Vanc
ees grew thicker here, their branches weaving a dense canopy overhead that blotted out the afternoon su
oke, his voice a low rumble. "My ca
soothe my frayed nerves, a
re came into view. It was a log cabin, weathered by years of sun and
n my tiny room at the Vance house had been part of
ruck and cut the en
my side, opening the door for
be my new home. The air was clean and crisp with the scent of
s. He simply unlocked the door with
was a single room, containing a bed pushed against one wall, a small table with two chairs, and a st
d. "You can have the bed.
mediately, shaking my he
e bed is yours." He almost said something else, som
ip, too focused on hi
. I'm going to chop some wood for the fire." He seemed to
ty for him. He was just an Omega, like the rumors said, with nothing to his name. Yet he offered me everything h
didn't go straight for the axe. Instead, he leaned against the rough bark of an ancient
ht her to the cabi
ead, laced with concern. How is
eyes when I saw the cabin, but the quick, quiet accepta
. Harmless rumors have their uses-they keep political vultures at bay, and they let a man see who his true allies are. But this wager? Hiding the truth from your own mat
to set that aside for their schemes. I only agreed to their arranged union to put their hypocrisy on full display. If they are so certain fate holds all the answers, then let fate be tested. Let me see if this girl-a stranger dragged into our world-would truly stay wi
nation. And if you lose? If she accepts yo
around him. Then perhaps... the elders were right about something
it, splitting a log cleanly in two. He needed the physical relea
e world correct. But another, smaller part of him-a part h
st. I took out my mother's book of fairy tales, its cover soft and faded from
yself. It would be b
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