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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
DAWN BROKE.
Sunrise dragged my tired eyes from staring at the gray driveway of the hotel to squinting against the majesty of tangerine splashes, golden spears, and delicate glittery pinks. The horizon had never looked so pure and full of possibilities as the sun stretched awake, all while the sky kept a dark ceiling on the world.
The stars had gone. The moon had slipped away. A new day had begun and still Kas had not returned.
I stood, groaning at the pain in my lower back from sitting hunched on the curb all night. I hadn’t moved since Tony left. Something inside me refused to leave. I couldn’t leave without Kas. I didn’t know if he knew my address or how to get home. I didn’t want to run the risk of him appearing and having no one to welcome him back.
If he even has the awareness to retrace his steps.
I’d given him till morning.
I didn’t want to involve the police or search parties until I was absolutely sure he couldn’t find his way back to me.
But...that time was quickly drawing to a close.
Please, Kas...where are you?
Pressing my hands into my lower back, I stretched and dropped my eyes from the sunrise.
My heart stopped.
I blinked.
And then, I was ru
Barefoot and bedraggled in my silver-lavender dress, I sprinted across the parking lot to the edge where concrete met tree line.
“Kas!”
He held up his hand, stopping my speed as he clicked his fingers and a dirty, dangerous-looking mutt appeared from the trees. He studied my face as the dog went directly to Kas’s heel, sat like a military guard, and glowered at me with its teeth bared.
I slammed to a stop.
Kas came toward me, his shirt covered in green stains, his trousers shorter on one leg than the other. I frowned, glancing at his outstretched arms and the piece of pant leg wrapped around his forearm, glistening darkly with blood.
“Oh, my God. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He gathered me in his arms. He smelled sour and earthy, dirty, and exhausted, but I buried my face in his neck and clung to him.
“I’m so unbelievably sorry, Gemma.”
Tears dripped down my cheeks, soaking into his skin. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
God, it felt good to be back in his arms. To finally breathe again. To know he was safe.
I crushed him extra hard with thankfulness.
“I didn’t mean to be so long.” He hugged me back, his arms so strong and his pressure so powerful my bones protested. “I’m so sorry for making you worry.”
Pulling back, I shook my head, sniffing up my relief. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have taken you to the gala. It was too much, too soon.”
He placed me back on my feet, holding my hands. “No. It was exactly what I needed.”
“But you...you ran.”
“I did.”
“You stayed away all night.”
“Yes.”
I wrinkled my nose at his filthy tux, red-rimmed eyes, and messy hair. He looked as if he’d gone to war, attended a funeral, and fought a dragon all in the space of one night.
His tatty tux and dirty feet reminded me of his outfit back in the valley. A threadbare prince living in a forgotten mansion. My stomach clenched at how handsome he was, even in such a state.
A state that sent my insides winging all while worry sat heavily.
What happened to him?
Trying my best to bring humor into this strange reunion, I fingered his filthy shirt. “You left dressed immaculately, and you’ve returned...in a destroyed rental.” I smiled. “Whatever are we going to tell the rental company?”
He winced. “Ah shit, I didn’t think. I’ll pay you back. Just like I’ll pay you back for everything.”
I squeezed his fingers. “I don’t care about the tux, Kas. You’ve never looked more handsome to me.”
He blushed in the dawn. “Then I might not be the only one with a few screws loose if you prefer me covered in mud and half-naked than washed and dressed in finery.
“I find you delicious no matter what state of dress you’re in.”
His eyes flared with heat, dragging down my body. “Same.” His throat worked as he swallowed. “Who’s jacket are you wearing?” His nostrils flared as if he could catch the scent of the male who’d given it to me, fitting perfectly with the whole image of a wildling stepping from the forest—a creature with possessive tendencies.
I shrugged out of the blazer immediately, leaving it on the ground.
I’d buy Tony a new one someday. “No one’s.”
Kas unbuttoned his green-stained shirt, shrugged out of it, and waited until I put my arms through each sleeve. His indescribable masculine scent wrapped around me, making me warmer than anything.
“There...now you’re mine again.” He kissed my cheek.
I shivered as he hugged me. “That will never happen again, just so you know,” he murmured. “I won’t leave you. I give you my word.”
Untangling from his arms, I cupped his face. “It might happen again. You can’t say conclusively that it won’t. And...that’s okay. I’m here for it all, Kas. Evey milestone and set-back. Just trust me and we’ll get through this.”
“I love you.” His lips landed on mine as he swooped me off the ground and hugged me close. “And I do trust you. With everything that I am.” His tongue slipped into my mouth, activating a ball of need in my belly.
I kissed him back.
