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“Are the other girls going to come too?” I ask him before he can leave.
“Do you want them too?”
“If you want,” I hedge. Ryker grins, reading my message.
“It’s your birthday, Malia. It can just be Ren and us.”
My heart skips in my chest at the way he saysus,but I push those thoughts aside. Ryker has made it very clear that his Queen is not me or any of the other girls here.
“Thanks,” I say softly.
“Of course. I’ll meet you two by the front door,” he says with a smile before he disappears around the corner.
I wait until his footsteps disappear down the hallway before I climb out of bed and hurry to get ready for the day.
Thirty minutes later, we’re pulling up to the cutest little bookshop I’ve ever seen. It’s an old Victorian style house that’s been converted into a commercial space, though it still has all the charms of the era, including ornate architecture and an array of eclectic, framed paintings.
Ren squeals, dashing through the store like a kid in a candy shop. Ryker and I laugh, taking our time as we wander through the aisles of books.
I run my fingers along the spines, glancing at the titles and picking a few up here and there to read the blurb on the back. It takes me a while to notice Ryker is following close behind with a stack of books in his arms.
“What are… wait, are those for me?!” I ask in astonishment, recognizing the titles as all the books I picked up and put back.
“Your first few gifts of the day,” he answers with a smile.
“King Ryker,” I start.
“Ryker. Please,” he corrects. “And I insist. Anything you and Ren want today is on me.”
“But you’ve already paid for everything while we’ve been staying with you,” I point out.
“So what’s one more day of being pampered?” he counters, that sexy grin spreading across his face. I can’t help but smile at the man who has officially stolen my heart.
Does he feel this connection between us? Is there any chance for me to be his queen, even though he’s said multiple times none of the women here are right for him?
A girl can hope.
I send my birthday wish out into the universe, then smile at the man who has shown me more kindness than I’ve ever known.
SEVEN
Ryker
I’ve been stayingclose to Malia all day. She said her birthday wasn’t until tonight, but neither my wolf nor I wanted to be apart from her in case it was earlier. I need to know as soon as possible if the enchanting woman with the broken past and tender heart is mine to keep.
My wolf paces restlessly inside of me, and I shake out my hands. His anxious energy is only causing me more anxiety, and I start to pace too. We don’t like it when Malia isn’t in our sight.
We arrived back at the castle about an hour ago, and the girls went up to their rooms to get ready for dinner. I tried staying in my quarters as long as possible, mostly to give Malia some space in case she’s feeling crowded. I only made it ten minutes before prowling downstairs to wait impatiently for the only woman who has ever captured my attention.
What if she’s not my mate?
My wolf growls, not liking that idea. I agree, but that only confuses me more. If she’s not my fated mate, I’ll have to… what? Just let her go? Watch her pack up her scant belongings and send her off to backpack around Europe without me? I can hardly swallow past the lump in my throat at the thought of her flying home to a different country at the end of her trip.
I don’t think I can just forget about her and pretend we didn’t share a connection over these last few days.
My wolf growls inside me, and I wonder if he knows something I don’t. I remember the first time I saw Malia, the first time I smelled her, and how I thought for one second she was it. The one person fate chose specifically for me, my perfect match.
Greg appears in the doorway of the great room, and I glance over at him.
