Page 149 of Season Warriors & Wolves

To die. That is what he was not brave enough to say. “Remember to repeat that when I have you chained down my dungeons and force you to grow five hundred more bloody years old.”

“I want to grow old, kid.”

I didn’t look at him as I said. “And I am not losing my father. The only parent I have ever had.”

“You are not losing me, Snow. Death takes us all.”

“Not without my permission.”

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I am no longer needed.”

I finally spun to him. “Says who?”

His eyes were lined with tears. “Kid.”

“Says who?” I hissed, my voice shaking from anger, desperation and heartache. “You have been with me through misery and hurt and anger. Stay. Stay while I try to find happiness, too. While the rest of them find happiness and give it back to you. It is an order from your queen and a selfish plea from your daughter. Stay, please,” I begged, shaking my head. “Sam will have you for the rest of eternity. And you know my whole ordeal with hells. Besides, you sweat a river in Olympian summers, I’m scared you might have a stroke near hellfire if they do grant you a visit.”

He cracked a sad smile. “You might just have me convinced.”

“That would be a first.”

He patted my cheek. “There are a lot of firsts I am seeing lately.”

“Put up a little fight. I feel like you’re just lying to me.”

“I’m old, kid. Deceiving my child is the last thing on my agenda.”

“What’s first?”

He pointed his chin at the food tables. “Them honey scones. Want some?”

“Would love some.”

Something nudged my knee under the table and Memphis poked her little snout from behind the linen cover and resting her head on my lap.

“Scones, M?”

My bonded sniffed and then licked the sweet from my hand. So me, her and Alaric munched on sweet scones for most of the evening, observing the world I wanted to protect, spin around and laugh about.

That was until a pair of very handsome hands had pried me to the dance floor and were now holding onto me while their owner swayed us at the soft fading melody of the orchestra. Only here, in this embrace, was I the one protected from it all—no longer the protector. How did he do it?

“I want to put you in a big white dress and marry you again,” he murmured in my ear, shifting his hand on my back lower.

“Wasn’t doing it twice not enough?”

“No,” he said simply and lifted his gaze somewhere over my shoulder. “They are perfect together.”

I twisted my head a little to the side to see the newlyweds sitting near each other, smiling and exchanging conversation. “They better be.”

“Their shadows complement each other. Like brackets. Or colouring within lines—Mor is the lines, and she is her colour. What she feels matches hers entirely too perfectly.”

I squinted though I was very sure I would not be growing another blessing. “It better.”

He chuckled and spun me round once and then twice. “Are you going to threaten her all the way through?”

“Yes. I’m persistent.”

His nose gently nudged mine. “An admirable quality of yours, my heart.”