Page 55 of Alastair

“Too late. What’s done is done.” He resumed the stirring, then lightly clinked the spoon against the rim before setting it aside. Turning from the counter, a cup in each hand, he brought over mine and sat in the seat across from me. “Tea is made now. You’re out of time. Start talking.” He arched a pale brow. “What? You thought I didn’t realize what you were doing? You never ask for tea. It was a delay tactic.”

I felt myself smile a bit. It was hard not to. “Quite the observation.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Alastair took a sip and peered out the glass door beside the table. The bungalow had one bedroom, a kitchen, and a small dining area. The deck behind it had two chairs beneath an awning overlooking the sea. “Want to sit outside?”

The fresh air would be nice. Being inside felt like the walls were closing in. My racing pulse and spiraling thoughts didn’t help.

“Very well.” It bought me an extra minute or so to think as we grabbed our cups and moved outside. A gentle breeze came off the water as I stood at the railing. I took a drink, oddly soothed as the tea trickled down my throat. “You added honey.”

“I did.” Alastair stood beside me. His blond hair appeared more silver in twilight. “It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“Even now with the saltwater breeze and island air…” Blue eyes shifted to me. “All I smell is the first breath of winter and a faint hint of apple.”

Forget bursting from my chest; my heart skittered to a halt. Was that how I smelled to him? If itwasmy scent, that could only mean the seal blocking our connection had somehow cracked. Picking up a mate’s scent was part of the fated bond. Michael had been right. Alastair felt our connection.

It also meant I no longer had a choice. I hadto tell him the truth. All of it. Because if the sealhadweakened in some way, Alastair’s feelings would only intensify. It was no longer one-sided.

The sea drew closer all of a sudden.

“Lazarus?” Alastair dropped his cup as he grabbed me by the shoulders, keeping me from toppling over the railing. The glass shattered as it hit the deck.

I stared at the broken pieces, the edges of my vision hazy. My sight blurred even further before something wet coated my lashes. Tears.

“By the gods, talk to me,” he said, holding my full weight. Me being taller and more muscled didn’t matter. He held me with ease.

“You asked what I was hiding?” When I met his stare, my chest felt like the shards of glass at my feet. After holding myself together for thousands of years, I had finally broken apart. “This is it.”

Concern and confusion washed across his face. “I don’t understand.” And the little snarl in his voice indicated his frustration at that.

“When did it start?” I asked. “You noticing my scent.”

Alastair blinked before quickly wetting his lips. Another nervous habit. “The day you and Michael came to the island. After Echo Bay.”

“After I nearly died.” I nodded to myself, understanding at last. Why hadn’t I seen it sooner? “My almost-death triggered it for you just as it did for me.”

“Triggered what?”

I lifted a shaking hand and stroked the curve of his cheek with my thumb. “Use that beautiful brain, Alastair. What causes two people to notice each other’s scent? What causes them to be drawn together even when their minds tell them it’s a horrible idea?”

“I don’t…” I saw the moment it hit him. His eyes widened, and he jerked away from me. “No. It’s not possible. We can’t be.”

“We are. You know in your gut it’s true. It’s why you’ve felt differently toward me since Echo Bay.”

“We’ve known each other for too many years!” Alastair’s voice rose in volume. “I know the fated bond presents differently for each couple, but I would’ve sensed it within that time.”

I stared at the wood beneath my hands, unable to look at him. “Not if the bond was sealed.”

“What do you mean?” he asked roughly.

Was he having trouble breathing too? The fresh air didn’t make it any easier to take a breath. Each one had to travel through my concrete lungs.

“I placed a magic warding on my soul to block our connection,” I admitted before finally looking at him. “It’s why you never sensed it until now.”

“I didn’t know that was possible. Sealing a bond.”

“It wasn’t easy. Magic of that magnitude takes a lot of power. But it was necessary.”