Page 54 (1/2)

"It’s just that you are the last person who plans anything"

I grinned, because he had a point "But I like these kinds of plans"

"Okay" Hethe inside ofabout the future--our future"

I loved the sound of that--"our future" When Aiden said it, it seemed possible "What did you co I’ve decided" He pulled his hand free and s blows over with the co, okay?"

Not likely, but I nodded

"I don’t want to stay in our world"

I caught his hand, lowering it to where my heart pounded as I twisted around in his embrace "What? What do you mean?"

Thick lashes shielded his eyes "If we stayed in this world, the Heether There will be some who don’t care, but… it’s too ned to the sas as I stared at him "But if you left you couldn’t be a Sentinel anya Sentinel is important to me, but it’s not my world, my life, or my heart You are And I want you in my life, really in my life It’s the only way"

I suddenly wanted to cry Again I couldn’t even for itself against his pal his lips over ive it all up for you, and I know you’ve been thinking about it, too, but that’s up to you"

Could I give it up… this alo of the desire driven by years of having duty ingrained in me, and the need to so this world would require assi I had totally sucked at for three years Old fears rose in thatthe freak, flashed before me Mortals, for the most part, were naturally uncomfortable and drawn to us in the sa

But I had been thinking about a future that didn’t include the Covenant or being a Sentinel I just never thought it could be possible, but when I looked into Aiden’s eyes and saw only love--love for me--I knew I could do it We could do it Aiden orth it Our love was Living like a mortal had choked me before, but now it could provide the type of freedo see aze I could always tell what Aiden was feeling by the color of his eyes and right now, he was laying everything out there and still giving me the choice

"Yes I could do it," I whispered "I would do it"

A shudder rocked Aiden’s body "I was almost afraid you’d say no"

Misty-eyed, I cupped his cheek Day-old stubble grazed my palm "I could never tell you no, Aiden Not that I would ever want to But… but what about Deacon and Marcus? How can we do it?"

"I think they could know We could trust them"

There were so many "what ifs" with this plan How could we escape the Covenant and the society that probably would be very unwilling to let either of us go? We needed a plan, a good one if we even had a chance to ht now, the idea itself flooded ile thing, but it kepthis mouth to mine He made a sound in the back of his throat as the kiss deepened The tentative touch gave way to so it againstso , devastating and raw, that would never go away I lost track of Aiden’s hands and how many times we kissed as our bodies moved, and in those moments, we finally found a way to make time stop

Chapter 33

NOTHING… AMAZING HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY

All , everyone watched me as if they expectedto the rafters And I didn’t feel any different froht No additional le I tried to levitate a chair in the kitchen--it didn’t happen and I just felt stupid afterward By the afternoon, the whole Awakening thing seemed very anticlimactic

"Hey" Aiden popped his head into the bedrooirl?"

I looked up froht back fro"

Aiden closed the door behind hiing, I closed the azine and tossed it to the floor "I kind of feel like an Apollyon failure"

"Why?" He sat beside ray

"Everyone keeps watchingto happen Earlier, Marcus stared atlunch, he asked if I could heat up the soup with the fire eleh

I smacked him on the arm "It’s not funny"

"I know" He drew in a deep breath, but his eyes danced with mirth "Okay It is kind of funny"

My eyes narrowed on him "I can take you, you know?"

He leaned over, lips curving into a wolfish smile "You can’t take what you already have"

A heady feeling ca that, but I socked hi to sweet-talkI wanted to show you" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box "And then you have to colued to the box It was plain white, but there was a red bow tied around it Thoughts of jewelry stores danced in my head "What is that?"

Aiden placed it in my hand "It’s your birthday, Alex What do you think it is?"

I looked up, "

"I knoanted to"

I slid off the lid, hooking that softthe box, I immediately choked up "Oh,This… this is so beautiful"