Page 99 of Shadow Wings

“Ialways knewyou’d be powerful, my Khosana,” Tyrrik whispered to me, tracing his fingertip over myface.

Now I washisprincess, was I? The Drae had boundary issues. I smiled as the last bit of sleepiness rolled away. I stretched and opened my eyes to see Tyrrik sitting beside me, his dark gaze fixed on myface.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Me tackling you with the carrotgreens?”

“Maybe, or perhaps I’m telling you that no one in this Realm can do what you do,” he said. “Let’s go have some breakfast and go to thegarden.”

“I thought we were going to find Kamini’s twin. What time is it? How long did Isleep?”

“It’s late afternoon. But you needed your sleep. You’ve pushed yourself too hard for several . . . months. You needed the extrarest.”

“That’s true. Even after the castle, I had to build the tavern business up.” I yawned, stretchingagain.

Tyrrik stood, giving me space to get off the narrow bed. Maybe I should suggest pushing the beds together before we next slept; these beds were barely wide enough for one person, and falling asleep took several hours last night without Tyrrik next to me. Even knowing he was on the other side of the room wasn’t enough for my Drae to be comfortable though. Clearly, I was too exhausted to sleepwalk overthere.

“Our bond feels stronger,” I blurted as realization hit me. “When we kissed in the bathroom yesterday, that intensified the bond, didn’tit?”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Tyrrik certainly hadn’t forced the kiss to happen; I’d practically jumped him. No, I wasn’t mad. I felt like I should be mad, but I . . . wasn’t. I was just,still,scared.

I gazed up at Tyrrik and saw worry cross his face before he smoothed his features. But he couldn’t hide what he felt through our bond. Not now that the gates were open, and everything seemed to have focused since last night. I could feel his panic, though the panic didn’t seem in response to my reaction but over the intensityitself.

He took a deep breath, and after his measured exhale, he said, “It will intensify every time we areintimate.”

I tilted my head, studying the Drae. Something about that felt right, even if part of my rational mind screamed I couldn’t handle much more intensity. I knew he wanted me to be his mate, but something was off. I puzzled for a moment before asking, “Does that scare you? Our bond growingstronger?”

His fear pulsed through our bond, and I waited for him to explain though I could already guess at what bothered him. Considering his past with a blood oath, and what he’d confessed so far, it seemed reasonable for him to beafraid.

Tyrrik stiffened, his gaze dipping to the floor. Several moments of silence passed before he sat on the edge of the bed again. He scooped my hands in his, bringing them to his lap. With his other hand, he traced the back of mine as he spoke, “I am not afraid of ourbond.”

Well, there went my guess. I thought he’d been scared of our bond feeling like a binding promise he had no controlover.

He met my gaze, his features open,vulnerable. “My fear is you will see I am not worthy of you and that you will refuse to be mymate.”

“Why would you . . .” I already knew why. I’d screamed my hatred of him not so long ago, right in his face; and perhaps it hadn’t been anything he hadn’t deserved for manipulating me, but I’d been too hurt at the time to admit he couldn’t have acted any other way. He’d hurt me, yes, however he’d also riskedeverythingto save me. I knew now that manipulating my feelings, knowing he would hurt me eventually and if the plan succeeded I may never speak to him again, all of that hurt him just as much as it hurt me. If there had been another way, he would have takenit.

He’d made mistakes, horrible, gruesome, terrible ones. And so hadI.

I leaned over and kissed hischeek.

“I know you don’t want to take it slowly; that you want my acceptance today, right now,” Iwhispered.

He pursed his lips and his eyes widened, but he said nothing to deny what I’d accused. He’d been sincere and direct with me, and he deserved thesame.

“I’m afraid, too,” Iadmitted.

I couldn’t tell him that I wanted to cling to the remnants of the person I’d been when my mother was alive. Perhaps he didn’t need me to verbalize my fear with our strengthened bond because he didn’t push. He just nodded and raised my hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss there before releasing hishold.

“If you want to take it slow, we’ll take it slow,” he said, mostly ungrudgingly “When . . .” He stopped and ground out, “Ifyou decide you want me . . . I will honor whatever decision youmake.”

The tightness coiled in my chest, loosened, and then flitted away. I stared at Tyrrik, a fluttering, slightly bewildered sensation making me give him a shysmile.

Tyrrik squeezed my hand and then released it before standing. “Come now, my Princess. Let’s go see what you can do with your powers. Then, we’ll find thePointy.”

I stood and, after a moment of hesitation, slipped my hand into his. Together we started toward thedoor.

A moment later, Dyter burst into theroom.

I screeched and dropped Tyrrik’s hand like it was a hotpotato.

---