Page 15 of Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me: Volume 4

Firelight and Cinnamon Roll Kisses

Tall windows let in soft moonlight. A fire burned in the hearth, cozy unlike the hospitals from my old world that were freezing cold and smelled of antiseptic cleaner. Rows of cots lined both sides of the room, with space between them for a small bedside table.

All of the cots were empty apart from one. The person occupying it laid much too still.

A lump cut off my air, and my legs felt wobbly. “Will he be okay?”

“Yes.” Briar touched my lower back as he guided me farther into the medical ward. “He’s lost a lot of blood and has faded in and out of consciousness since they brought him to me. Several of his injuries were severe, but I was able to administer a powerful healing elixir in time that mended the worst of them.”

I nearly collapsed with the relief. Relief that waned as I noted all the bandages on Callum. They covered his torso and one arm. His neck was wrapped too. More like a mummy cinnamon roll now. “Any permanent damage?”

Callum lived and breathed being a knight. Taking that away would kill him.

“He should make a full recovery.” Briar grabbed a tray from the bedside table and tried to hide it from me. But I saw it anyway. Bloody rags and cloths. “I applied salves to promote healing and reduce scarring, but I’m afraid he’ll wear some of those scars for the rest of his life. Much like our captain. Herbert’s elixir helped with his pain, at least, and allowed him to sleep.”

My sternum squeezed. “Guess I need to stop saying mean things about that little beetle. He’s a hero.”

“That he is.” Briar’s smile was mix of sad and tired. He brushed a kiss to my temple. “I’ll give you a moment with him. Let me know if you need anything.”

As he took the tray of soiled cloths and left the medical ward, my feet were cemented to the floor. The flames crackled in the hearth, but they did little to chase away the ice in my bones.

It wasn’t the first time I’d stood in that spot, staring at an injured knight asleep in his bed. A knight my heart cried out for.

With each step forward, more of Callum came into view. The bandages. The deep cut across his right jaw. Mostly, I noticed how still he was, his chest barely moving with his breaths.

“Cal.” My voice cracked as I knelt beside the cot and took his hand in mine. Relief surged in my core at the warmth of his palm. A sign he was still with me. That the sun still burned through his veins. I dropped my cheek to his forearm and linked our fingers. “You better wake up soon. I need to kick your butt for being so stubborn.”

Ever so slightly, his hand squeezed mine.

My head shot back up. “Callum?”

He didn’t move. Didn’t open his eyes.

Low voices filtered in from the main room of the clinic. Duke, Quincy, and Baden. The knights had been there when Maddox brought me earlier, their eyes pink around the edges and swollen from the tears they’d tried to hide from me.

Callum took a ragged breath, and the middle of his brow scrunched. Slowly, the furrow faded, smoothing the hard lines once again. He was in so much pain even when asleep.

A small cry escaped my lips, and I buried my face into the crease of his arm. A light pressure then landed on top of my head.

I stilled. When that pressure turned into the softest ruffle of my hair, another sob tore from me, and I looked up into the warmest brown eyes.

“Don’t cry, Ev,” Callum rasped. “It’s just a scratch or two.”

“Cal!” I threw my arms around him. He released a little oof as I squeezed him a bit too tight. “Sorry. I’m just…” I drew back and wiped at my eyes. “Happy you’re awake. I’ll go get Briar.”

Just as I stood, Callum grabbed my wrist.

“Not yet.” Despite his exhaustion, he smiled. It wasn’t fully formed, but a trace of his dimple could be seen in his cheek. “I didn’t expect to see you when I woke.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” I sat on the edge of the cot and retook his hand in mine, tracing the scar on his thumb. “Good thing it was a demon that attacked you and not a potato, right?”

He chuckled. It came out rough and weak at the same time. His smile then faltered as pain washed over him.

“I’m getting Briar. You need more of Herbert’s medicine.”

“Please, Ev.” Callum’s eyes looked glassy as his hand lifted to my cheek. “Stay with me a while longer.”

“Okay.” I settled back down. “Tell me if you’re in too much pain though. I know the thought of drinking anything that comes from Herbert is gross but—”

Callum cupped the back of my head and brought me down, capturing my lips.

Time froze, just like my damn heartbeat. Heat engulfed my body as he kissed me. Fire zipped through my veins, like a lit fuse racing toward the inevitable explosion. That explosion came when Callum’s tongue swept against mine.

