She lifts her tear-stained face to meet mine. “Explain what? How you want to pawn me off to another male? How you want to give me to someone I don’t love like you did the first time? You don’t care about me. If you did, you would never ask me to marry someone else.” She lowers her head and cries into the pillow. “I hate this bond. It makes me feel close to you. Makes me trust you. And I—” her voice breaks. “I love you, but you don’t love me. You can’t, or else you’d never ask me to marry the prince, prophecy or not.”
I pull her into my arms. She struggles weakly in my hold before burying further into my chest as she sobs against me. “I hate you. I hate that I love you, and you don’t love me. I hate you, Kai.”
I hold her tightly to me, smoothing my hand over her back and shoulders as I speak softly. “You are wrong, Ella. I love you. More than anything.”
She lifts a tear-filled gaze to me. “Then why do you still want me to marry the prince?”
“Because I’m scared,” I admit.
“I... I don’t understand.” She sniffs. “You aren’t making any sense.”
I tell her what the Elder conveyed about the probability of death in her vision. I press a tender kiss to her forehead and cup her cheek as I stare deep into her blue eyes. “I cannot stand the thought of you dying. Even if it means giving you up, I would do it... just so that you may live.”
She shakes her head. “But you don’t know that she’s right. It may be that she just cannot see my future clearly.”
“But Nyx’s dreams confirm her visions.”
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
As if my very thoughts have summoned him, Nyx appears at the top of the stairs. “It’s true, Ella. I have had a recurring nightmare of the Wolf Queen coming for you. In my dreams, she—” he stops, unable to speak it aloud.
“She kills me,” Ella finishes his sentence. “You told me this. But maybe your dream is a warning, and it will help us to avoid any danger.”
Nyx shakes his head. “We may have already failed. Our recent actions may have only endangered you further.”
Her small brow furrows deeply. “What do you mean?”
I meet her gaze evenly. “I fear that Nyx’s dreams may have foretold what has happened now. In taking Cash, Finn, and Nyx as your mates, you do not want the prince. The Elder said they saw your death if you did not marry him. And if you refuse to give them up so that you can marry the prince and fulfill the prophecy, you might die.
Indignation burns in her eyes. “I don’t care. I won’t marry the prince. I refuse to be handed off to another as if my choice doesn’t matter.” She looks to Nyx, tears filling her eyes. “And you? How could you even think to ask me to marry the prince? Especially after what we just—” Her voice catches as tears spill down her cheeks.
Nyx rushes toward her, gathering her in his arms as he pulls her close to his chest. “I cannot bear the thought of you dying. Not for me, Ella. Not if loving me means that you will die. I do not want to give you up, but I will not force you to be mine if you want to be released from our bond to save your life.”
She touches his face. “I don’t want to lose you, Nyx. Not now. Not ever. You are my mate, and I will not give you up.”
I gently touch her cheek, drawing her attention to me. “Please understand. I only wanted you to marry the prince to keep you from dying, Ella. That is the only reason I would ever even suggest it.”
She pulls away from my touch as if burned. “I would rather risk death than marry someone I don’t love.”
I clench my jaw as I give her a solemn nod. “I understand this now. Forgive me. I should have realized it should be your decision. I am sorry, Ella. I have heard that if you love someone, you only want what is best for them.” I stare deep into her eyes. “I love you, Ella. With everything that I am. And I am so afraid to lose you. If anything were to happen, I do not think I could bear it. I would—”
Cash and Finn come into the room and move to her side. With a slight clench of my jaw, I meet her eyes evenly. “I’m sorry, Ella.”
I look again at Nyx, Cash, and Finn. They are already bonded to her. Of course, I am happy for them, but I can hardly bear the deep ache in my chest as I watch them touch her so tenderly, knowing she has already chosen them. I turn to leave. “I will check the perimeter,” I speak over my shoulder.
I quickly shift and fly out the window before she or anyone else can respond.
As I fly through the forest, her words replay in my mind. “I hate you,” she cried against my chest.
My heart breaks into a million pieces, hearing the words echo through my mind over and over. I love her. With all that I am. But she believes I do not love her... and she hates me for it.
Chapter 28
Kai
The next few days pass quickly as I busy myself flying the perimeter to make certain no one else finds us here. I can hardly bear to be in Ella’s presence for long, knowing how strongly she feels about me.
I hate you. The words repeat in my mind as pain stabs at my chest.
When I return to the cottage, I find her alone upstairs. Anger fills me that she has been
