Haelan’s Desire (Walk Through Shadows Book Four)
Chapter 16

Em,

I haven’t had a chance to wear this and thought you could use it, if your trip happens to get romantic.

Belle.

The slip of paper had been tucked into a folded bundle of red fabric that Em had found at the bottom of her dress bag. Since her focus had been on getting ready for the ceremony, she’d left it in the bag to look at later. After putting her dress away, she set it on the little table and pulled the note free to read it over. She folded the paper and let it fall onto the table, then lifted the bundle. With a little shake, it opened up to reveal an expensive-looking chemise.

It was not a style she would have chosen for herself. Aside from the colour, it was very understated. Soft, silky satin that shimmered in the flickering light of the lanterns. The simple triangle cups were edged in a peek-a-boo lace. Under the high waist, the material widened in a subtle flare. She turned it around and noticed the lace detailing had been repeated in the centre of the back; it went straight down to just above the flare, then split apart on two tracks that went all the way to the hem. The thin spaghetti straps crossed over each other in the back.

She set it down, stripped off her robe, pulled the chemise on quickly, and smoothed the fabric over her hips. There was only her small make-up mirror in the bedroom, so she grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself as she moved to the door. She opened it and peeked into the hallway. The far end was lined with Elven guards in their deep green uniforms. All of them armed to the teeth. She did a quick head count. There were six of them.

“You’d think we were under the threat of invasion,” Caernach murmured from his post next to her door.

Em sidled up to him with a grin. “Maybe he’s intimidated by you guys.” She folded her arms across her stomach as she glanced at Drem. He was standing across from them. “Faeries are pretty damn imposing.”

“You don’t seem to be cowed by us,” Caernach said.

“Says the guy I tried to run away from.” She smiled as he looked down quickly. “No, I’m not usually, but you’re still intimidating.” The door of the bathing room opened and Prince Aglanthol sauntered out. His gaze swept over Em, lingering on her bare legs for a long moment. She swallowed a laugh, then cleared her throat. “Good night, your highness.” He inclined his head with a hint of a smile, then turned and moved down the hall to his room, the hem of his long blue dressing gown trailing behind him. Em turned back to Caernach. “Man, is he full of himself,” she muttered.

“A very accurate assessment lass,” Caernach murmured through lips that were twitching with the effort of holding his smile at bay.

“I should take my turn before someone beats me to it,” she said, then walked down the hall to the bathing room. She closed the door and pulled out the small bag of toiletries she’d stuffed into one of the robe’s wide pockets. After washing her face, she took the pins from her hair and ran her hands through it. Once it was uncoiled and falling past her shoulders in a mass of shiny waves, she slid the robe off and turned to look her reflection over.

Her heart stuttered as she faced the mirror head on. She blinked a few times as, for a moment, she was standing in another washroom, in front of another mirror, pining her hair up, wearing a shiny scarlet dress. She shook her head with a harsh growl and yanked her toothbrush out of her bag, brushed her teeth, then jammed it back into the bag, and shoved it into her pocket.

She left the room without looking directly at the mirror again. When she entered the hallway, the door to Haelan’s room was just closing. Caernach took a side step and opened her door. She pointedly avoided looking at the elves as she turned to go to her room.

Drem cleared his throat as she approached him. “Lass,” he said with a brief look past her. “Is something wrong?”

She came to a stop a foot away from him and forced a trembling smile to her lips. “No, why do you ask?”

“It’s just—” He looked over at the elves again, frowned, then turned his gaze back to her. “You seem quite pale.”

“I’m fine,” she said, then reached out and gripped his arm for a second. “Just a bit tired. The evening was magical but very long.”

“Beamard mentioned you may not have slept well last night,” he murmured. “He said it sounded as though you’d had a bad dream.” Em’s cheeks flushed with heat. “I hope tonight is more restful for you.”

She glanced at Caernach, then gave Drem a warm smile. “I’m not sure why I ever have nightmares when I’m here.” His head tilted in question. “Haelan has reminded me, frequently, that faerie warriors watch over me. How could a girl not feel safe with a pack of burly heroes guarding her?” Drem’s shoulders went back as he puffed out his chest with pride.

“Sadly, none of us, not even Prince Alasdair, are stronger than the monsters our minds can conjure,” Caernach said with a look of understanding.

