Page 88 of Craving Carla

He grins, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “Yes. I’m moving to the patrol cabin for the foreseeable future, until... better accommodations can be made for us here on Wintermoon. And you’re moving in with me.”

My eyes widen in surprise. This is moving so fast I can barely catch my breath. “This is what you were talking about with King Amir?”

He just smiles mysteriously and pulls me toward the parking lot. He takes out a key fob, and I laugh when he hits the alarm button on a sleek black SUV, watching the brake lights flash in response. He walks me to the passenger door, opening it witha gentlemanly flourish, and I slide inside, feeling out of place in something so luxurious. He walks around and gets into the driver’s seat, starting the engine with a soft purr.

As I sit back, I can’t help staring at him. He said he wanted to love me.Me. I’m practically swooning over this vampire and his perfect words. For Tofi and the others to leave me alone with him means he must have been sincere. They would have been able to tell if he wasn’t.

Amari grins as he backs out of the parking space, then puts the SUV in drive. The headlights cut through the darkness as we head toward the Community Lands.

During the drive, he takes my hand and pulls it across the center console, pressing soft kisses to my fingers. The tenderness of the gesture sends a wave of emotion through me.

“Why were you so eager to get away from the vampire coven?” I ask, trying to pull myself out of the love-drunk haze he’s creating.

Amari doesn’t let go of my hand, keeping his eyes on the road. “I’m not fond of their continuous attempts to betray our King. And I don’t understand why King Amir keeps trying with them.”

“I’ve heard about the betrayals of the Master Coven. But it’s not all of them, right? Just a select few?”

He shakes his head firmly. “It’s more complex than that. Silence is far more of a betrayal than doing it outright. They stand by and watch while their brothers and sisters plot against their king.”

I nod and fall quiet, processing his words. After a moment, I laugh softly to myself and look out the window.

“What’s the matter?” he asks, and I know I have to answer because he can detect the shift in my scent.

“It’s silly,” I admit. “I was thinking you were ashamed to show me off.”

Amari laughs at that and brings my hand to his lips again. “Never, Carla. I have a lot to prove now.”

“Why did you get so upset with Kemnebi?” The question has been bothering me since the library.

He gently hits the brakes until the SUV comes to a stop, turning to look at me directly.

“Tofi said exactly what I assumed moments ago on the border. She said they planned to lift the veil. They wanted you to recognize me through the mate bond. They knew I was their father the moment I stepped on Wintermoon. But they asked Kemnebi what kind of man I would be for you, and Kemnebi was honest.” He sighs and looks away from me. “They’re protecting you from me.”

I sit up straighter in my seat, concerned by the pain in his voice. Amari releases my hand, his shoulders slumping slightly.

“That’s not who I am for you, Carla. I’m not going to hurt you. I’d rather die than do that.”

“I know,” I tell him, and I mean it. He looks over at me, and the sadness in his eyes breaks my heart.

“Hear me out, Amari. I don’t think it was just that.” I lean toward him, trying to make him understand. “Tofi was being strange, cryptic almost. She’s that way with me sometimes. She sent me images saying ‘Remember, Mommy.’ And when she’s really trying to get her message across, she always sends it more than once. She was telling me something, warning me.”

Amari nods thoughtfully, considering my words carefully.

“Take me to the Community Lands, Amari,” I say, reaching over to grab his hand. He looks at me, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“I want to be with you tonight. Not alone.” He pulls my hand to his lips once more, kissing it tenderly before pressing the gas pedal, guiding us back onto the road.

We drive for another fifteen minutes before arriving at the Community Lands. The place looks the same as I remember—rows of cabins. I had such a difficult time when I lived here. The humans weren’t exactly welcoming to a woman who commanded spiders the size of small dogs.

Amari drives to the end of the community, where a beautiful cabin stands apart from the others. I stay in my seat as he shuts off the engine and steps out, appearing at my door in a blink to help me down. I step onto the gravel, my eyes scanning the shadows, half-expecting someone to step forward and tell me I don’t belong. But to my surprise, everything stays still—just silence.

Amari pulls me close, and I rest against him, taking comfort in his solid presence.

“I don’t have the best memories here,” I confess, my voice small. “They’d complain about me to Kade almost daily until Amir built my cabin in the forest with magic. I’m scared the residents are going to give you a hard time for bringing me here.”

“Carla...” he murmurs, but I don’t meet his eyes. Instead, I grab his tie, fiddling with the expensive silk.

“I’ll go grab my bag and laptop...” he starts, but I shake my head.