“You’ve rejected her without knowing her. Adelaide would not be angry, you must know this.”
Ernest knew Adelaide, though only briefly. Before the war started, I had dabbled in local politics, which was a reason that I was chosen by the Assembly. I wasn’t sure that it was for me, but Ernest was the assistant to our town’s mayor.
When the war broke out, he went with his mayor who eventually fell, and I kept him at my side afterward, knowing that he was smart, trustworthy, and knew exactly how politics worked. He has been at my side since his mayor died and I have always trusted him to help me, to guide me, and to advise me.
“She may not be angry, but it’s my fault that she isn’t here. Replacing her is wrong. This prophecy is wrong. I am not her intended. I think there has been a mistake.”
There is a moment of silence and only then do I turn around. Ernest is watching me, a frown clearly on his face as he does.
“The gods do not make mistakes, Colton. You know this as well as any other.”
“They would not put the fate of our world in my hands, Ernest,” I snap. “Not when I already lost a family that I should have been able to protect.”
“Adelaide never blamed you,” a voice murmurs from the doorway.
Flicking my eyes up, I look past Ernest’s shoulder and toward the doorway where Birdie stands. She is wringing her hands together in front of her, but her shoulders are square and her blue eyes are focused on mine and unwavering.
Wordlessly, Ernest slips away just as she walks farther into the room and I glance toward the door as it clicks closed behind him, leaving us alone in my office.
Chapter Twenty-Four
COLT
Birdie’s words startle me.
“She didn’t?” I ask.
Birdie shakes her head a couple of times, then she closes the distance between us. She’s hesitant, and I don’t blame her. I walked away in anger last night and went to another woman, though she doesn’t know quite that much.
“She didn’t. I’m guessing that you never read her diary?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I just watch her, waiting for her to tell me exactly what she’s referring to in Adelaide’s journal writings.
“She spoke of her love for you. She wrote what happened while they had them, that was really hard to read, but she never once gave up on you. She also never once blamed you for anything. I know that I was wrong to read it, but I’m glad that I did, Colt. I’m not sorry for it. I saw another side of you in her fond memories, a side that I don’t think anyone else in the world has, or ever will, see again. I fell in love with you through her writings.”
“Birdie,” I choke.
She clears her throat, her hands still wringing together in front of her dress with nervousness. Her rambling, it’s far too endearing to stay cross with her for even a moment, let alone any longer than that.
“You do not love me,” I breathe.
She chuckles, shaking her head. “It’s crazy. I shouldn’t, you’re awful and moody. You disappear in the night when you’re angry. Which to be honest, I really want to know where you went, but I’m also terrified to find out.
“You’re too handsome for your own good and I’ve never been one to be with extremely handsome partners, mainly because I always get cheated on and broken up with, and I just figure a hot guy is going to do it even more than just a normal good-looking guy.”
Before she can say another word of nonsense, I take a step toward her, wrap my hands around her small waist and tug her against my chest. Slanting my head, I crush my mouth against hers and kiss her.
It’s hard and owning.
It’s meant only to shut her up, but it only makes my heart slam inside of my chest harder and my blood begins to boil beneath the surface of my skin. It makes me want her. It makes me desire and need her. It makes whatever curse the gods have put on us grow stronger and stronger.
My need for her intensifies to an aggressive level. Picking her up by the waist, I turn her around, my tongue deep inside of her sweet mouth, as I walk us over to the desk and place her on the edge.
“Colt,” she exhales as I nibble on her bottom lip, breaking the kiss. “You don’t love me, you don’t want me, you left me,” she murmurs.
Clearing my throat, I lift my head and tip my chin, looking down into her eyes. She’s panting, her lips parted and swollen, her cheeks flushed and her chest pink. I watch as her tongue slides across her bottom lip. My own mouth slowly curves up into a grin.
“Darlin’,” I rasp. “I can’t get enough of you.”
BIRDIE
Colt is standing in front of me, his body pressed against my legs. I could push him away and I should, except I really don’t want to, so I choose not to. Instead, I spread my thighs apart, reach for my skirt, bunching it with my hands, and hike it up to my waist.
He dips his chin, looking between us, then slowly moves so that his hips are between my legs. “I never left you,” he murmurs.
Liar.
Arching a brow, I look up at him and his lips curve up into a grin. “I walked away, but I regretted it. I was shocked and angry,” he admits. “I did not leave you.”
I’m shocked that he’s actually talking to me about this and not just kissing me to shut me up, then fucking me to make me scream. He clears his throat, his gaze silently focused on mine, then grins.
Pressing my lips together, I narrow my eyes on his and tilt my head to the side. “You’re not going to tell me where