“I wish you were wrong,” Em said softly. She looked from Caernach to Drem with a little smile. “Thank you for all the dances.” She moved to her door to grin up at Caernach. “I had a lot of fun.”

“It was a pleasure,” Drem said with a big smile. “Good night, lass.”

“Good night,” she replied. Caernach gave her a nod. As soon as the door closed, she looked at the other one. There was no movement. Her gaze fell to the fuzzy pink fabric wrapped across her chest. She drew in a breath and caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Her hands tugged the knot on the belt apart and she was hit with an intense feeling of her stomach tilting on its axis and spinning in a crazy circle as the chemise came into view.

She shook her head, then slid the robe from her shoulders with shaking fingers, tossed it on the bed, and went to blow out the lanterns hanging near the closet and table. She padded to the connecting door and lifted her hand to knock. Her eyes closed as her heart throbbed heavily. And she remembered the sound of her breath, frantic and short gasps, the pounding of her footsteps on the carpeted floor, the sting of hair being pulled from her scalp as her fingers dug for the wad of tissue under her bun.

Her fingers grazed the canvas turned stone. Her nails scratched the surface. She forced her eyes open and pressed her palm against the stone. Her gaze crawled over the fibers as she drew in a long calming breath and let it out slowly. It took three tries for the memories to release their hold on her. When she lifted her hand, there was only a slight tremble.

Haelan’s response to her knock came quickly. “Come in, lass.” She opened the door and, with a hefty mental shove, stepped into the room. The room was lit by two lanterns, one on each side of the bed. He was standing at the little shelf next to the bed, in just a pair of red plaid pajama bottoms. His back was bare. Next to him, on the shelf, sat a small green jar and a folded piece of white fabric.

Em smoothed the chemise down her stomach as she came to a stop halfway between the door and the bed. Her cheeks were infused with heat as his gaze crept from her face down to her legs and back up. “Isabelle put this in my bag,” she said softly. His brows went up. “Apparently her little mission wasn’t just to steal your clothes.”

“After seeing the results of her clandestine activities, I’m inclined to forgive her.”

“She’ll be happy to hear that,” Em said with a smile. She moved to take a step toward him.

He held up a hand. “Wait, lass.”

She froze. “Why?” Her shoulders moved upward in a minuscule shrug.

Haelan stepped away from the bed to stand in front of her. “I need a moment to appreciate you.” His fingers tipped her head up so he could look into her eyes. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured.

“I’m glad you like it.” Her fingers plucked at the chemise, then reached for his waist.

“It’s more than the nightdress,” he said. “More than the finery that you wore earlier, which I’m sure inspired lust in all the males you encountered tonight.” His lips curved into a sexy smile. “It’s your spirit, lass.” He leaned down to brush his lips against hers. “That part of you that nothing seems to dim. That untamed spark in your eyes.” His hand brushed her hair from her shoulder, then he bent down to press his lips to the sensitive spot where her shoulder met her neck.

Her hands grazed his chest as they rose to his shoulders. “Are you calling me a wild thing?”

“It’s not meant as an insult.” He drew back to look at her face. Her eyes sparkled with unvoiced laughter. “You’re teasing me.”

“A little,” she said with a smirk. Her fingers squeezed for a second, then moved closer to his neck. “Did you know Beamard heard something last night?”

He took a step back and pulled her with him. “He inquired about it this morning.” He took another step. “I let him think I was comforting you after a bad dream.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, reached for her hips, and pulled her into his lap. “I wasn’t sure if he believed me.”

“Well, he told Drem that I had a nightmare,” she said as she smoothed his hair away from his face and leaned closer. “So we have a cover story.” She kissed him. “As long as you’re not too loud this time.”

He chuckled as she punctuated her statement with another kiss. “I will try, but the things you make me feel—” His hand slid from her hip to her ribs, his fingertips brushed the outside curve of her breast. “Are staggering.”

Em’s arms moved around his shoulders as she laughed softly. “So no pressure,” she said against his lips.

He slid an arm under her knees, stood, then turned and set her on the bed. “There is no pressure, lass,” he said as he leaned over her. “If you have changed your mind, I will respect—”

“I haven’t,” she said and reached up to catch his shoulders. Her knees opened as she pulled him forward. Her breath caught for a second as he crawled over her and tucked his face near her neck to press a light kiss just under her ear.

