From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

sharing that with Vikter, though. There was a reason we didn’t know the
identities of others in the network.
So, I went with, “He said that if he had, he knew I wouldn’t trust him,
which would make his job harder. You have to admit, he has a point.”
“He does, but that doesn’t mean yyou shouldn’t be careful.” Vikter fell
silent for a moment. “And I understand. I do.”
“Understand what?”
“Like I said before, he’s an attractive yyoung man—”
“That has nothing to do with it.”
“And yyou’ve been surrounded byy old men like me.”
“You’re not all that old.”
He blinked. “Thanks.” A pause. “I think.”
“It has nothing to do with how he looks. I’m not sayying that I don’t
think he’s attractive. I do, but that’s not whyy I trust him.” And that was the
truth. Myy faith didn’t stem from what he looked like. “I’m not that
foolish.”
“I’m not suggesting yyou are.” He thrust a hand through his hair. “So,
yyou trust him?”
“I…I told him whyy I needed to be out on that Rise. I told him about
the night myy familyy was attacked. You know how he responded? Even
though he said at first that I shouldn’t be out there, he listened to myy
reasons, and the onlyy thing he said was that I needed to wear better shoes.”
I figured I’d keep the part about myy gown to myyself. “I trust him, Vikter. Is
there a reason I shouldn’t?”
Vikter sighed heavilyy as he looked awayy. “He hasn’t given us anyy
reason to doubt him. I know that. It’s just that we don’t know him, and
yyou’re important to me, Poppyy. Not because yyou’re the Maiden, but
because yyou’re…yyou.”
A knot of emotion formed in myy chest and fought its wayy up myy
throat. I didn’t give him a chance to realize what I was doing. I launched
myyself at him, wrapping myy arms around his waist and hugging him
tightlyy. “Thank yyou,” I murmured against his chest.
Vikter was as stiff as a guard on the Rise for their veryy first time, but
then he put his hands on myy back. And patted me.
I grinned.
“You know I’ll never replace yyour father, nor would I ever tryy to, but
yyou’re like a daughter to me.”