Chapter 26

Surry tossed her hands. "Rayla, I'm barely half his age!! I was a child when his mate passed away, we both were! And he loved her so, Rayla. He still does. They were so deeply in love that I... I felt jealous, even then."

She blinked. "N-not jealous of her, I mean, obviously not that!! I just... I wanted that sort of thing for myself, you know?"

I gave her a hug, feeling warm. "And now you're worried about what stepping into the firelight with him might mean, is that it?"

She nodded. "I've decided what I feel for him. It took me a little while, but I figured it out: I... I want him. I want to be... his. I want him to be mine. But how can I ask such a thing of him?"

I chuckled. "Probably by getting your ass up to that fire and ASKING him, Surry, how else?"

She sighed angrily. "You know that's not it, Rayla. How can I ask him t