“Neither have I,” he whispered in her ear. The breathless giggle that almost worked free from her lips was muffled as his weight shifted and he kissed her deeply. His fingers slid one strap of the chemise along the curve of her shoulder. The light touch caused a shiver to ripple through her upper body. After thoroughly caressing her lips, he moved to press gentle kisses along her jaw. She tipped her head to the side as he continued down the column of her neck. Her hands drifted from his shoulders to ease into his hair and cradle his head as he moved to her chest. His lips skimmed her flesh, leaving a teasing tingle in its wake.

She lifted her head as his weight shifted back, lifting away from her, to the edge of the bed, then off. “Where are you going?” she asked breathlessly.

His lips curved into a shy smile. “The tarrow nectar requires time to set.”

She pushed herself to her elbows. “Really?”

“And you won’t be able to touch—” He nodded toward the front of his pajamas. The fabric was standing away from his body to form a not so little plaid tent. “Till it’s dry.”

Em caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she sat up and scooted her butt to the edge of the bed. Her hands reached for his hips and tugged him to stand between her knees. She looked up at him with a sultry smile. “You should wait to put it on,” she murmured.

“Oh?” he asked softly. “Does my lady need a moment?”

She hooked the waistband of his pants with her fingers and eased them down an inch. Her grip slid to the front to hold the fabric farther away from his body. She took a deep breath as his steely length was revealed to her hungry gaze. “Yes, milord,” she whispered, then leaned forward and traced the underside of his shaft with the tip of her tongue. Haelan’s breath stalled in his chest. She lapped at the tip slowly, then turned her gaze up to his face. His eyes smoldered with desire. “To appreciate you.”

Haelan groaned low in his throat as her lips engulfed the head and her tongue skated along the sensitive ridge. His hands found their way to her hair, to bury them in the shiny waves, and smooth them away from her face. Em shoved his pants down and released them. Then her hands joined her mouth in pleasuring him. One pumped his length in time with her lips, the other gripped his hip for a long moment, squeezed the tense muscles, then slid farther around him to caress one tight glute.

Haelan closed his eyes as the magic, having already sparked to life, caught fire and threatened to heat his blood. He swallowed several times as he tried to stuff it back into place. The delightfully seductive sensations being created by the woman touching him almost distracted him, though. It took a few tries to get it under control and when he opened his eyes, the magic nearly slipped from his grasp. The sight of Em touching him so intimately was so enticing, so sexy, and absolutely humbling it caused a plume of heat to lance through his body. His fingers tightened in her hair for a moment, his hands following the slow rhythm she set.

“Em.” The soft utterance came out of his mouth in a groan. Her lips glided down his shaft once more before she lifted her lips away and looked up at him. Her fingers released him slowly as he took a shuffling step back, lifted a foot free of his pants, then used the other to kick the garment away. He leaned down as his fingers caught her chin and tipped her head back a little. His lips caressed hers lightly for a second, then deeper as her hands reached for his hips again. He shifted his lower body out of her reach with a deep chuckle. “A moment, lass,” he said as he straightened.

She sat up with a sigh. “Is that it?” she asked as he scooped the little jar from the shelf.

“Yes, lass.”

“How does it work?” She watched as he twisted the lid off and set it aside.

“Well, as I recall, you take a small amount. Something like—” He dipped his index finger in the jar, removed a small dollop, and held the translucent pink gel up for her to see. “And spread it evenly over—” He cleared his throat, closed the jar, then gripped his shaft with his free hand. “Carefully, of course.” His fingertip swept over the head of his member, spreading the nectar as he spoke. “In a few moments, the part exposed to the air will cure.”

“And the part against your skin?”

He leaned over and grabbed the white cloth to wipe the remaining nectar from his finger. “It doesn’t cure, which will allow it to absorb fluids.” He looked at the shelf, then gave the jar a little push away from the edge.

“Stopping us from making baby faeries,” Em said. Haelan’s gaze shifted back to her face. The sparkle of laughter was back in her eyes.

He grinned at her. “Indeed.”

Em pushed herself back toward the centre of the bed as he stepped closer. Just before she had completely reclined, she stopped. “What did you mean ‘as I recall’? Has it been a while?”