We kissed each other beneath the dawn-shadows of trees all while guests at the local hotel started waking up.
Finally, Kas put me back on my feet.
I grabbed his arm as he dropped them to his sides, stroking my fingers over the bloody bandage he’d made from his pant leg. “What happened?”
As if the dog had been waiting for that question, it stepped forward and sniffed my dress.
Kas stared at the dog as it continued to sniff me, then braced his shoulders. “Me and Fang here had a rocky begi
“Fang?”
His lips tipped up. “Didn’t know what else to call him, and...well, he bit me, so I’m well acquainted with his teeth.”
“He bit you?” I grabbed his bloody bandage again, throwing a scowl at the dog. “We need to get you to a doctor, so they can administer a rabies injection and get you started on antibiotics.”
Kas chuckled under his breath. “Gem...I’m fine. Nothing some soap and water won’t fix.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you a doctor now?”
“No, but I know what wounds my body has overcome, and a few teeth punctures are nothing.”
I winced. “Of course...I just...” I shook my head, trying to dispel images of Kas bleeding worse than he currently was, accepting a rabid bite as flippantly as one might tolerate a scraped knee.
“I’m fine, Gem. Honest.” He smiled properly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Honestly, I feel better than I have since...since I can remember. I’m lighter. I’m...steadier.”
I let his arm go, staring closely into his eyes.
He wasn’t lying.
The shadowy depths were crystal clear, the wary guardedness replaced with open trust. Tilting my head, I cupped his cheek. “I believe you.” I ran my finger over his bottom lip, my heart fluttering with every feeling possible. “What happened out there with you and Fang?”
Kas kissed the tip of my finger. “We...recognized each other.”
“And that helped?”
“More than I can say.”
“But he bit you.”
“I would’ve done the same.” Kas sucked in a breath. “I did do the same...to you.”
Goosebumps pebbled over my arms as he captured my fingers from his mouth and squeezed so damn hard. “I bit you in my way, Gem. I bit you out of fear and self-defense. But no matter how hard I bit, you never stopped seeing what was beneath my violent fear.”
Tears obscured my vision again.
Kas kissed my palm, breathing into my skin. “Fang had a rope around his neck—just like I had a rope around mine tying me to Fables. The moment I freed the dog, he gave over his entire heart—every molecule of trust without a moment of doubt.”
He inhaled me, shaking his head a little. “You were the one to free me, Gem, but I wasn’t capable of giving you what Fang gave me tonight. It’s taken me so much longer to reach his unconditional belief that things will be...okay. That we can’t predict the future or control every aspect of our lives, but we can choose to take it one step at a time. He showed me that no matter what he’s gone through at the hands of people, he’s still willing to trust. To give his heart, never knowing if he’s going to get hurt again.”
His tone went rough and raspy. “He bit me to protect himself. He bit me and I let him because I know how it feels to still taste that helplessness. I know how it eats you up inside. Wanting to bite something. Kill something. Hurt something just because they hurt you.”
Kas cleared his throat and met my eyes. “But most of all, he taught me that in order to be happy, you have to let go. The fear, the anger, the pain. Just let it all fucking go and move on.”
I brought our joined hands to my mouth, kissing his knuckles. “You truly mean that.”
“I truly mean that.”
“Kas, I-I don’t know what to say...I’m so relieved. So—”
“I’m ready, Gem. I’m ready to be real with you. To live my life with you. To accept everything—the good and the bad, no matter what.”
“I’m so, so proud of you.”
He smirked. “Does that mean you forgive me for ru
“If it leads you to epiphanies like the one you had tonight, then yes.” I gri
He gathered me in a hug, pressing his lips to mine. “You’re my home, Gem. Of course, I’ll always come back to you.”
I moaned into his kiss, letting him sweep me away with his tongue, his truth, and his healing. By the time he let me go, my insides were melted, and I’d completely forgotten about the mutt still sniffing my dress.
Fang’s cold, wet nose nudged my bare foot as Kas pulled away. Glancing down at the stinky, dirty dog, he tensed. “Eh, we’ve never had the conversation on where we both stand with pets and kids. You know I can’t physically give you kids—not after what they did to me—but I can’t deny that...caring for others brings out the best in me. It lets me see just how fucking lucky I am by helping those who need it. And I—”
“I understand, Kas.”
“But I haven’t asked—”
“I get it.”
“I want to keep—”
“I know.”
“You do?” He frowned. “And you’re okay with it?”
“I think it was meant to be.”
“How so?”
I glanced at the dog who sat on his haunches and caught my stare. I swore it saw into my soul and knew it was safe now. That he’d survived horrendous things in order to find his proper place in this world.