And from the remnants of that blast, something new yet familiar blossomed in my chest—in my heart. I felt like I’d been waiting for this moment all my life; kissing him as the logs crackled in the hearth beside us. Tears stuck to my lashes as the intensity of that emotion slammed into me like a tidal wave, strengthening my connection to Callum. Altering it too.

“Evan.” My name was a whisper on his lips. His fingers sank into the back of my hair, and he rested our foreheads together. “I feel strange. Like I’m weightless, yet grounded at the same time.”

Our fated bond had been freed from the “just friends” box. The kiss had been the key. The mutual joining of our lips had unleashed all of the emotions we’d kept locked away.

“Me too,” I said before kissing him again. He emitted a soft sound that I felt in the center of my chest. “But this feels right. You and me. Like it was always meant to happen.”

“It does.” He shakily smiled against my lips. “Forgive me for how I left this morning. My head was a mess, and I—”

“It’s okay.” Being mindful of his injuries, I curled up beside him on the cot. One of the advantages of being so small. “You were worried about upsetting Maddox.”

“Aye.” Callum pushed his face against my temple. “I never thought you could be mine, Ev. So I kept my feelings to myself. But then something broke in me, and I couldn’t hold it back anymore. Yet, when you kissed me, I panicked. Confessing to you was bad enough, but acting on those feelings? I feared it would betray the one man I respected above all others.”

“And now?”

An unsteady breath feathered across my cheek. “That same man told me to stop being stubborn and take you in my arms.”

“Maddox of all people told someone to stop being stubborn?” I asked with a snort.

Callum echoed the sound. “He and I are more alike than I thought. A weakness for muffins. And now matching scars.”

“Yours are far worse, I’d say,” a deep voice came from behind us.

Snuggled against Callum’s chest, I looked over my shoulder. Maddox stood in the doorway of the medical ward. The other knights stepped through next and tossed relieved smiles our way. That relief transitioned to amusement as they took in our position on the cot.

“About bloody time,” Baden mumbled.

Quincy elbowed Maddox in the ribs. “Is this where ya take off his head, Cap’n? Poor bloke survived a violent demon attack only to greet death by your hands.”

Maddox rolled his eyes. “No one is dying tonight.”

Duke wiped at fake tears. “Our lieutenant’s growing up so fast. It seems only yesterday he was as pure as the freshly fallen snow. And now look at him. Tainted by an adorable muffin.”

“Piss off,” Callum said, voice veering on strained. Sweat had started to bead across his forehead, and his breaths grew sharper. Not only had he ignored his pain for too long, but it had clearly been worse than I’d realized.

“Good god, you really are stubborn.” I sat up. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurting so much?”

“Just a…” He grimaced. “Scratch.”

“Briar will be in soon with another elixir to ease your pain.” Maddox neared the cot and regarded Callum’s wrapped torso with a shadow of guilt. The guilt worsened when he noticed the bandage on Callum’s neck.

“Stop with that look, Captain,” Callum told him. “This isn’t your fault.”

“Still, I blame myself anyway.” Maddox focused on the fire as a log popped. “As your commanding officer, it’s my duty to keep you and the entire unit safe. I failed.”

After gently squeezing Callum’s hand, I let go and stood from the cot, latching on to Maddox’s waist. My captain always carried a lot on his shoulders. That weight would eventually crush him.

“I know you did all you could,” I said.

Maddox returned my hold. “It wasn’t enough.”

“Not enough?” Quincy asked. “You kept a demon from tearing my face off. My protection charm shattered just before the beast attacked. All I saw was its sharp claws before you struck it down.”

Duke nodded. “I was fighting two at once when a third closed in from the flank. You threw your shield to knock it off course. Although…” He looked at Quincy. “I feel the demon clawing your face would’ve been an improvement.”

Quincy shoved Duke, while Baden crossed his arms and shook his head.

“Listen to their words, Captain.” Callum tried to smile through his discomfort.

“Giving me orders, Lieutenant?” Maddox arched a brow. He appeared so much lighter. As if, maybe, that weight wasn’t nearly as heavy any more. His knights had taken some of the load.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Callum responded, expression softening. “You’re my captain. Now and until I take my last breath.”

“Then I order you to keep breathing. Because I need you by my side.” Maddox turned his face into my hair. “So does our muffin.”

Our muffin.

I almost cried.

“All right. That’s enough.” Briar neared us with a tray of fresh supplies. “You all can tease Callum once he’s had a full night of rest.”

“Seems Briar’s giving you orders too,” I told Maddox.

His eyes narrowed in that playful way I loved.

