“Tell me you’ll come back for the pack. For me.” His eyes were bright with tears. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“What is it you would have of me?”His amber eyes were shiny and bright and filled with his heart as he stared at her. “I would have you, my love,” he breathed. “Every day for the rest of my life. I’ve come to marry you, Nyn. If you’ll have me.”

“All I care about is that this doesn’t change anything, Eric. I don’t want to lose you.”He gently cupped her cheek, brushing her swollen lips with his thumb. “You’ll never lose me, Joe.”

“I still want to feel you against me.” Her gaze dropped to his hands. “I want you to stay with me. Hold me. Just tonight. If I lose you again tomorrow then it will still be worth it. I will lose you a hundred times, if you would but hold me in your arms each time before my loss.” She saw his eyes water, but no tears emerged...”

“Feeling like I had to lose you for the second time...” He shook his head, and I thought I saw tears under his eyes. “I don’t think I could bear it. You’re everything to me, Elizabeth.”

“Dan didn’t want to say anything, but the words were unstoppable. “I fucking love you. Don’t leave me. You’ve got to find me.” Again, fucking tears. Vadim shook his head, then pressed his face into the crook of Dan’s shoulder, hoped to hide his weakness and felt like a man condemned to die. “I will... find you. If it’s the last thing I’ll do, I’ll come back. Nothing will stop me.”