He found no sign of his and Kereny’s last visit to this cave, nor anyone else’s presence. The water was higher, and more wood had washed in, but their secret place had remained so all this time.
As he sourced logs once more, he’d given her his phone to use for light—at least that feature worked. While he broke and stacked wood, he sensed her gaze on him but must’ve misread the heat in her eyes. She’d just found out her husband had married another, and then demons had attacked her!
“That was good work covering our tracks.” She removed her waterlogged boots and stockings. “Do you think we’ll be hidden here for a time?”
“Aye, but we’re no’ out of these woods yet.” None of this would have happened if the Dacians had shown up when promised. He’d put in another call to Loa two days ago, but the priestess hadn’t heard back from Lothaire as of early this morning.
Munro had also spoken a couple more times with Lachlain, getting more background on the Enemy of Old to try to figure out why their ride was late.
Lachlain’s best guess? “Because Lothaire is a dick?”
As Munro’s kindling caught fire, he stared at the growing flames and replayed how close that one demon blast had been. The strike wouldn’t have killed an immortal like him, but Kereny would have perished. Again. The Lore is no place for a mortal.
He dug his claws into his palms, fighting to steady himself. He’d already been in turmoil even before the attack. Kereny’s reaction to that obituary had made him feel like the vast chasm between them only continued to grow. She loved another. Her heart had been given.
What if my mate will never be . . . mine?
Ren watched Munro coax the flames higher, her gaze roaming over the soaked shirt that clung to his torso. Being back in this cavern with him intensified her every feeling. Foremost among them was desire.
Yet whenever Munro glanced her way, his eyes were wary. Finally he said, “I’ve got something for you.” He rose and offered her . . . a charred envelope.
The clipping! She’d set it on the table before the attack. How had he saved it? Then she noticed that his hand was blistered. “You snatched this out of the flames?”
He shrugged.
She drew out the paper once more. The waxed envelope had protected it, even through the waterfall. “Why?”
He rubbed his burned hand over his face. “Because it could be the last tie you’ll have to the husband you love.”
Munro had just shown her yet another facet of himself. Selfless man.
“I do love Jacob—as my dearest friend. I grieved when I thought he’d died young, but he got almost seven more decades of life and a family.”
“Friend? I feared I’d taken you from a love-match marriage.”
She shook her head. “I think Esther was his soul mate. Munro, you took me from certain death. You saved me.”
He eased closer. “I was born to protect you, Kereny. Will do anything to keep you safe.” He held her gaze, spellbinding her.
She couldn’t look away. One moment turned to many. Were these the breathless seconds?
Vanda had once told Ren that whenever she used her tarot cards to lead someone to a major realization, her client would often hold their breath. Time seems to bend. And a mindset can shift in the space of a few missed breaths.
A lot of things might happen in that span. The universe could turn, and a monster huntress could imagine walking hand in hand with a “monster.”
He gently cupped her face and leaned in to deliver kisses to her chin, the line of her jaw, her fluttering eyelids. “You are gossamer,” he rasped. “A breeze will take you away from me, yet I canna clutch you tightly else destroy you.” His kisses were as light as a bird’s wing skimming a still lake—while beneath the surface, currents of feeling swirled.
With each kiss, that sense of incompleteness she’d carried with her . . . vanished. It’s Munro; him for me.
She drew back and reached for her wedding ring. As she removed it, the moment was as taut and laden as if Munro were placing his own upon her finger.
He felt it too; his breath left him in a rush.
She placed the ring and the clipping into the envelope, then set it on a nearby rock.
When she returned to him, he said, “You’re free, then?”
She nodded.
“Kereny, I canna lose you again. Tell me I will no’ lose you ever again.”
“I’m a lot stronger than I look.” Her gaze swept over his face, lingering on his mouth. “I’m strong enough for you.”
Just as it had the last time they’d been in this cave, Munro’s body vibrated like a struck tuning fork. “Are you, then?”
“Yes. I’ve decided to explore this with you. With some adjustments on your part.”