Briar checked Callum’s bandages and then administered another elixir for his pain. “This will help you rest. Your body will heal as you sleep.”

Duke and the other knights told us good bye before patting my head and leaving the clinic. Their spirits had lifted once learning Callum would be okay. They might not have been blood related, but they were brothers through and through.

“I’ll be back in the morning.” I kissed Callum’s cheek. “And I’ll bring all the muffins you can eat.”

“Wait.” Callum reached after me with a panicked look in his eyes. The elixir had started taking effect, making him drowsy. “Don’t… leave me.”

An ache gnawed at my chest, and I looked at Maddox and Briar. They softly smiled.

“Okay.” I grabbed Callum’s hand. “I’ll stay right here beside you. I promise.”

He relaxed and sank back down into the pillow. Holding my hand, his eyes fluttered closed, and his breaths evened out. Deep and steady. I smoothed the hair from his brow before kissing his forehead.

“So the rabbit finally found a backbone,” one of my favorite voices in the whole world said from the shadowy corner. “It only took him nearly dying to find it.”

“Rowan.” I smiled as he stepped from those shadows, masked and delicious.

“I should leave more often if that’s how happy you are when I return.” He reached me in four strides and wrapped his arms around me, dropping his face to my shoulder. Black cardamom wafted from him, an instant balm to my soul. “Are you okay, little treasure?”

“Much better now.” I leaned my head against his. “Are you on your way to the tower?”

“I am. But when the pup told me what happened, I needed to see you first.” Rowan drew back and lowered his mask. “Wanted to make sure Captain Glutton brought you here without harming a hair on that pretty little head of yours.”

“Mind your words, thief. I’m in no mood for your insolence.” Maddox glowered. “And Evan is always safe by my side.”

“I’m not completely helpless,” I said with a scoff. “I’ve traveled to and from the castle many times, and nothing’s hurt me yet.”

“One word.” Maddox regarded me with an arched brow. “Yoyo.”

“What?”

Briar cleared his throat. “I believe you mean Oreo. That’s the name he gave to the demon.”

I couldn’t breathe. I was laughing too damn hard. Freaking Yoyo.

“So.” Rowan glanced between them. “Will the two of you be staying the night here with him?”

“Yes,” Briar said. “I’ll be monitoring Callum’s condition.”

“And I’ll be here because of Evan,” Maddox said. “The thought of him being unsupervised in a clinic full of sharp medical tools and a monstrous beetle is more terrifying than the horde of Fenrir.”

“First of all? Rude,” I responded. “Secondly? Herbert isn’t a monstrous beetle anymore. He’s a little hero. He took Cal’s pain away and will be rewarded with all the muffin crumbs he wants.”

“My earlier statement stands.” Maddox crossed his arms. “A monstrous, muffin stealing beetle.”

I laughed. Leave it to my gluttonous captain to see everyone who liked muffins—human or otherwise—as a rival.

“Our muffin.”

But I guess there was one person he made an exception for.

“Do you have a mission tonight?” I asked Rowan. “Following anyone suspicious?”

“Hmm… now that you ask…” Rowan smiled. “I believe a muffin lord is at the top of our target list. An identifying characteristic is his sad toad face.”

“Meanie.”

Rowan pinched my cheek before a sudden seriousness took him over. “We actually do have a target. Last night was the first time I shadowed him. He spent most of the night drinking and fucking, then returned to his room at the inn.”

“He sounds like a regular guy to me,” I said. “Why is he a target?”

“I thought the same.” Rowan frowned. “Nothing stood out as suspicious. But Reign says he reeks of magic.”

“Reign can sense magic?” Briar asked.

Rowan nodded. “It’s his specialty. He can also sense the skill level of those with magic. And he said our target, though seemingly average at first glance, is actually quite powerful.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s bad,” I said. “You’re powerful too and have only kidnapped one person.”

He rewarded me with that fang-like snaggle. “That you know of.”

I cut my eyes at him.

“Enough with that look.” He laughed. “You’re my one and only victim, little treasure.”

“Good.” I touched the golden cuff holding his hair to the side. “Better keep it that way.”

“Is that an order, Your Highness?” Rowan brought me flush against him and lowered his face to my throat.

Shivers danced along my skin. “Y-Yep.”

“Will you keep following your target?” Maddox asked.

After a quick nip to my throat, Rowan pulled away. “Aye. Just to be sure he’s not a threat. But Draven thinks he may be passing through Bremloc on his way to another town.”

“Oh, Draven.” I sighed. “Maybe one day he’ll like me.”

