Possession (The Mate Games 3)

Moira’s laughter tinkled like bells. “How do you think I talked him into any of this? Tor knows now never to go up against a Belladonna.”

“It’ll grow back,” Tor grumbled.

“At least now we have a way to tell the two of you apart,” Noah said.

“The way I see it, I’m doing the women of Ravenscroft a favor. I don’t think they could handle two of these guys walking around all rugged and Viking-y,” Moira said.

“Are you staying, then?” Noah asked, his palm gently resting on the small of my back as he came up behind me. It was like he knew I needed something to help ground me with all the feelings coming to a head inside me.

“Yes, I think I’d like to. Ravenscroft has grown on me, and Alek will be too busy making up for lost time with his mate to focus on much else.”

My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and suddenly all this was too much. “Excuse me,” I said, spinning around and racing up the stairs, not stopping until I was safely hidden in my bedroom.

I felt like such a fool. All I’d wanted was for Alek to be here with me, and now that I had him, I couldn’t even bring myself to talk to him. Even though I wasn’t the one who lost my memories, he was a stranger.

Curling up on the forest green velvet chaise lounge Kingston had given me as a housewarming present, I stared out the window at the gray sky and rain falling in a fine mist. How had this gone so wrong?

Oh, that’s right, Quinn Satori. The memory weaver. She’d woven me right out of his mind, making it as if all the moments I remembered so fondly had never happened. And in doing so, she’d taken Alek from me just as completely as she’d stripped me away from him.

My berserker woke, melding with the wild spirit of my wolf. The woman was lucky I’d been kept at bay in Novasgard. With the amount of fury pumping through my veins, I’m not sure she’d still be breathing if I’d gotten my claws in her.

A soft knock on the door was the only warning I got before it opened, revealing Alek. He stood in the doorway, a slightly bewildered expression on his face as he filled the frame.

My heart gave a pathetic flop in my chest. He looked as confused as I felt. Like his instinct was telling him to do something, but he didn’t trust it.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice low and hesitant.

I tore my gaze from him and resumed watching the rain. “No.”

“I’m sorry.”

A bitter laugh escaped before I could stop it. “Why are you apologizing? None of this is your fault.”

“Because I forgot you.” He raked a hand through his hair, frustration in his heavy sigh. “I don’t know how to do this.”

His admission did what nothing else could. It pushed me out of my own grief and back onto my feet, the need to comfort him outshining everything else. I crossed the room and closed the distance between us until he was within my reach. “It’s okay. I don’t either.”

His lip hooked up in a lopsided grin. “Shall we figure it out together, then?”

“I don’t suppose we have any other choice.”

“Where should we start?”

“How do people usually start when they’re getting to know each other?”

He considered the question, and then his smile changed, becoming achingly familiar. It was an invitation to play, and I was unable to resist it. “I believe they refer to it as dating.”

“Are you asking me out on a date, Alek Nordson?”

“Yes, Sunday Fallon. I believe I am.”

My heart fluttered, cheeks warming at the gesture. “Then... yes. Take me on a date.”

He closed the distance between us, reaching out to grasp my hand in his much larger one. Then holding my gaze, he dipped his head down and brushed his lips over my knuckles.

The gesture was so damn charming little butterflies took flight in my belly.

“I’ll pick you up at sundown.”