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Her chuckling makes me pause just outside the door to kiss her in a way I would normally never dare outside of a rut. My kind are definitely on the prudish side when not lost in the fervor, something my Bianca seems determined to change. Normally, a partner seeking to change another is a recipe for disaster, but in this case, nothing could please me more.

“Anything you want, my Lady—anything,” I murmur in answer, tasting her lips again.

A disturbing scent reaches my nostrils and pain claws at my chest. Nico. I turn to find him, his jaw tense, his expression burdened by regret, blame, anger, and betrayal, all aimed at me, while his gaze locks onto Bianca who smiles and waves.

“Give her to me,” Nico orders in pinched and growling words.

I obey instantly but remain close. Nico’s tension settles the moment he holds her.

Bianca strokes his fur in soothing motions, while softly saying, “Thank you, Nico, for honoring your promise. I’m fine—we’refine. Everything is good.”

Nico shudders and pulls her closer so that she can nuzzle against the thick mane-like fur around his head and neck. It seems he can’t speak and I can only imagine the depth of his worry as she entered my darkness and joined me there.

I don’t—can’t—regret what happened, but I am still sorry Nico spent all those hours afraid he’d allowed harm to come to our Bianca.

“I’mstarving, and I miss Bastien and Pennie,” Bianca says while smiling, “and I need a quick swim in that lovely pool. Will you take me there?”

Nico nods tightly and turns away from me, walking quickly toward the castle.

“You’re coming, right?” Bianca calls to me, as if I would ever leave her now that I know she’s the mate I’ve been waiting for all my life.

Chapter28

Bianca

“I’m really okay,” I whisper to Nico, whose fragrance is still in the land of anxious doubt, though a little better since I’ve been in his arms.

Nico’s jaw clenches and he still won’t speak, but he raises me so that he can nuzzle his furry face against mine, inspiring a deep sigh in both of us.

I wish Nico would speak, but it’s not fair to expect that of him after what we put him through. I wish Archie would start yammering, but he’s probably concerned that even breathing might offend Nico right now. And for my part, I’m a bit wiped out—in a good way—and don’t have the energy to get super chatty just now.

Besides, there’s something stirring in my chest that I don’t understand, an uneasiness that is different. It’s more like an echo hitting me than an errant worry getting pesky inside me. I’m actually not worried about anything. Last night built something—Ihelped to build something, a path out of darkness for someone clearly worthy. I feel good, right even, with where I am.

Nothing has gone the way I thought it would, but I wouldn’t change a thing. For all the misdirections that pretend to be indisputable destinies, I found my way here. My monsters found me. How easy it is to think of them asmymonsters. Knowing there’s a place for me in their lives opened the door for me to imagine a future here.

Iwantanother round of rutting. It was sexy and exciting and the connection between Archie and me will only grow. That rut, and the trust we gave each other, created a foundation and I can’t imagine walking away from that.

With Pennie, I don’t feel that I’ve even scratched the surface of who he is, beyond his noteworthy sexual skills. And wow were they noteworthy. But who is he beyond a giving lover, a good friend, a valued family member? I yearn to know more about him, everything he’s willing to share.

I could never imagine a happy ending in any romantic relationship. All I could see was a gaping void or, more likely, the exact unhappy ending that eventually happened. But right now, in Nico’s arms, I can imagine the wonderful day we’ll have. I can imagine the excitement of waking tomorrow and discovering what adventures my monsters and I will find.

I can’t keep my hands off Nico and I love the way each individual strand of his fur caresses me. Every touch reveals his desire to connect with me, to give me everything he is. The fact that he honored my request—that he trusted me—regardless of what it cost him… sometimes there’s proof in the silence of words unsaid.

I draw a sharp breath as I suddenly understand why he’s not speaking. Tears well in my eyes, tears I allow to meet his fur. He stops instantly and my suspicion is confirmed. He’s sensitive enough to feel just one of my tears impacting with his body. When I release a breath, that miniscule amount of air inspires a rippling reaction in his fur, like a delicate breeze blowing through an aspen grove. His body is clearly mighty, but his senses must be overwhelming to him, especially…

“Does sound hurt you, Nico? Do you hear with your whole body?”

His now-black, sadness-filled eyes widen and, biting his lip, he nods.

Poor Nico endured the cacophony of Archie and me frolicking in that rut, the entire time unsure of my safety. I shudder and Nico purrs for me.

I delighted in all those screams and sighs, but what they did to my gentle monster who’s never experienced sex… guilt lights a bonfire inside me and I burn. “Oh, Nico, I’m so sorry.”

Nico rests his huge head against me and I feel the moment one tear lands on my cheek. I feel it throughout my body, something elemental awakening. A connection I don’t understand, that feels like truth. Nico loves me. Every hair on my body strains to reach him and I’m grateful when he pulls me closer, breathing with me as the ground seems to shift beneath us.

I’m about to say something, but I feel a screeching, pained cry inside me and I abruptly understand the source of the echoing worry that wasn’t mine.

Nico starts, perhaps feeling my distress.