“Reign likes you,” Rowan said. “I blame the brownies. One bite and he was addicted.”

“My brownies bring all the men to the yard.”

“They bring him at least.” My spy smirked. “I prefer your truffles.”

“I need to learn Draven’s favorite treat. I won’t rest until I do.”

“Think he’ll join your harem next?” Rowan asked.

I swatted at him, and he jerked away with a raspy laugh. He then stepped back toward the corner, lifting his mask back over his mouth. The shadows reached out and pulled him in, swarming his body. Topaz eyes stood out among the darkness before he disappeared.

“Damned thief,” Maddox mumbled. “But I suppose he has his uses.”

I pressed my lips together. Lord forbid he actually compliment Rowan.

Briar kissed the top of my head. “I’ll prepare your bed.”

Maddox watched him as he made up the cot beside Callum’s, adding an extra pillow and fluffing it. “Will that blanket be warm enough for him? He should have two. His feet get cold at night.”

“Stop worrying about me.” I went over and hugged him. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll always worry about you. You mean everything to me, sweetheart.” Maddox cupped my cheek. His eyes then lowered to Callum. “He feels the same as I do. Not long after we reached the castle this morn, he confessed everything. How he’s loved you from afar. How it pained him to be near you but never as close as he wanted to be.”

My heart stammered. “And now he can?”

Maddox leaned in to kiss me. “As I said before, Callum is family. Yours as much as mine.” I then felt him smile against my lips. “But if he moves into the cottage, I still say he can sleep on the rug.”

“Be nice.”

He smirked.

The two of them took turns kissing me good night before Maddox went upstairs to wash up. Briar checked on Callum one more time and then returned to the other room, saying he had more work to do.

I rolled to my side and looked at Callum, watching the flicker of firelight on his face. Falling in love with another man probably wasn’t the best idea. I had so much on my plate already: keeping my secret, running a busy café, and preparing for the upcoming engagement ball.

But we’d waited long enough, battling hurt feelings and what we thought was one-sided love. I wanted to make up for lost time. Wanted to love Callum like he deserved.

Come morning, Operation Cinnamon Roll would commence.

***

A light whack sounded from outside the clinic. I stood in the kitchen that morning, having just pulled a batch of blueberry muffins from the oven, and nearly dropped the damn pan as I looked out the window.

Callum was beating a tree with a big stick.

“What the hell?” I set the pan aside and crept closer to the window.

Shirtless, he faced away from me, giving me a nice little show as the muscles flexed in his back. He rotated the stick in his hand before taking an offensive position and striking the tree. He then did it again, hitting the same spot.

“Oh no he’s not.” I took off my apron and headed for the front door. “He is not out there training.”

Outside, the air smelled of morning dew and earth. Of spring. The breeze held a slight chill, but the sun blazed down, warming the top of my head as I charged toward him.

“Briar is going to kill you. Better yet, I’m going to kill you.”

Callum looked back at me, sweat glistening on his tanned skin. “Do I smell muffins?”

“Muffins are for good boys.” I put my hands on my hips. “Not ones who get out of bed to play with swords when they should be resting.”

“This is a stick.” He grinned.

“Put that dimple away. It won’t help you now.”

Said dimple became more evident in his cheek. “Are you sure? I’m told it’s quite charming.”

“Keep it up, and you’ll charm your way right into the lion’s den,” I said. “Because Maddox will kill you too if he sees you out here.”

“It was only light drills. Nothing too strenuous.” Callum tossed the stick to the grass and came over. “I haven’t missed a day of training in years.”

“You also haven’t been this injured before.” I grabbed his hand and turned back to the clinic.

“They’re only scratches.”

I heavily sighed. “How did you even sneak past me? You were still asleep when I got up.”

“Side door.” He nodded to it. “Found it in the hall outside the ward.”

“Such a rebel. What am I gonna do with you?”

The cinnamon roll smile I knew and loved teased his lips. “Feed me muffins?”

“I’ll feed you a knuckle sandwich,” I muttered, ushering him through the front door.

Briar exited the back room with a bundle of herbs and paused. “You should be resting, Callum.”

“Yeah, Cal.” Giving him the side eye, I lightly bumped his uninjured arm. “You should be resting.”

He peered down at me and bumped me right back, smile still in place. “I feel fine. The elixirs healed me. I would’ve gone mad spending all day in bed.”

“You sound just like another knight I know.” Briar pushed his glasses farther up his nose. “Lack of selfcare must be in your code. Pigheadedness too.”

