Page 186 of The Robin on the Oak Throne

“Mmm,” she agreed without argument, letting her eyes flutter closed.

It wasn’t that much later when Graves was carrying her out of the limo and up in the elevator. She snuggled tighter into him as he hefted her up the stairs to his bedroom. She thought he might force her to shower to get the smell of Lorcan off of her, but he just yanked the sheets back andtucked her into the comforter.

She yawned dramatically. “Bed?”

He kicked his shoes off in response and began to undress her slow and methodically. Once she was down to her underwear, he tucked her back into the bed, removed his clothes, and crawled in after her. Her back was to his chest, and everything felt exactly as it should.

She hated how out of control she felt in Lorcan’s presence. And how much easier it was when there was a major body of water between them.

Graves pressed a kiss into her shoulder. “I hate that, too.”

She shut her mind down, finding that space where she could open and close her vault with ease. Not that she really thought she could keep Graves out, but…she hadn’t meant for him to hear that.

“I already know how you feel about him,” Graves told her. “I’ve seen it before.”

“Stop reading me,” she said, shifting away from him.

His eyes clouded. “Of course.”

“No, wait…” She reached for him. “I didn’t mean…”

“I understand,” he said, keeping the distance. “It’s less fun when you can’t choose it.”

That was true, but that wasn’t the problem. It was the hurt on his face.

“I don’t feel for Lorcan what I feel for you.”

“I know,” Graves said evenly. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Yes. It’s…”

“Intense,” Graves finished for her. His gaze dark as he stared down at his bare hand.

“Sometimes,” she admitted, willing him to meet her eyes again.

“Compulsive,” he added. “Complicated. Painful. Wanton. Frustrating.”

She hadn’t even been thinking about how the bond made her feel. Was she that transparent?

“Did you read all that off of me just now?”

“No,” Graves said slowly, looking up at her finally. “I read it off of Emilie.”

Kierse swallowed hard as realization dawned. “Emilie had a soulmate?”

“A Druid named Tadhg, who was rising in the ranks. He was a decade older than us at the time. It doesn’t feel like much now, but it did then.”

“You’re a few centuries older than me,” Kierse said with a laugh.

“Precisely.” He lifted a shoulder. “At the time, a decade felt like an eternity. Especially when you’re in love with someone else.”

Kierse had a dawning realization. “You were in love, but she had a soulmate that was someone else.”

“Yes.”

“Much like…”

“You and Lorcan,” he confirmed.

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