“You didn’t let me finish.” His teeth clenched, and his jaw worked as he glared at me.
“I felt you finish,” I countered in an attempt to defuse the tension. And then a horrifying thought occurred to me. I jumped to my feet and scrambled to put my clothes back on. “Shit. Mates can get pregnant.”
Man, I was a dumbass.
“Only after they’ve completed the meld…blood exchange.”
I slumped in relief. Thank every magical being in the world. A child was the last thing I needed.
“I did feel her, but there was a darkness to it, a sharp edge to it, and it was constant pain. It drove me mad. I felt it, and I wanted to rip my stomach out. After you left me frozen, I concentrated on the dark bond and tried to hunt her down. Take myself along with her as well, so you would not have to deal with my many betrayals.” He grimaced, and his words and self-flagellation made me want to approach him, but I steeled myself. Then when he’d figured out she was after me, his need to protect me outweighed everything else.
He ran his hand through his hair, bringing my attention back to his hands. Those hands… I wanted them on me, caressing and touching me. His forearm was strong and muscular, and my gaze attached to the pale skin as it flexed. My toes curled, and I held back a shudder.
I wanted him again. What the hell was wrong with me?
“Again?” he breathed, eyebrows flying up as he glanced down to where I clenched my legs together. “I’d forgotten how voracious maturity makes Unnaturals.” A blush suffused my face. An evil question occurred to me, and I was too curious to let it go even though every bit of me told me not to go there.
“D-did you feel what I felt that first night?” I swallowed hard. “Did you scent how much I wanted you when you were fucking her right next to me?” I hoped to God he said no.
His lips tightened, and he looked away, his jaw working overtime. My stomach rebelled, and I was so damn disgusted. That was answer enough. I craned my neck to the now-dark sky and groaned, feeling embarrassed.
“You confused me when I saw you alone in the woods. I had never responded in such a violent way and then there were your reactions to me.” He closed his eyes and rubbed his neck. “Your scent was delicious. It was a call to my very blood. I didn’t know I could ever be so attracted, especially to a human.”
My lips pursed. The blood pounding through me urged me to run. I suddenly didn’t want to know the answer, wanted to take the question back.
“I had never fucked her that hard. It was because of you, because of your scent. It wouldn’t leave my senses, I needed you, and I didn’t know why.”
Roark ran a hand through his hair. His shame and anger filtered to me through the bond before they were stifled, and I couldn’t make them out.
“I cannot erase what has happened between us, or what I’ve done to you. But I swear to you I will make it up to you now that I have the chance. There was only one thing I wanted when I came to protect you. Just one more moment in your presence before I killed her and never saw you again. Before you found someone else and lived your life out without me.” His jaw worked. I closed my eyes and tried to think through my tumultuous emotions. “You’re looking for words to push me away.”
“No, I’m not,” I said quickly, sounding like a guilty child.
“Tell yourself that, Rae.”
“I will,” I said, feeling defensive. I finally met his lavender eyes. The darker and lighter eye showed the same determination written on his face. “There’s nothing to push away. You and me? Not ever going to happen.” His lips tightened. “Now if you will excuse me, I need to get some rest.” I waved a hand to the door.
He fisted the sheet. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Yes, you are. I don’t trust you, and I don’t want you.”
His eyebrow flicked up, arrogance etched on every line of his body as he stood and stalked toward me. I retreated until my back hit the wall.
Roark inhaled deeply. “You want me. You’ll always want me.”
“According to you, we wouldn’t have worked anyway.” I ignored his words, the memory of them burning my pride. A thrill of adrenaline rushed through me, begging me to run. To deal with this the way I’d dealt with everything my entire life, but no.
This time, I wasn’t going to run and escape my problems. Nope, I was going to face them head-on and kick them in the face. Just like I was about to do to Roark.
He must have sensed I was about to physically shove him out because he backed up and smoothly strode to the door.
“The damage is done, Roark. Give it up.” I infused as much disgust into my words as I could.
“Never.” He froze and turned his darkened lavender eyes toward me. “You are mine. I’ll show you.”
His slight grin melted my heart, and then he disappeared—the door shutting behind him. I sagged against the wall, processing his challenge.
Roark thought I’d just fall into his arms? I snorted and dropped my head into my hands.
I’d show him.
Thank you for reading!
Rae and Roark’s adventure continues in Claimed by the Fae.
-September 2020-
If you have time—Rae would seriously appreciate a review :)
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Acknowledgments
Thank you Grace Coronado, Kyan Wolfe and Brooke Wall—y’all are the best writer friends a girl could ask for. Thanks to my amazing cover artist from Victoria