“What do pigs have to do with this?” Callum asked. “Although, I do enjoy bacon.”

I slumped against the kitchen counter and laughed. Good thing he was pretty.

“Allow me to check your wounds,” Briar said, gathering fresh wrappings. As he and Callum went into the medical ward, I followed. “Are you in any pain?”

“No.” Callum sat on the cot. “Only a bit sore.”

I coughed. It took all my willpower not to say that was why he shouldn’t have been whacking a tree with a stick. Light drills the day after being mauled by a demon? I should’ve spanked him.

“The wound on your neck concerns me most.” Briar carefully unwrapped the bandage. “Your artery was nearly severed. It’s a miracle you didn’t bleed out before reaching the clinic.”

My playful irritation lifted, and a deep chill took its place.

“I remember very little after the attack,” Callum said as his eyes glazed over. “But I vaguely recall the captain holding me against him during the trek home, his hand around my throat.”

A sense of awe touched Briar’s expression. “He must’ve applied pressure to the wound. It saved your life.”

That explained the blood on Maddox’s armor. He’d held Callum and did all he could to make sure he made it home. There was a quiver in my throat, and I left the medical ward just as tears flooded my eyes.

Busying myself in the kitchen was the best distraction. It calmed my nerves and slowed my racing thoughts. As the muffins cooled, I cooked bacon and eggs, then grabbed plates from the cupboard.

“It’s a miracle you didn’t bleed out.”

My chest felt tight, and it was hard to breathe. I rushed over and flung open the window, hoping the fresh air would help. It did.

The front door opened.

“Evan!” Thane beamed just as he always did when seeing me. A satchel hung over his shoulder, and he carried a glass jar with a familiar terror inside.

“Morning,” I greeted him, then looked at the beetle. “Hello, Holly. Nice to see you. As always.”

Thane gave a toothy grin, stole a strip of bacon, and disappeared into the back room. Probably to work on advanced potions and tonics. I wasn’t allowed in that room. Everything in there was either highly toxic, poisonous, or sharp.

The heavy thumps of boots neared the door before it swung open again, this time bringing a group of knights. My captain in front.

“Morning, sweetheart.” Maddox greeted me with a soft kiss. “We can’t stay for long.”

“Long enough to eat, I hope.” I nodded to the food on the counter. “Muffins, eggs, and bacon. But you have to save some for Callum.”

“How is the lieutenant?” Baden asked.

Normally, the knights would’ve been attacking the food. Instead, they all stared at me, waiting for an update. My boys were so worried.

“He’s much better.” Briar exited the medical ward, wiping his hands. “However, I insisted he stay in bed for the remainder of the day. The elixirs healed the worst of his injuries, but his body needs time to recuperate.”

Quincy expelled a breath. Duke nodded to himself. Baden’s shoulders relaxed. The relief in the room was palpable.

Maddox had already known Callum’s condition. He’d slept in the medical ward last night, using the cot beside me, and had woken when I did. Before leaving for the barracks, he’d kissed me silly, then told me to watch over his lieutenant.

“If there’s one thing Callum despises, it’s being confined to a bed.” Maddox pulled me into his arms and pressed his mouth to my ear. “I’m sure a muffin would lift his spirits.”

I pulled back with a smile. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

When Maddox returned that smile, pretty sure the earth moved beneath me. The man made my knees weak.

After saying good bye to him and the others, I made Callum a plate and took it into the medical ward, biting back a laugh at the way he crossed his arms and pouted at the window. Maddox was right. His mood drastically improved when seeing the three blueberry muffins waiting for him.

“You spoil me,” he said, sitting up higher in the bed and accepting the plate. A fresh bandage covered his neck.

“It’s only fair.” I sat beside him on the cot. “You promised to bring me coffee if Maddox threw me in a cell after the Oreo incident, remember? Since you’re in bed jail, I come with muffins.”

“Briar said I should be able to leave this evening.” Callum bit into a muffin. “However, I fear the boredom will kill me first.”

“That’s why you have me.” I smiled, trying to keep my eyes away from his neck. That wound had almost taken him from me, ending our romance before it’d even had a chance to begin. “We can count the dust bunnies in the air, play rock, paper, scissors, and gorge ourselves on sweets and coffee until you’re freed from jail.”

His answering grin was a bit lopsided. “What’s rock, paper, scissors?”

I then explained the game, and once he finished eating, we played a few rounds. He got the hang of it quickly, but it didn’t do him any favors. He was pretty bad at it. Laughter and frustrated grumbles filled the medical ward as he kept losing.

