“I can’t believe he left,” Devon says. “It’s insane.”
“I know. I can’t believe it either. I guess he needed to get out. I think he went back to Carolyn,” I venture.
“Makes sense, I guess,” Devon says, never having been one to tell me what I want to hear.
“Yeah,” I say sadly.
He finishes off my laces and says, “You must be famished.”
“What? Why?” I ask, worried that Devon knows something I don’t.
“Are you kidding?” he laughs. “Since I was reverse-turned, I haven’t stopped eating! Or having hot showers.”
I giggle, relieved it wasn’t about a pregnancy of mine. “I haven’t really had time to think about it, but yes, I suppose I am. How does it feel to be able to feel the heat?” I ask, remembering how he said he envied that about me.
“Amazing,” he says blissfully. “It would be better if you were with me,” he adds suggestively.
“Any day except today. I have to go and see Thrace and I need all of my wits about me. You turn my head, you know that.” I wink at him and he beams at me.
His expression turns sour as he says, “I am not liking this plan. Why can’t Drake go?”
“It’s my problem, I will deal with it,” I say.
“Fine,” he grouses. “I won’t bother trying to convince you otherwise, but if you don’t return within the day, I am getting Sebastian to get Drake to come and get you.” His declaration makes me laugh and I relax slightly, only to tense up again when he says, “By the way, you have a visitor downstairs. He is eager to see you.”
“Who?” I ask, hoping it is Cole but knowing that it won’t be.
“He’s in the kitchen,” he says and leads me out of the bedroom.
We walk on in silence and when I push open the kitchen door to the smell of bacon and eggs and hot coffee, my stomach growls. I find the person responsible for the smorgasbord and I don’t know whether to run to him or kick him out.
“Linc,” I say. “What are you doing here?”
He smiles at me, but it is a little bit forced. “I needed to see you. I have needed to see you, Liv. It’s been so hard. I have missed you,” he says.
“I have missed you too, but it’s over, Linc. You are already Paired with Chrissy,” I say, wishing it weren’t so.
“For the good of the Pack,” he snaps at me. “You decided all on your own how this would play out. It wasn’t fair.”
“You told me you had mourned for me. What else was there to do?” I ask sadly.
“You could have given me time,” he says. “We could have fixed it given a chance.”
“I am all out of chances, Lincoln. The time is here. This is it. Game over. I am preparing for war,” I say.
“War?” he asks.
I sigh and tell him of my daughter and why a war is imminent.
“Let me help you,” he says, coming to me and taking my hand.
I wrap my arms around him, unable to help myself. “You can’t. It’s not your fight.”
“I love you, Liv,” he whispers into my hair. “That will never change. Please let me help you.”
With all the strength I can muster, I pull away from him. “I will always love you too, but I have to choose my destiny now. One of four,” I say, admitting it for the first time out loud. I know that I have promised CK that the “Aefre” part of me will win this fight, but I don’t know that for sure. If V.A. or Xerxei or Aeval decides to boot me out, then I will have to face the consequences of that. We all will.
Lincoln looks down and says, “I understand. It was never on the cards for us, was it?”