Page 128 of When Ashes Fall

That shouldn’t be too difficult, I thought with a sigh.

And I didn’t know where the other shifters were either. Dromon and Pierce were probably exhausted too; were they all still sleeping?

I should have waited until tomorrow for this, but I was petrified that if I stayed another day, I’d never leave. I’d lose my nerve, be discovered, or give in to Knox and accept my fate.

A fate with a man who doesn’t respect you? And what if he learns about you being a necromancer? What will he do?

He’d never harm his mate.

That was true, but he’d completely broken my trust in him. If he learned the truth about me, he might decide to lock me away… again.

And I would not be locked away again. I had no idea what I was or what I was becoming, but I was far stronger than anyone knew or gave me credit for, and I wouldn’t be destroyed or caged, by my mother or Knox.

It would take me some time to figure everything out, but I would do it. And I would do it far from here.

The sprites were busy getting all the plates ready, and I was ready to pour coffee into the pancake batter, when Knox arrived. The hair on my nape rose as I sensed him before I saw him.

With a lump in my throat, I turned to discover him leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded over his chest and his feet crossed at his ankles. A small smile lifted the corner of his mouth, and an amused twinkle filled his eyes while he studied me.

Despite the betrayal he inflicted on me, my heart somersaulted as I drank him in. I had to get away from him, but oh, how he could make my legs weak and my heart race. I wiped my suddenly sweaty palms on my apron.

He was gorgeous. Just absolutely, mouthwateringly gorgeous… and I was his mate, the one he would cherish for eternity.

What am I doing? He looks so relaxed and happy.

He looks like this because he forced something on you that you didn’t want! You’re saving yourself, Briar.

Be. The. Thorn.

Be the thorn. Yes, I would be the thorn. The thorn survives; the rose dies.

With my resolve firmly in place, I smiled in return and stirred the tea as Merribell fluttered over to shoo me away. “Go on now, we’ll bring your breakfast soon.”

I’d been eating with the sprites for most meals, but apparently they’d decided it was time to play matchmaker with Knox and me. I’d chosen a forest green shirt that hid my marks and would blend in better with the woods, but they must have sensed something different about us.

They probably saw that Knox was smiling. Him being happy about anything was a dead giveaway that something had changed.

“I can still help,” I offered.

“We’re fine, child,” Merribell assured me. “Hurry on, now.”

“I’ll stay here and let you know when they fall asleep,” Gizzi told me from where he sat in the doorway of the pantry; his cheeks were full of food.

“Thank you.”

I reluctantly took off my apron and set it on the counter. Once I left this room, I couldn’t turn back. There would be no stopping what I’d put in motion.

My steps faltered a little before I lifted my chin and strode toward Knox. The sudden hush of wings alerted me that every sprite had stopped to watch us. And they were all here since they prepared the meals and ate them together every day.

When Knox held out his arm to me, a collective inhalation went through the room. As I slid my arm through his, they all exhaled in relief.

They have no idea what’s coming.

I smiled as I tried to hide my growing nervousness. I did have a backup plan if the shifters weren’t in the dining room, where they usually ate breakfast together. Still, it would be so much easier if this went the way I needed it to go.

As my fingers curved around Knox’s bare forearm, my skin tingled with awareness, and I was sure the air around us became charged. No one would ever make me feel as good as Knox did, and after today, if he ever got his hands on me again, his touch wouldn’t be so kind.

I have to make sure that doesn’t happen.