Page 30 of A Courage of the Chosen

“This is new to me.” He cups my cheek. “And I needed to work through what was going on in my head. Honestly, I didn’t want to see my own failures in your sadness. Staying away was cowardly, and I’m not proud of it.”

More of my defenses fall when he’s like this, exposing the side of him that no one else gets to see, and Callahan is quick to weave his way in through the rest. He slots in my mind like a missing puzzle piece.

“I left you when you needed me. And I’m truly sorry, Elsie. I can’t promise I’ll always get this right, but I can promise I’ll do better. Can you forgive me?”

His eyes search mine, the pale-gray heavy with remorse.

He catches the next tear to fall and shuffles nearer. His scent invades my senses, and the deep pepper-laced amber is my undoing.

Dhia, damn him.

“I guess,” I say, so quietly it’s any wonder he heard me.

The half-smile on his face gives him away though, and he slowly lowers his head to brush his lips over mine. The kiss is gentle, seeking more of my forgiveness. He only deepens it when I unwrap my arms from my torso and rest my hands on his waist.

“I had envisioned what it would be like when I returned to you,” he says between kisses. “I’d really like it,” kiss, “if we had,” kiss, “a do-over.”

“I’m sure we can work something out,” I say into his mind, not wanting to stop the way his mouth presses more urgently on mine and melts away everything else. It’s just me and him, the sounds of our breath mingling together, and the low moans coming from each of us.

Callahan pulls away, the hunger in his eyes waiting to devour me the minute we’re somewhere private. “Lead the way,” he growls in a voice filled with delicious promise.

We walk hand in hand through the halls, our steps quick. “Where did you stay last night?” I ask as we near the door to the royal wing.

“My uncle has a home not far from the palace. I went there. He was rather surprised to see me.”

“I’ll bet,” I chuckle, although it feels emptier than normal as I’m still putting aside the hurt he caused by leaving.

When we enter my rooms, Brodie, Rach, Eòghann, and Reyne are seated at the table in front of the roaring fire, each couple huddled together, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Eòghann stands to greet Callahan, first clasping his forearm and then tugging him into a one-armed bro-hug, the gesture seemingly transcending magical barriers and realms.

“Glad to see you standing, Brother,” Eòghann says as he pulls away, and then turns to me with open arms.

I release Callahan and go to him. “You didn’t know he was awake?” I ask.

“I told you he was keen to get here,” Brodie chimes in. “He didn’t bother saying a word to anyone about leaving, I caught him as he was mounting up and managed to speak to Eòghann before I followed him in the forest.”

We all turn to Callahan. “What’s your point?” he deadpans while the group laughs.

Eòghann takes his seat again, and shuffles his chair as close to Reyne as he can possibly get, like he can’t stand the thought of any more space between them after a few days apart. She snaps her fingers, and platters piled with some kind of pasta in a tomato sauce, loaded with melting cheese, appears on the table. The smell of garlic bread instantly hits me and my stomach rumbles.

“Everything go okay on the journey here?” Callahan shoots the question in Eòghann’s direction as he pulls me to take a seat next to Rach.

“Aye. No issues. A whole lot of suspicion from the guards in the royal army, but that’s to be expected,” Eòghann replies.

Dinner is portioned out, and we’re silent for a few moments while we eat.

“So, what happened in today’s meeting, then? Hume still being a fucking dumbass? Because every day I’m getting closer to that throat punch,” Rach asks as she tears into her garlic bread.

“I like it when you’re feisty,” Brodie murmurs, and Callahan scowls at the heat in it.

“I think being a dumbass is second nature to him,” I quip.

Brodie chuckles. “I think Queenie put him in his place today, though.”

I lean forward to look at him at the end of the table, my brow lifted. “What did we say about you calling me that, Broderic?”

“Alright, alright. Sorry.” He winks.