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He sat back on his heels. His jaw was tight, and his eyes had gone dark and raw. She realized she’d never once seen him look afraid. Not on the road. Not in the nursery with Callum’s sword raised. Not until now.

“What do ye nae understand, wife?” His voice came out rough, almost angry. “I ache for ye. I cannae breathe unless ye smile at me. I cannae train unless I ken ye’re somewhere near with the bairns. I’ve broken three posts this week because ye wouldnae look at me.”

He dragged a hand down his face. “I stood outside the nursery every night like a lovesick fool and couldnae make meself knock. I told ye I’d never love anyone because I was afraid of what I’d become. And then I stood in that doorway and saw his sword over ye, and I understood. It’s nae loving ye that’ll ruin me; it’s losing ye.”

Freya couldn’t speak.

“I swore it at nineteen,” he said quietly. “Bleeding on the road out of this castle. I’d never let a woman make me into what me faither was.” He looked up at her. “But ye didnae make me into anything, Freya. Ye just walked in, and I was already yers. I think I was yers the moment ye threw that lantern at me head.”

A laugh broke out of her, wet and helpless.

“Ye’re impossible,” she whispered.

“Aye.” He rose onto his knees, close enough that she felt his breath on her cheeks. “But I’m yers. If ye’ll still have me.”

It was all she had ever wanted to hear. She loved him more than anything, and he was here, telling her that he loved her just as much. He was bearing his soul to her right now, something she had never expected.

She almost felt like this was a dream. She loved it. Loved him so much.

She took his face in both her hands, the way he’d taken hers, and kissed him.

She wanted the same. She wanted to be his, completely. They had been dancing around this for so long that the fact that it was really happening felt almost out of this world.

But here he was, being open and honest with her. Who would have thought that Evander could do that?

It had been close. Freya had thought Callum was going to end her life. She had hoped that Evander was on his way to stop him, but for a brief moment, she had expected to lose her life.

Then he had appeared out of nowhere. When she first heard him on the stairs, she almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It had felt too good to be true. Surely Evander hadn’t come to find her.

But he had. He had stopped Callum from hurting her.

He made a low sound against her mouth, half relief and half something far hungrier, and kissed her back as though he’d been starving for six days. Perhaps he had. Perhaps they both had.

The plaid slid off her shoulders, and neither of them reached for it.

“Do ye want this?” he asked desperately.

Freya almost laughed. Leave it to Evander to ask such a question. She had wanted this from the day she woke up in the inn. Though back then, she hadn’t been willing to admit it.

For weeks, she had been grappling with her desire for him, trying to push it so far down that it wouldn’t bother her. But the truth was, she loved him. Wanted him.

Her dreams had bothered her for weeks, though she’d never admit that out loud. Evander would love to hear that he was front and center in her dreams.

“If ye’re asking me that question, then I havenae made me feelings obvious enough,” she whispered, winding her arms around his neck. “I want ye. Do ye nae want me?”

His manhood pressed against her, showing precisely how much he wanted her. Wanted this moment.

Freya wasn’t sure where she had gotten the courage to say such words. But being here with Evander, in this moment, she threw everything else away.

She was afraid that if she hesitated even for a moment, she would wake up and realize none of this was real.

Evander claimed her mouth, their teeth clashing painfully. But he soothed the sting by thrusting his tongue inside, mapping out every inch.

With no warning, he picked her up. She let out a squeak of surprise, clinging to him tightly.

“Do ye think I would drop ye, wife?”

She bit her bottom lip. “Easy for ye to say when yer feet are still on the floor.”