“The complete truth, McKenzie, is I’d do anything for you, but you ask for nothing. You won’t confide in me. You won’t rely on me. You’re so preoccupied trying to decide if you can trust your feelings that you won’t consider giving in to them.”

“You told me you wanted time. I’ve given it to you, and I’ll give you as long as you need, McKenzie. I love you.” He tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. “You’re worth waiting a decade for.”

“How can you be so sure of the way you feel about me?” “You’re human,” Aren says. “You’re the weakest person I know.” The warm, fluttery sensations in my stomach disappear. “Geez, thanks.” He laughs and takes my hands in his before I turn away. “And that makes you the strongest. The most courageous. When I found you on your campus, you fought me. You didn’t give in even though you knew you were outmatched. I was halfway in love with you before we reached Germany.”

“If I were a good man,” he says, “I’d acknowledge that Taltrayn is an honorable fae, that he loves you and would take care of you. I’d step down and let you have the man you’ve always wanted, but, McKenzie, I’m not as good as Taltrayn. I never will be, and I can’t step down. I’ll fight for the chance to be with you.”

“Fine," he says, his words coming out breathless. "I'll save your precious sword-master, McKenzie. But I will never, ever give you back to him.”

“If I could undo my past for you, McKenzie, I would. But I don’t have that power. No fae does.”

“No. No way. I don't love Aren. I can't because, damn it, I'm not one of those girls, the ones who have two men chasing after them but can't make up their minds who to choose. If you can’t decide who you love more, you don’t love either of them enough.”