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“It was something my father said.” Trevor approached and smoothed her wayward hair from her hot skin. “He reminded me you’re a once-in-a-lifetime sort of woman.”

Her heart began to pound, and his nearness had begun to short-circuit her brain’s wiring. All she wanted to do was tackle him to the ground and kiss him for a month of Sundays, but she needed to understand what was happening and where they stood. “I am?”

“You are,” he assured her with a loving smile. “I love you, Soleil.”

“Okay, then.”

His brows shot up. “That’s it?”

She wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, so she said, “Clearlyyou made the right decision, so yes, that’s it.”

He kissed her. His touch was worshipful, and she tasted the sweet promise of a long life together. Drawing away, he rubbed his thumb across her swollen lower lip. “What would the potion have done had I taken it?”

“Knitted your memories back together to keep you from forgetting.”

Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead to hers. “Thank you.”

“It was for purely selfish reasons,” she admitted.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Which aligned with mine.”

“I guess that makes us perfect mates.”

“It does.” His fingertips caressed her jaw. “May I ask you an important question?”

“I have a confession first,” she blurted, oddly nervous now that he’d returned to her.The truth was,they’d known each other less than a month, and it had been a whirlwind romance if one could call it that.What if he decided she wasn’t forever-mate material?

“What’s your confession?”

“Both vials were the same potion.”

He frowned and drew back to see her face. “You said the red-capped potion would’ve eased my pain and killed me faster.”

Soleil scrunched her nose andwent for broke. “I lied.”

“What if I’d chosen death?” he asked, plainly confused by her plan.

“There may have beena littlesomething extra in that vial that would’ve changed your mind.”

Gaping, he dropped his arms and stepped away. “You were going to use magic to influence me?”

“No!”

His brows flew to his hairline, and his expression was pure disbelief.

She winced. “Okay, well, yes, but not in a bad way.Justto keep you alive and return you to me.”

“It wasn’t your call to make, Soleil.” Expression dangerous, he presented his back and strode a few feet away, only to return and glare at her. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about it.”

“I couldn’t let you die,” she argued, planting her hands on her hips. “Not for such a stupid reason.”

“Did youhave an ideawhat they’d planned?” he asked incredulously. “What reconstitution and reconditioning is like?”

“No, but Damian told me.” Lifting her chin, she met his furious gaze. “Everything would’ve remained intact. That’s what my potion does.”

He shook his head in what she could onlyassume wasdisgust at her manipulation.

“I’m not sorry.” Hugging herself, she closed her eyes and swallowed her misery as she tried to hang on to her righteous indignation. “I’m not sorry,” she said again. “You didn’t deserve to die, Trevor.”