He looked down at the blanket visible between her knees as he climbed onto the bed. “Quite some time,” he said as he sat on his heels and rested his hands on her knees.

“How long?” She whispered the question.

His gaze crawled up her body and stopped at her throat. “The last time was before your birth.” Her brows went up. His hands slid down her thighs. “In my youth I was like the twins, free with my affections.” He swallowed as his hands gripped her legs. “And then I learned how different it is to be with someone you love.” Em’s hands gripped his forearms as he leaned over her. Her knees opened wide as he lowered his lips and brushed his shaft against her delicate dewy softness. Her abs tightened as she lifted her hips to him, her body begging him to take her.

She gasped as his weight shifted back and the head of his length drifted lower. “It’s—” Her lower body wriggled slowly. “Warm,” she said against his lips.

“Almost as if there is nothing between us.” His hips tilted forward, the tip of his length probed her gently. Her head went back as he entered her. She grabbed for his shoulders and used that hold to pull herself closer to him. To press her lips against his neck as a loud moan tore itself from her. Haelan ducked his head and cupped the back of hers. “Am I hurting—?”

Em’s legs closed against his sides. “No,” she whispered quickly. “No, no.” Her breath caught as he inched farther into her.

Haelan closed his eyes as he rocked his hips slowly. Inside his chest, the magic flared again. When she’d taken his entire length, he had to stop moving while he wrenched it back under control. All the while Em was moaning softly as her hips lifted restlessly. He took a deep breath and withdrew slightly. Her silky softness clung to him, as though her body was reluctant to give up any part of him. He reversed his course and groaned as he felt her full embrace again. Their bodies fell into a slow rocking rhythm that built into longer, harder intervals. Em’s cries grew louder as she lifted her hips to him. Haelan smiled against her hair, then moved his mouth next to her ear. “Shhh my love.”

“I can’t,” she whispered through a barely contained moan. He pressed his lips to her cheek. She released one of his shoulders to wrap her arm around his back and hold him tightly. Her legs shimmied as she pulled them higher along his sides. “It feels—” She turned her head and smashed her lips into his shoulder to muffle the loud moans that his pumping hips were causing. “Oh god!”

Haelan sucked in a sharp breath as the magic sparkled brightly through the hold he was attempting to maintain around it. Em’s internal muscles had squeezed his shaft on every down stroke, making it very difficult to keep it from billowing beyond his capabilities.

The shimmy in her legs grew into a stuttering quake. Her hands clutched at him as her entire body tensed. Into a toe pointing, back arching, breath stealing moment that seemed to stretch out into eternity, then snapped back with a sharp gasp. Haelan thrust deep into her and held himself still as her muscles danced around his shaft with her release. Em pulled her face from his shoulder and kissed him hard. His arm slid under her shoulders, gathering her against his chest, as he returned her kiss, then kept it going as she drifted down from the clouds of pleasure she’d just shot through. After a few moments her legs eased their hold on him, though they didn’t fall away completely. She pulled her head back and smiled up at him.

“That was incredible,” she murmured. His lips curved into a sexy smile. She planted her feet on the bed and shifted her hips, as if she was trying to push him over with her lower body. “Your turn.” He tightened his hold, then rolled them toward the head of the bed. She settled her weight onto him with a little groan, then sat up and pulled the straps of the chemise from her shoulders. Haelan’s hands slid from where they’d come to rest on her thighs, up her front to tug the material down. He cupped the undersides of her breast tenderly and swept his thumbs across her nipples. Her back arched, thrusting her chest into his palms, and she moved. Her hips circled slowly, rubbing his thick shaft against every part of her softness.

She did that three times before he thrust up into her. Her head fell back, her hands pressed his firmly against her breasts, and she lifted herself up a few inches. Haelan timed his upward movements with her downward motions and they came together hard. He groaned deeply. Em’s breath caught in a little sob.

They kept that rhythm for several minutes until Em let go of his hands and fell forward. She caught her weight on her palms on the mattress above his shoulders. He slid his hands from her chest to grip her hips and pull her against him. She followed his little tugs, bucking her hips, and watching his face as his breath deepened. He closed his eyes as the sensations in his body built. Em felt his weight shift as he planted his feet on the bed and thrust up to her hard. She shoved herself back into his movements, once, then twice. On the third time, he squeezed her hips and stopped. Em dipped her head forward and caught his loud groan with her lips.

