Page 350 of Split or Swallow

“You didn’t need to be anything for me,” Tem said.

“No, I didn’t, did I? You already had everything you needed.”

He brushed his thumb slowly over her bottom lip, just like he had when he’d told her about Evelyn. Then his fingers went lower, touching the little golden claw between her breasts. Tem remembered how Leo had tried to give her jewelry on their first date—that could be special too, he’d said—how she’d refused to accept it.

Now it was time to give him something in return.

Tem would not doom Leo to a life as her slave. That wasn’t love. True love was doing what was best for the other person, at the expense of yourself. True love was sacrificing your happiness for theirs. Leo deserved to be loved the same way Caspen loved Tem—unconditionally, and without obligation. Leo deserved more. Their bond was permanent; there was nothing she could do to change that. But Tem would not take his agency away. She would bestow it instead.

“Leo,” Tem whispered, knowing that her words would bind him, that he would have no choice but to obey. “I want you to find Evelyn. I want you to choose your future.”

A slow, relaxed smile broke across Leo’s face. It wasn’t joyous, exactly. Merely peaceful.

“I don’t know where she is, Tem.”

“Your father knows. He’ll tell you.”

It was the least Maximus could do for his son.

Leo tilted his head, considering something. She knew he wouldn’t protest—he couldn’t. But it was almost as if he wanted to. Just when Tem was about to give him the order again, he said:

“Then I suppose this is goodbye.”

For some reason, Tem began to cry.

Leo lifted his finger, brushing the tear off her cheek.

“I never thought I’d see you cry over me.”

“I never thought we’d be saying goodbye.”

“I’m not worth these tears, Tem. Trust me.”

That only made Tem cry harder. Of course Leo was worth her tears. He was worth so much more than he thought he was—than she had thought he was. In another lifetime, there was a happy ending for them. But not in this one.

“Tell me this isn’t the last time I’ll see you,” she whispered. She didn’t care if it interfered with the order she’d just given him. Tem couldn’t bear the thought of never looking into his gray eyes again—never seeing his tall, lanky shoulders angled in her direction.

It was torture to imagine it.

“This isn’t the last time,” Leo whispered back.

Tem couldn’t talk anymore.

Instead she kissed him, gently, so different than most of the kisses they had shared. Leo was always raw energy, constantly in motion. Now he held her in his arms, sliding his tongue slowly against hers with all the care in the world.

“Tell me what we had was real,” he murmured against her lips.

Her answer was the truth.

“It was real.”

When they pulled apart, they didn’t speak again. Instead Leo raised his hand, taking a single curl and twirling it around his long, slim fingers. He smiled, his gold incisors gleaming in the moonlight.

Then he walked away.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE

Hardly any royals survived.