s told me, my fae blood in this not Faerie world has been more of an inconvenience than anything else. It steals spoons, makes my “remarkable” moments unreliable, and causes a lot of struggling in the middle.
As a werecanine hybrid, I am the definition of SQUIRREL.
I want treats. Constant attention and affection. New toys (that I will either tear up in seconds or chew on for days until the result is a filthy object I never want to look at again). I can focus on a peanut butter puzzle for hours, but I’ll have forgotten a trick in five minutes if a butterfly flits by.
I require many naps.
I can be very loud, for no discernible reason.
I will sell my left kidney for food. I am picky about vegetables. I like crunchy things.
I trust too easily.
