Page 10 of The Night Rising

She took in my shirt and jeans. “I see you have different clothes on.”

I nodded. “Lord Drake gave them to me after my run.”

“Lord Drake?”

“Yeah, we spoke.”

“Did you yell at him too?”

I flinched. “I don’t think I yelled at you, but I did raise my voice and almost lost it, and for that, I apologize.”

“What else?”

“I messed up something else?” I thought for a second. “Tell me and then I’ll fix it.”

One corner of her lips moved up, but she smoothed her expression and stared at me deadpan. “We should finish the conversation we started earlier.”

“I agree.” I wrapped my hands around the footboard. “You were saying you might be the only one who can stop Paimon.”

“Right.”

“Drake and others think so too.”

Her eyebrows shot high. “He told you that?”

I nodded. “He said he won’t force us, you, to act, but he promised that if you did, he and the others will be there to protect you.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

I pressed my lips tight. “I hate it. I don’t want you to go anywhere.” The tug in my chest was back. “If I could, I would lock you away and not let you leave, ever, just to keep you safe … but I know that is my overprotectiveness talking, the bond making me go crazy every time I think of you in danger. I mean it when I say I don’t want to go through that pain ever again … but then we might as well just give up living.”

“What are you saying?”

I exhaled, my nostrils flaring. “That I’m not a selfish, stupid grump who will hold you back. If you want to fight Paimon, that is your choice. I’ll support whatever you choose.”

She gave me a side eye. “Is this a trick?”

I let out a hollow chuckle. “No trick. I mean it. You’re strong and I believe in you. If you’re the only one who can stop Paimon and you want to do it, then I’ll be the first one to cheer you on.”

Her shoulders relaxed. “What changed?”

“Nothing. I just … thought a lot. You’re mine, but you’re also your own person. You should make your own decisions. Plus, I don’t want to fight with you. I see the logic in the decision, I see why we have to do this, even if I don’t like it.”

She pushed away from the pillows. “So, if I say I want to do it …?”

Again, I exhaled. “I’ll stop arguing about it and I’ll do it with you.”

She crawled over the bed, stood on her knees right at the footboard, and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Thank you.”

I groaned. “I can’t promise I’ll be sensible all the time. I’ll protest here and there. I can’t help it.”

She grinned at me. “I’ll take that.”

Dear moon, she was beautiful. I wound my arms around her waist and pulled her to me. “You drive me insane. In all the senses of the word.”

“Ditto,” she muttered. She tugged on my neck and I bent into her. I closed my mouth around hers, kissing her.

It didn’t matter if we didn’t agree. It didn’t matter that we fought. What mattered was that we were willing to meet halfway and make it work. Because we were meant for each other. Because she was my fated mate. She was mine.

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