“I believe you’re cheating,” he said after another loss.

“This is a game of both chance and strategy.” I stretched my fingers and shook them out, readying myself for another round. “It’s all about reading your opponent and making educated guesses on what they’ll choose.”

Callum favored rock and paper. Mostly rock. Typical knight, thinking brute strength would always win. I smiled. Sucker.

“Is that so?” A challenge sparked in his brown eyes. “You speak of opponents and strategy, so let’s make it more interesting. If I win this next game, you must come with me to the training field and face me in a sparring match. See how well you read me then.”

I gulped.

“Where did your confidence go, Ev?” Callum cocked his head and smirked.

Heat fanned over my skin. He looked so damn hot it temporarily fried my brain cells. His long dark lashes. Plump bottom lip. The slightly downturned corners of his eyes. “What was the question again?”

He laughed. One that broke off into a grimace as he clutched his chest.

“That’s enough playing for now. You need to rest.” I guided him to his back. I knew he was hurting when he didn’t fight me on it. Which only worried me more. “Next time you’re supposed to be in bed resting, don’t go hitting trees with sticks, okay?”

Callum gave me a shaky smile. “You have my word.”

Briar came in to give Callum another dose of pain medicine. He checked his wounds again before leaning down to kiss my temple and leaving the ward.

I curled up beside Callum and rested my head on his pillow, lightly touching the bandage on his neck. I’d gotten a glimpse of the wound earlier when Briar had changed the wrapping, and it’d been like shards of glass plunging into my gut.

“I’m all right.” He shifted closer and grabbed my hand. “Your men made certain of that.”

Maddox had kept pressure on the wound and rode like the fires of hell were chasing him in order to reach Briar. And Briar had barely slept in between checking on him since then.

“Because they care for you. Just as I do.”

“Not all of them,” he said. “The snake would enjoy seeing me become a demon’s meal.”

“Nah.” I cuddled closer. “Ro loves getting a rise out of people and teasing them, but I can tell you’ve grown on him. He may poke fun at you, but he’d never want you seriously hurt.”

Rowan wasn’t a villain like he claimed.

Voices came from the other room. Sounded like more of the same: knights needing mending for shoulders dislocated during drills, castle workers with burns and minor cuts, and what sounded like a hangover tonic for Lord Norwood. Bremloc would have a liquor shortage soon if he didn’t tone it down.

“Are you feeling better?” I asked. The pain medicine should’ve kicked in by now, easing some of his discomfort.

“Aye.” He lightly bumped our foreheads together, a smile not far behind. “But if I say no, will you stay beside me?”

“I’ll stay beside you anyway.” A mix of nerves and excitement flared in my belly—the feelings that came with a new relationship. “We’re cellmates, remember? Partners in crime.”

“We are.” As he leaned in closer, his breath whispered over my lips. “And hopefully more than that.”

“Why, my dear knight.” I wove our fingers together. “Are you flirting with me?”

“What if I am?” Callum brushed the tip of his nose across mine. “What would you do, milord?”

I kissed him.

He made a small sound in his throat and practically melted. Hell, I melted too.

Actions spoke louder than words, and I wanted Callum to feel my love. Not just have it spoken into the ether. I had loved him as a friend for nearly a year, and that love had only strengthened, turning into something that made me breathless. Something that was scary and amazing at the same time. A connection that went beyond my understanding.

“Ev.” He grabbed the back of my head. “I… gods. I need more.”

His lips crashed against mine again, and he tugged me closer. Close enough for me to feel the heavy pounding of his heart. Fire burned through my bloodstream, causing tiny explosions everywhere our bodies touched.

And his taste . Holy hell, kissing Callum was like savoring a decadent dessert. Sweet and addictive. And hoping it never ended.

Unfortunately, it did end. Much sooner than either of us wanted.

The pressure of his mouth lightened before he slowly sank back to the pillow, eyes fighting to stay open. The medicine had taken effect, making him sluggish.

“Go to sleep, you silly man,” I said, a bit breathless and turned the fuck on but also finding him so damn cute I could barely stand it. “Briar said your body will heal the more you rest.”

“N-No.” He touched my cheek, and his hand slowly fell away, his body losing strength. “I don’t want… to…”

A second later, he was out like a light.

Smiling, I traced the line of his jaw before doing the same to his lips.

Lupin had said every decision, no matter how small, had the power to alter my future. As I breathed in Callum’s scent and felt his warm body against mine, I thanked the gods for whatever decision had led me to him.