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August 14 - August 21, 2024
Our eyes lock, and my mind empties of all reason. I don’t recall why I was momentarily confused. All I know is that my heart feels as if it’s been torn in two, for no other reason but the agonizing urge to protect. But protect what? The kitten in the murderer’s arms?
Which is why—in my esteemed opinion—animals are better than people.
Something melts inside me, a calm breaking through the dark storm of my emotions. “Fluffy.” He halts. “What?”
That’s when I realize something that sets my heart racing, thudding, hammering, rioting. Not only do I see her, but I…see her.
What doesn’t matter is that she’s absolutely and undeniably lovely.
Shit. Fuck. Blooming hell.
My opponent isn’t Queen Tris. It’s Marybeth. My lady’s maid.
“Do you know who killed him?” Her throat bobs. When she speaks, her voice comes out quiet. Weak. “I don’t remember doing it.”
“Are you hurt?” His eyes are locked on Marybeth, but I know his question is for me.
“I don’t hate you,”
Don’t make me grieve for you too.”
“That feeling is part of losing someone that you love. To ignore it is to dishonor their memory. You don’t get a free pass. You don’t get to run away and feel nothing. You will work through it. You’re strong enough, and every day you’ll get stronger.”
The indecipherable look on Torben’s face after I told him about where I was born is starting to make sense, as is the wry grin on his lips when I said it was strange we’d never met. Strange indeed. Now the truth snaps into place. My first memory of comfort isn’t of my father. It’s of Torben.
Her life is worth a thousand times more than an estate.
Torben’s eyes lock on mine, chest heaving. On swift feet, he strides back into the room, gathers me in his arms, and presses his lips to mine.
Torben can see me. And he thinks I’m beautiful.
“Because no one threatens your life in my presence unless they have a death wish.
And I see you. Your bravery. Your courage. You are so beautiful. So strong. Fragile too, but not weak. Never weak. You’re incredible.”
“Astrid, you’re allowed to be strange. You’re allowed to be a mess. You can be all these things that are part of you. It won’t stop me from loving everything about you.”
“It’s already yours, Astrid. My heart is already yours.”
Torben is a beauty beyond all others. Rugged. Sharp. Dangerous. Honed to be lethal yet secretly soft.
Love makes one go to great and terrible lengths for the object of their affection. It makes us hurt. Defend. Even kill. And yes—sacrifice. Accept death.”
I’ll follow your scent to the ends of the earth. There’s nowhere you can go that I won’t find you. So run, Astrid. Run.”
I know someday I could lose her. Hurt her. She could hurt me. Love is always a risk. We’ll fight, we’ll argue. But I will bet time and time again that we will always return to one another. Always.