Haelan continued to hold her against him as the pleasure of his orgasm swept over and through him in a massive wave that sucked him under. And the magic broke free of his hold. Under the receding waves of ecstasy, he felt the heat of it move from his chest outward to his limbs. He squeezed his eyes closed as he struggled to regain control of it.

Em kissed him once more, then pushed herself up to look at his face, and the dreamy smile on her lips melted into a confused frown. He looked like he was in pain. “Haelan?” He didn’t respond. “What’s wrong?”

He sucked in a breath. “Nothing.” His voice was soft, but it bristled with hard edges.

She sat up slowly, trailing her hands down his chest as she moved. “Are you hurt?” She reached for his hands that were still holding her against his lap. “Oh shit! Did I—” Her hand lifted in a frantic wave. “Bend you?” He shook his head, but his eyes remained closed. A low growl rumbled through him as he fought to pull the magic back. Her fingertips grazed his abs. “Open your eyes.”

“I can’t,” he said in a pained whisper.

“Please. You’re scaring me.” She shifted her weight and dropped onto the bed hip first.

“A moment—”

“No, now.” She watched him swallow a couple of times. “Please.”

He opened them slowly. At first his gaze remained on the ceiling. It slid over to her face and stopped. Her eyes went wide. Just as her hands reached for the bed to shove her body backward, he saw the glow of the magic reflected in her gaze. Em’s mouth opened and closed with no sound as she scrambled away from him. He sat up as she tumbled over the side of the bed.

He’d seen this before, one night when they were leaving the dance studio. Afterward, he’d deduced that the sound the lock made had triggered something in her mind. This time was worse, though. In her panic she couldn’t see Haelan, the person who loved her, the person who swore he’d always protect her. Instead, it was the beast’s eyes that followed her while she clambered to her feet and backed away. When he stood up, she stumbled back to the door. And, as though someone had unpaused a movie in her head, she heard the beast’s grunts as he shoved himself into her, felt his hot breath on the back of her neck, the scrape of his claws on her body, the reflection of his silvery glowing gaze in the dark window.

The door flew open under her weight. Em’s heel caught the hastily constructed doorjamb, and she fell backward. The soundless screams that had been pouring out of her mouth were shaken loose. Her piercing shriek bounced off the stone walls, growing louder by the second.

Haelan had just pulled on his pants when Em’s door burst open and Caernach rushed inside. His gaze swept the room, seeking the source of the threat, found nothing out of the ordinary, other than the screaming half naked female crouched at the end of the bed who was staring at the other door. “Lass,” he yelled as he moved closer to her. “What—?” Haelan hurried into the room. Caernach, his sword already in his hand, levelled the weapon on the prince as he turned. He flared his wing to block Em from anyone’s view.

“What are you doing?” Drem shouted from the doorway.

“See to the elves,” Haelan said to Drem. “Do not let them in this room.”

“But milord—” Drem jerked his head at Caernach.

“I’ll handle it,” Haelan said as he looked at Caernach. Drem stared at him for a second, his eyes narrowed as he took in the glow emanating from his prince’s eyes, then pulled the door closed and moved to address the elves that were converging on that end of the hallway. “Sable put—”

“Emmeline,” Caernach said loudly. “Does he have your consent?” He looked over his shoulder at her. She’d stopped screaming, but her shaking hands were clenched against her chest. “Does he?” She didn’t move. He turned back to Haelan with a dark glower. The glow was fading from his eyes. “Do you?”

“You don’t understand,” Haelan said.

“Forced matings are outlawed,” Caernach said in a harsh bark. “Prince or not, you cannot make her your mate against her will.”

“I know that,” Haelan said, then swiped his hand over his face and combed his fingers through his hair. “I swear to you that isn’t what happened.” Caernach’s sword lowered slowly. Em was his charge, but Haelan was his prince. “I lost control of the magic.” Caernach slid his sword into his scabbard. Haelan went to the bed and grabbed Em’s robe. “I assure you everything else that happened was consensual.” He brushed by Caernach to squat down in front of Em. Caernach turned to watch him drape the robe over Em’s shoulders. “It’s like she’s been sucked into her nightmares,” he murmured. “Emmeline, you’re safe.” Her body jerked as he reached out to smooth her shoulder. He pulled his hand away.

