Page 48 of A Winter Awakening

But he couldn’t. The oread Gael saw didn’t exist. Orteo had just pretended to be someone he wasn’t. He’d lied to himself about who he was. He’d lied to Gael.

Because Orteo couldn’t hide who he was deep down. And he couldn’t change what he’d done in the past. He wondered what Gael would say if he knew the truth of who he was, of how he’d let down his own family.

“You make me so happy, Orteo.” Gael hesitated. “And I am completely in love with you.”

Orteo’s heart twisted. He wanted to deserve the words.

Because he felt the exact same for Gael.

Since Gael had come into his life, his world had brightened. The loneliness and grief that always shrouded him had melted away. He wanted to say he loved Gael, but the words caught in his throat.

Because it would be wrong to say them without Gael knowing the truth about who he was.

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, someone else did.

“It’s been less than four weeks since the day weshouldhave been married,” a female voice said, “and you’re already proclaiming your love to someone else!”

ChapterTwenty-Five

Alisa and Gracie stood together, both wearing riding gear. Gracie glared at him. Alisa had her arms folded.

Gael rose, trying to quell the panic rushing through his veins. “Alisa! Gracie! You’re both here!” How were they here? How did they know how to find him?

Alisa turned to Orteo. “Will you give me and my intended a moment?”

Orteo looked to Gael.

Gael smiled weakly. He wanted to beg Orteo to stay. He didn’t want to face the woman he’d abandoned on her wedding day alone. “It’s fine.”

Orteo hesitated. Then he nodded. “I’ll be over there.” And knowing Orteo wasn’t about to leave him entirely made it easier for Gael to face Alisa and Gracie.

Orteo walked towards the edge of the forest and leaned against a tree.

“I will also give you both a moment,” Gracie, his older sister, said. “And I won’t speak on Alisa’s behalf. She can speak for herself well enough. But first I have some words for you, dearest brother.”

Gracie stepped towards him, green eyes like his glinting.

Gael shrank in on himself, lowering his gaze.

“We didn’t deserve what you did,” Gracie said. “Not I, nor Mother, nor Father. We’ve always been kind to you, haven’t we?”

He nodded. Not daring to say anything else.

“And you and I, I thought we were close.”

“We are!” He met her gaze. “We are close!”

“Well, you didn’t act like it.” She swallowed. “You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” he said. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

She gave a nod. “We’ll talk more later. But first, you need to speak to Alisa and apologise to her.” Then she turned and stalked off a short distance. There she stood watching them.

Gael felt a half-inch tall. His eyes met Alisa’s gaze.

She sat on the bench. “Well, sit.” She gestured. “And stop looking like a kicked dog.”

Gael sat, staring at his hands on his lap.