Fade (42 page)
Authors: A.K. Morgen
“Why not?”
Ronan still made me uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure that would ever change, but he belonged with us. He was as necessary and vital to all of this as we were. He’d been sent by Odin to fight at our backs like he had for millennia. I couldn’t quite imagine that. I figured I was allowed to be a little overwhelmed though. I had died, after all.
“He hurt you,” Dace growled after a minute. The wolf grumbled his agreement. The anger and fierce protectiveness they felt echoed like song in my head. My boys were not at all happy with Ronan Lacrosse.
“You’ll have to forgive him someday,” I said, cuddling against Dace as best I could. Nothing seemed to move as it should. I had a feeling recovery would be a long process even with my increased healing ability.
“Don’t count on it,” he vowed softly, his lips at my ear. “He’s still alive because he risked his life so you could get away. If it weren’t for that—”
“No!” I tried to roll to look at him and was frustrated when I couldn’t do it without his help. “You can’t hurt him, Dace. We need him. The
world
needs him.”
He scowled.
“I’m serious,” I told him, my hand squeezing his weakly. “He’s the only one who remembers any of this, and you two are the only ones who can still shift. You are absolutely forbidden from harming him, no matter what he does. I can’t lose you. I won’t.”
“You aren’t going to lose me,” he said softly, his expression softening beneath my panic. “I’m not going anywhere, love.”
“Promise me you won’t hurt him,” I demanded, refusing to be placated. I knew he wouldn’t go anywhere voluntarily. That wasn’t the point. He might not have a choice in the matter.
He stared down at me, and I allowed my thoughts to whisper what neither of us wanted to say aloud:
Ragnarök
was coming. We couldn’t pretend that wasn’t happening.
I
couldn’t pretend that wasn’t happening. I’d seen Fenrir. I knew what awaited us if we failed. If Ronan could help us stop that and keep Dace safe, he would help even if I had to bind him to me to make it happen.
Dace stroked my cheek as his wolf curled his mind around mine, both of them trying to soothe the fear coursing through me. A few moments later, he sighed. “I won’t hurt him.”
For you,
he whispered in our minds.
Only for you, Arionna
.
I closed my eyes, relieved by the depth of his promise. I’d expected reluctance, and he’d given me the biggest concession he could. Dace and his wolf would do whatever they could to protect me, just as they’d protected me in every life we’d ever lived. We might have been fading, but our bond was not.
I had every intention of ensuring what we felt for one another was enough to save the world one more time.
Ragnarök
might have been coming, but it wouldn’t get here.
Somehow, I’d make sure of that.
Thank You For Reading.
© 2012 A.K. Morgen
Curiosity Quills Press
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A.K. Morgen
lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her real life hero, their daughter, two dogs, and her demonic cat. She has a graduate degree in Criminal Justice and Law, and grand plans to save the world someday.
A.K. wrote her first story at the age of seven, and published her first book locally at the age of twelve. She’s written in a variety of genres since, and has published numerous poems and research articles. Her boss loves to put her writing skills to use by having her write procedure and operations manuals for her day job.
When not writing, she spends time teaching her niece and nephews things their mothers’ wish they didn’t know, conspiring with her sister and daughter on new and inventive ways to drive her husband mad, dancing in the grocery store, building a spork army, and fundraising for nonprofits close to her heart. She’s a volunteer coordinator for one of her favorite charities, and loves to spend her free time getting into mischief with her favorite partners-in-crime..
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© 2012 A.K. Morgen
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ISBN: 978-1-62007-084-0 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-62007-085-7 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-62007-086-4 (hardcover)
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