They spent the day walking through the forest, sometimes talking, sometimes not. Tyndril and Tao, their constant sentries, were never far away. They finally ended up back in front of Trik’s small cabin and he pulled her to a halt before she could reach the door. Cassie turned to look up at him and her breath caught in her throat at the emotion that shone through his silver eyes. His hair blew gently in the breeze and his full lips caught her attention.

Trik reached out and pulled her to him. One hand at the base of her neck the other gripped her hip. He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes.

“This has been the best day of my life,” he whispered to her.

Cassie smiled. “I can’t decide if I should be flattered or feel sad that hanging out with a girl in a field is the highlight of your thousand plus years.”

Trik chuckled. His fingers traced up her arm and across her neck to her jaw line.

“What’s sad is that I’ve been waiting a thousand years for you, and now I no longer deserve you—if I ever did.”

Cassie heard the sadness in his voice and it broke her heart.

“It doesn’t matter what’s in the past, or what’s in the future, Trik. What matters is this moment, now, and what we choose to do with it.” Cassie opened her mind to him as his fingers traced her collarbone. She wanted him to see exactly how much she meant those words. She didn’t care about his past, and all the ugly things. All she cared about was now.

Trik pulled her into his arms and held her close. He kept back the part of him that would show her the love that had grown painfully strong in his heart for her . While he kept this back, he couldn’t stop his soul from reaching for hers. He heard her gasp at the sensation that was so hard to describe to anyone who had never felt it. She tilted her head back to look up at him and to his surprise she grabbed his face and pulled him to her. She kissed him with an intensity he had never before felt. He felt her soul reach into him and wrap him in warmth and love. In that moment he felt protected and cherished.

He deepened the kiss and pulled her body closer. His hand reached up and pulled her messy bun free from its confines. Her hair flowed down over his hand and he ran his fingers through it and felt her shudder. His other hand moved from her hip slipping to her lower back bunching her shirt in his fist. His fingers grazed the soft skin of her back drawing a hiss from her lips as she pulled back. Her lips glistened from their kiss, swollen and red. He smiled down at her and she blushed.

“Beautiful,” he whispered as he stroked her cheek. “My beautiful Cassie.”

Cassie didn’t know what to say. She had tried to show him through her kiss that she wanted him, all of him.

“I know A'maelamin , and I believe you.”

“Then why the sad face?” She asked him.

He shook his head. “Notsad, just trying to memorize everything about you so that while I’m gone tomorrow, I can remember. Remember your smell, your taste, the way you feel in my arms.”

“Oh,” Cassie said as she tried to breathe around the lump in her throat.

“I think it’s time for me to take you back.” He stepped back and took her hand in his.

Cassie smiled and nodded, though she didn’t want the day to end.

He followed her out of the park to where Cassie had told Elora to meet her through a text message.

“So you aren’t coming back tonight?” Cassie asked remembering that her parents had wanted her to invite him for dinner.

“I’ve got some things to take care of. I’ll be by in the morning before you leave to give you the dress to wear for the party.”

Cassie nodded, not wanting to think about going to the party that the Dark Elf King and Queen were throwing in honor of Trik finding his Chosen.

“When you come to get me tomorrow evening you are going to have to meet my dad.”

Trik noticed the worry in her eyes.

He laughed. “You act like I will be going before a firing squad.”

“Oh, he won’t try to kill you. He will simply pry into your life seeking out your deepest, darkest secrets. So just be prepared.”

Just then Elora’s car pulled up. Trik leaned down and placed a sweet kiss to her lips and then waved at Elora, who gave him the finger.

“I don’t think she’s happy with me.” Trik smirked.

Cassie simply shrugged and backed away towards Elora’s car.

“Oh,” she called out as she opened the car door, “and remember. Any question that he asks about sex, your answer is that you never plan to have sex with me.”

Trik’s brow furrowed. “You want me to lie?”

“Through your ever-loving teeth,” she said with a smile and a wink.

Trik watched as Elora backed up and then drove away with his heart. He would check on her later that night, after…

~

“You’re glowing,” Elora said to Cassie as they drove to her house.

“Am I?” Cassie asked nonchalantly.

Elora let out a disgusted groan. “I have a feeling that I should get used to the taste of vomit because I’m going to be throwing up in my mouth a lot around you two.”

Cassie laughed.

“That wasn’t meant to be funny,” Elora said dryly. But Cassie wasn’t listening. She was lost in the memories of the most incredible day of her life.

They pulled into Cassie’s driveway and Elora turned the engine off. She turned in her seat so that she could face her friend.

“Okay, wipe that googly eyed look off your face long enough to think clearly.”