Lori's heart was pounding so hard she was certain he could hear it.
His question hung in the air between them and she had no idea how to answer. Her mind was a storm of contradictions, fear and hope and desire and doubt all swirling together until she couldn't separate one from the other.
She took a breath.
"It was unexpected," she admitted, her voice soft but steady. "I never expected the Messenger to reveal my fated mate. I thought... I thought I would be alone forever or have a chosen mate. That the Goddess had forgotten about me."
Attia's dark eyes searched her face. His expression was unreadable.
Before he could respond, before he could say anything that might derail her courage, she turned the question back on him.
"What about you?"
Attia's eyebrows rose slightly. Surprise fli
