A bark of laughter escaped him, a true smile gracing his face, and his whole expression softened. And damned if her daft heart didn’t flutter in her chest as the imposing man went from intimidating to heart throbbing in a blink.
She felt betrayed by the change. She licked her bottom lip, her mouth suddenly dry. “Um, I don’t understand.”
“I’m what the fae considers ancient. I’ve been around before civilization came to Earth. I’ve fought battles and wars that many don’t even remember. I’ve seen species come and go. In all that time, I’ve never found a mate. After centuries, I just accepted I wasn’t found worthy.” His yellow eyes darkened and shimmered with emotions as he stepped closer. “Until you. I gave up hope of ever finding anyone. Now I know that I was just waiting for you.”
He moved until no space remained between them, stealing all the oxygen in the room. She couldn’t seem to find two brain cells to rub together. “Why didn’t you tell me? Were you ashamed of me?”
“No! Never! I didn’t approach you sooner because you were horrified by the very idea.” He gave her a wry smile that was more of a grimace. “I was hoping once you got used to me, your feelings would change. That you would eventually learn to love me.”
He twitched like he was going to move, then stopped himself, almost as if he were afraid of her reaction.
She reached up and rubbed a spot on her arm, then stopped short and jerked her hand away from the hunter’s moon etched into her skin. She wanted to smack herself in the face for not realizing it sooner. “It’s a mating mark, isn’t it?”
While her mark was a small symbol, his was a giant moon that covered him from shoulder to shoulder. The images were so detailed that craggy rocks and shadows were visible.
And every time she’d touched the mark over the last few weeks, he must have felt it, like her hands were running over him. Heat rushed into her cheeks, and she wasn’t sure if she was more embarrassed or disappointed that she missed sharing the experience with him.
Then her mind tripped over the troubling words Aoibh said, and Morgan’s gut clenched. “What did she mean the mating wasn’t complete?”
Unease flickered in his eyes, his spine straightening even more, if it were possible. “Years of being the beast have altered me on an elemental level. While you are mated to both man and wolf, the beast needs to finish the mating.”
A slight blush warmed his ears, and she wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed or mortified. It was quite possibly a little bit of both. She did her best to ignore the way her neck tingled at the thought of his bite. Her gaze flicked toward Ryder, and her own cheeks heated as memories of when he claimed her bombarded her.
Instead of being perturbed or possessive, Ryder gave her a knowing grin that made her blood heat, completely confident in his place in her life.
Then she frowned and glanced back at Caedmon. “Why was Aoibh so insistent on getting you back? Wouldn’t she consider you tainted and unworthy?”
He swallowed hard, his hands curling into fists, his shoulders wilting just a fraction…and yet he refused to look away and hide.
Exposing every secret, every insecurity for her to judge.
Atlas came up behind her and placed a hand on her hip. “Though he sacrificed everything to save Faerie and their way of life, it changed him. Caedmon is no longer considered a true fae. If Mother ever got her greedy hands on him, she could do whatever she wanted, and no one would protest.”
Morgan’s nose crinkled like she smelled something bad, and she shook her head. “No, it was more than that. This was personal.”
Caedmon grimaced, a shudder going through him, and Atlas heaved a sigh. “Fae live for a very long time. It’s why they have so many rules and play games—they’ve had decades to hold grudges and perfect their revenge. Mother isn’t an ancient, but she has spent centuries accumulating her power.
“Every decade or two, she selects a warrior to become her lover. She tears them down until they are nothing but a shell that doesn’t think or do anything without her permission.” The hand on her hip tightened and bit into her flesh hard enough to leave bruises.
Morgan covered his hand with hers, disgust curling her lips. “Slaves.”
“No.” Atlas shook his head. “They willingly follow her. It’s like they no longer have a will of their own.”
Morgan’s gaze flashed toward Caedmon, and her stomach heaved at the thought of this proud fae being erased. “And she wanted you.”
“She’s been trying to get her claws in me for centuries. I’ve managed to elude her for decades. I suspect she was pissed that I didn’t fall at her feet in appreciation of being chosen, and she volunteered me to be sent to guard the gates of Tartarus.” He gave a negligible shrug. “Because if she couldn’t have me, no one could.”
“And now she knows you survived. Tainted or not, she’s not going to give you up so easily.” She leaned against Atlas, needing the support for what she was about to suggest. It was crazy and stupid—and her skin tingled with excitement at the thought of claiming him. “You can’t go back. It would be a death sentence…or worse.”
“And if the only way to protect me is to finish the mating?” Caedmon shook his head and took a step back. “You’re not ready for that.”
Her heart lurched at the distance he put between them, his rejection like a hot knife sliding into her gut. “Don’t be an idiot. You?—”
“You already saved me once—the instant you looked down on me in the pit where I was trapped.” He reached out hesitantly, his fingers barely brushing across her cheek before he retreated another step.
It felt like he was slipping through her fingers, like she was losing something precious, and the panic tightening her chest made breathing nearly impossible. “What about your family? Can they?—”
“He’s an ancient.” Atlas wrapped his hand around her waist, trying to comfort her, as if he felt the acid eating away at her insides. “His family has been gone for centuries.”
