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"Even this" Ree gestured at her body with her free hand "Even this change is because of so used like a toy"

"We need to just get through this war, then we try to clai at Ree as they walked, Paden frowned "We don’t really even knohat all you got fro?"

Ree thought about that for a ht about the fact that she hadn’t gotten the fangs She wasn’t used to having the to worry about "Did you heal s scratch me, but it went away really quickly"

"I think it was automatic I knew I had hurt you, so healed you at the sa and turned her to face hiot a little carried away"

"It’s okay" Ree touched his face "But,small, and if it doesn’t work then you can heal ether "I don’t know if I can keep fro you It’s part of who I am"

"We can start small" Ree looked around the little path

"Start s?" Tugging on Ree’s hand, Paden de, but we aren’t going to do so crazy A paper cut would let us know"

"Maybe Let’s see if I heal at all first But, I want to knohat I’ve got to ith I don’t have fangs, and there s enetic enes weren’tin frustration, before he finally reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife He flicked it open and looked at Ree seriously "Fine But, soer"

Ree frowned at hiht about it for a mo her bottoed the blade quickly across the soft skin and tried to not hiss Padenup at hi, but he backed away frohtly panicked, but otherwise he seemed in control She looked back at her arry pink line was left

Feeling relief, she lifted her arht in front of her His fingers wiped away the blood and he looked carefully at the skin

"I heal!" Ree looked at her ar

"Yes, but I don’t think it’s as fast as we do" Paden’s green eyes looked troubled

"Well, any healing at all is better than what I had to begin with, right?" Ree pulled her arm back and pulled her sleeve back down

"Of course it is But I don’t think you will heal quite the sae as we can" Paden took her hand in his and started back toward the house

"So, I still have to be careful" Ree twisted her ht "But, it’s better than before, Pay Ia concussion"

"True But let’s stay on the cautious side We still don’t kno your body would handle a large wound Even we can only take so much" Paden didn’t look at her, just kept his eyes on the trail Ree could feel his confusion and worry floating around thes to come out of all this mess, and he wasn’t excited Obviously attuned to her the way she was to hi with you?"

"Me? What’s wrong with you? Do you realize what this e anymore either?"

Paden stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her with bright green eyes For aat her Then he had her in his arms with his mouth pressed to hers After a moment he pulled back and looked down at her, his face almost boyishly happy

"That means I wouldn’t have to live without you I couldn’t even think about it before, because I didn’t knoould be possible" He fraently "This et to have you forever"

Ree laughed, relieved he finally understood her excite as you can put up with me"

"Proht with so Ree couldn’t define "Promise that I can have you forever"

"Forever" Ree whispered the word She knew in her heart, that this was a very important moment for them Their declaration of forever was as serious as the war happening to them If she couldn’t be with Paden in this life, she would find another way

Chapter Ten

The others were up and about, working in the training roos Ree went to the office while Paden headed for the gyure out the next step and she hoped thatin Sophie’s office to help point her in the right direction

Melanie and Roland were glaring at each other when she walked into the room, and Ree stopped dead in her tracks The tension was al, and she needed a s Melanie was the first to acknowledge Ree’s presence Nodding her head at Ree, Melanie closed the file cabinet and walked out of the roole Ree stepped out of Melanie’s way, her eyes following her slow, angry steps When her friend’s back disappeared from view, Ree’s eyes snapped back to Roland

He stood there with his hands clenched at his sides, his face devoid of expression His eyes slid to Ree’s and his shoulders drooped, as if all of his years weighed on him in that very instant

"You and Paden have made up, I take it?" His voice was blank, as if he was past caring about anything

"Yes" Ree forced her ar calmly by her sides She wasn’t sure what to htly inside, and Ree’s heart clenched She hoped one day he would be able to forgive her for the situation they were in and be friends again, because at this moment she had no idea how to proceed

He jerked his chin to signal he understood, but just stood there staring at her After a long silence, she looked away and bit her lip There was nothing she could do to irl he had suffered for; the girl that loved sos?

"I’gling with his emotions made it difficult to keep his words clear "I don’t blaure out what I do noaited for so, so long, only to have you love another" He stopped, stue, blue eyes, every inch the nineteen year old boy he appeared to be