It should feel wrong, but it doesn’t. Because it’s not just her that’s changed. It’s all of us. The way Oberon holds himself back when it comes to her. The way Ashton watches instead of taking. The way Cassius yields control, but only when it matters. We’ve bent. Adjusted. For her.
Because of her.
I let my fingers brush lightly along her arm, slower now, careful not to wake her.I don’t want to break this moment. I want to just pretend for a night that this will be my life forever.
Lowering my head, I press a quiet kiss to her temple, lingering there for just a second longer than necessary. She shifts slightly at the contact, her breath catching before settling again, and my chest aches at the sight. I’ve always respected her strength. Admired it. But this is different. This is knowing her. Being trusted by her. Being chosen. Even if it’s not just me.
A faint, almost humorless breath escapes me. I never thought I would be grateful for that. And yet… I am. Because it means she’s here. With us. Still within reach.
My gaze lingers on her face as her breathing evens out completely, her body finally giving in to sleep. Peaceful. Unaware of the storm she’s left in her wake.
I study her, committing this woman to memory. The softness, the quiet, the way she looks when she’s not fighting to survive.I’m lucky.The word comes unbidden. But it fits. Despite everything. Despite the labyrinth. Despite the mistakes I’ve made. I am lucky.
I settle back slightly, careful not to disturb her, my attention never fully leaving her even as the fire crackles softly in the background.There’s no way to know what tomorrow will bring. But, for now, I don’t really care. Today’s blessings are enough.
Alette is enough.
13
Alette
The rain falls straight down through the open center of the chamber, unbroken by roof or beam, spilling from the gray sky above into the garden below. The space isn’t ruined. It’s meant to be this way, even though I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.
A vast inner courtyard carved into the heart of the upper floor, its edges lined with smooth stone walkways that circle the open center like a quiet perimeter. We keep to those paths, sheltered just enough by the overhanging walls to avoid the worst of the storm, while the garden itself drinks in every drop.
Water gathers below in darkened soil and shallow pools, the earth soft and glistening as vines climb the inner walls and trees stretch upward toward the open sky. Their leaves shudder beneath the constant rain, catching the light in flashes of silver and green.
The sound is constant. Rain striking stone. Rain soaking into earth. A soft, repeating cadence carried through the surrounding walls. It should feel exposed. Instead, it feels… contained. Like the storm has been invited in, given a place to exist without touching the rest of the castle.
I trail my fingers along the leaves of a vine creeping up the inner wall as we pass, the surface slick beneath my touch, cool and alive despite everything. The garden is overgrown in places, untamed but not neglected, as if it’s been allowed to thrive on its own terms. It’s beautiful, both wild and resilient.
Above us, lightning fractures the sky, followed by the distant roll of thunder, but down here, the sound softens, absorbed by stone and soil and growing things. The air is thick with it. The scent of wet earth, crushed leaves, and something faintly sweet blooming beneath it all.
Alive.That’s what it feels like. Alive in a way the rest of the labyrinth isn’t.
For a moment, walking the edge of it, listening to the rain fall into the open heart of the castle, it almost feels like a sanctuary.Almost.
The men keep close as we walk, their presence forming a quiet barrier against the chill. Oberon is nearest, the heat of him a striking contrast to the cool air. When his hand finds mine, the rough brush of his fingers is unhurried, deliberate.
I glance up at him, my pulse quickening before I can stop it. He doesn’t let go. If anything, his grip tightens slightly, his thumb dragging slowly across the inside of my wrist, like he’s memorizing the feel of me.
“You’re quiet this morning,” he murmurs, his voice low, rougher than usual.
I smile faintly.After last night, I don’t even know what to say.“Just taking it all in.”
His gaze lingers on me a second too long.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” he adds under his breath, so quiet I almost miss it.
The breath leaves me in a quiet rush. I don’t know how to respond to that. I’m not even sure what he means.
Ashton sidles up on my other side, grinning as he plucks a ripe berry from a low-hanging branch. “Careful, little human. Don’t let the melancholy get to you. I feel like this place has a way of creeping into your thoughts.” Then, he tosses the berry into his mouth.
His teasing tone pulls a laugh from me.
“She’s stronger than that,” Sylvian interjects from behind, his tone light but certain. He steps closer, brushing a stray leaf from my shoulder, his touch gentle.
Cassius lingers a few steps away, inspecting a row of small, pale fruits that hang just out of reach. His expression is unreadable, but when he catches me looking, he offers a soft smile, one that sends a quiet ripple through me.