“Milord,” Caernach said as he took a step back. “Perhaps you should tell her.”

“Tell her what?” Caernach and Haelan looked at the doorway. Faerwald was standing just over the threshold. Caernach took another step back and saw Drem behind Faerwald. He gave the older guard a little shrug.

Haelan straightened and gave his son a reassuring look. “Em is my true mate.”

A smile started to form on Faerwald’s face but stopped before it reached its full potential. “Why was she screaming? Did someone hurt her? Who harmed her?” He finished his question with an angry scowl. Behind his shoulders, his wings ruffled angrily.

“The magic frightened her,” Haelan said as he looked down at Em. Her trembling hands pulled the robe against her chest.

“You should explain—” Faerwald said.

“You know we don’t discuss that with outsiders,” Haelan said.

“Father,” Faerwald said as his gaze moved from Em to Haelan. “She’s not an outsider. She’s one of us.”

Haelan considered his son for a moment. “You’re right,” he said. “I will explain, but in the meantime please keep this to yourselves.” His gaze moved from Faerwald to Drem to Caernach. Each one gave him a nod of agreement. “Tell anyone who asks that it was a night terror.” He turned back to Em. Behind him, Caernach waved Faerwald and Drem out of the room. When the door closed, Haelan knelt down near the corner of the bed. “Em.”

She turned her terrified gaze up to his face. The glow was gone. She blinked a couple times, but it didn’t return. The ghost of the beast evaporated. “What—what was that?”

“Magic,” he answered quietly.

“Like vampires? That’s how they—”

“No, it’s not like that at all.”

“Oh, my god! Did Alasdair hypnotize Isabelle and make her have Celene—!”

“I promise you—”

“You’ve been hiding this—”

“It’s mating magic, lass,” he said as he inched closer.

“What?”

“In every faerie there is a kind of magic, a bonding magic, it’s how we mate.” He moved closer. “It’s created by a small organ that sits just behind our hearts. When we bond with a chosen mate, we have to actively create it, will it into being, but with a true mate it’s much less voluntary.”

“It forces you?” she whispered.

“No, not forces. It just awakens when we’re near our true mate.”

“Has it been doing this the whole time we’ve been together?”

He shook his head. “The intensity grows the longer we’re around each other. Maybe it’s the magic’s way of encouraging us.” His lips curved in a slight smile. “People that decide not to bond with their true mate usually avoid close contact with each other.”

“Does it hurt?” She reached out a hand but pulled it back before she touched him.

“No.” He pivoted and sat down with his back against the bed. “It’s a wonderful encompassing warmth.” He tipped his head back and rested it on the mattress. “I have been trying to control it, I thought I had succeeded, but—” He took a breath then looked at her. “I didn’t anticipate how making love with you would feel.”

She ducked her head. “It was pretty amazing.”

“Beyond that,” he said softly. “In all my life I’ve never felt like that before.”

“Not even—” Em clamped her lips closed and looked away.

Haelan reached over and took her hand. “With Tristina I felt loved, so very loved, but with you—” He pressed his lips to the back of her hand. “It was far more than that.”

“And I wrecked it with my fucking meltdown.” She leaned her head on the bed with a sigh.

“That was my fault.” He kissed her hand again. “I should have ignored tradition and explained it to you.” Em shifted her weight and sat down next to him. “Can you forgive me?”

She leaned against his arm. “Will it do that again?”

“Most likely,” he murmured. “But we can hold off on that part of our relationship until I have better control of it.”

She hummed, then jostled his arm with her shoulder. “Actually, it’s probably the biggest ego boost a woman could ever get.”

“Oh, how so?” He smiled shyly.

“I made my man feel so good his eyes glowed.” She turned onto her hip with a mischievous grin. “Literally.”

He laughed when she punctuated that statement with a wiggle of her eyebrows. She bit back a squeal as he pulled her across his lap. “Shall we see if I can return the favour?” She threw her hands around his shoulders as he pulled her securely against his chest and stood.

“You’re welcome to try,” she said as he walked across the room to the other door.

He hooked the door with his foot and yanked it closed. “How does Bastion put it?” He asked as he looked up at the ceiling for a second. His lips curved into a seductive smile as he strode to the bed and set her down gently. “Challenge accepted.”

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