The man bows again then leaves.
Chapter 33
Ella
It doesn’t take long to get back to our cottage. When we do, Cash, Finn, Nyx, and Kai leave to patrol the barrier while Nyx fortifies it with his magic, leaving me alone with Devon.
He refuses to look at me or even speak as he lies on the couch, feigning indifference to the entire world.
I walk over to him. “Are you done brooding?”
He lifts his gaze to me, his eyes burning with frustration, but he says nothing.
“Is this how you’re going to treat me every time we disagree?”
Again, he remains silent as he stares up at me.
“You know what?” I snap. “I’m used to being ignored and being treated like I’m less than a person.” Tears well up in my eyes, but I blink them back, biting my bottom lip to stop it from trembling. “So, I guess this is nothing new for me.”
With that, I turn and march up the stairs, angry at him for being so stubborn.
As soon as I reach the bedroom, the first tear escapes my lashes as dark memories of my time with my stepmother surface in my mind. She never cared for my feelings either. I was not even a person to her; I was merely a thing. A tool to be used to serve her and her daughter. Unable to hold them back, tears begin streaming down my face. I collapse on the bed, burying my head in my pillow to muffle the sounds of my crying.
I hate that Devon is angry with me. Why does he have to be this way? Anything could happen to us tomorrow, and I don’t want to leave here mad at one another. Especially since it could be the last time we ever have a chance to speak.
Warm hands grip my shoulders, but I shrug them away, knowing it’s Devon. He grips me a bit more firmly and pulls me up into his lap.
I push against his chest, not wanting him to see my tears, but he holds me tightly to him.
“Let me go!”
“No, I will not.”
I struggle a moment, but he grips my chin firmly, tipping my head up to look at him. His green eyes meet mine. His vertically slit pupils contracting and expanding as he stares down at me. Tenderly, he brushes the hair back from my face and wipes at my tears with his thumb as he cups my cheek. I look down, refusing to meet his eyes.
“Look at me,” he commands.
Shaking my head, I keep my gaze lowered.
“Look at me, Ella,” he growls.
My eyes snap up to meet his. “Why?” I ask, tipping my chin up in defiance. “I don’t want to see you angry at me. I don’t want that to be the last image I have of you in my mind in case I—”
“In case what?” he asks in a low voice.
I clench my jaw. “In case I die tomorrow.”
His eyes widen slightly in alarm. “You will not be going anywhere near the estate tomorrow. We will not allow you to place yourself in danger. You will not die tomorrow, Ella. My vow.”
I shake my head. “I’m not letting you all go by yourselves. I can’t just stay behind while you put yourselves in danger.”
He clenches his jaw. “You can and you will,” he snarls.
I jerk my chin from his grasp and push at his chest.
He responds by tightening his arms around me.
“Let me go!”
“I am your guard, and it’s my duty to keep you safe. I won’t let you go.”
I turn back to him, anger burning inside me at his stubbornness. “Why?”
His green eyes stare deep into mine. “Because I love you, Ella.”
I go still as his gaze holds mine.
He leans in then gently skims the tip of his nose alongside mine as he whispers. “I love you more than anything in this entire world, even if you do not love me. I vow that I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, my Ella.”
When he pulls back, his expression is so vulnerable and full of pain, it breaks me. I reach up and cup his cheek. “Why do you think I don’t love you?”
He lowers his gaze. “Because you have already chosen everyone but me. And I am a cat shifter. My nature alone would give any pause to take me as theirs. So, I do not blame you for not wanting me.”
“What do you mean ‘your nature’?” I furrow my brow in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“My people are known for their possessive nature, more so than many of the other shifters. When we... take our mates, we mark them.”
“Mark them how?” I ask, curious to understand.
“When we mate, we bite our partners.” He lowers his gaze as if ashamed. “Many fear us because of this. They believe we are more animal than man. They even point to our eyes to prove this theory. And...” he sighs heavily, “perhaps they are right.”
I reach up and trace the sharp line of his brow as I stare deep into his cat-like eyes. “Your eyes are beautiful, Devon.” I take his hand and entwine our fingers. Lifting them to my chest, I place our joined hands over my heart. “I love you, Devon. Just as much as I love the others.”
I press a kiss to the back of his hand between his thumb and forefinger. “I want you to seal me to you before tomorrow. I want to be yours before you go.”
He stares down at me like I’m a rare and precious thing. “You choose me to be your mate?”
“Yes, Devon. I want you.”
He crushes his lips to mine in a searing kiss, stealing the breath from my lungs.
When he pulls back, his eyes search mine. “I overheard what you told Nyx.”
I
