“I am not sure what you are insinuating. I think Sage is well within his rights to set—”
“He only treated me that way becauseyouare jealous of our relationship! I can only guess that you must punish him viciously for showing even a hint of affection toward other females. Since he was just as sweet as he usually is with me the last time we were alone,” she proclaimed without even bothering to try and hide a goading smirk. “But I will not lose my friend becauseyouthink you can control his relationships just because you areanam.”
I was almost too shocked by such a sudden change in her demeanour to reply, but mostly, I was relieved to be confronted with her viciousness. I had always struggled to make up my mind on whether Orlaith was a good person because she was so good at hiding her truths. She even had Sage fooled for a long time, although that was likely because he was never around enough to see through her. But I had always been able to sensesomething was off, and now it seemed that losing Sage had messed with her head enough that her mask was fraying.
But two bitches could play her petty little game.
“Not that it is any of your business,Orlaith, but Sage and I would not have been romantically involved the last time you would have spoken to him. So I think he is just setting new boundaries now that we are finally together,” I explained with feigned patience.
Oh… She didnotlike that. Not at all. It occurred to me that she might not have anticipated Sage would actually become romantic with me.
“He wasveryadamant that there was nothing between the two of you,” she insisted.
“And he did not lie, but things changed a lot once we came here. We even agreed to mark each other!” I added with exaggerated optimism.
It was this revelation that finally shattered her mask for good, and the flash of pure resentment and rage in her eyes was almost unnerving.
“Shay wasrightabout you,” she snarled, losing all of her composure. “How someone as good as Sage could be paired with adryadis just… I willneverunderstand it,” she declared in disgust. My brows rose as her eyes raked over the marks all down my neck that Sage left just that morning, which I proudly displayed.
“Wow… Feel better?” I smirked at her.
“You are a fool if you think Sage would ever actually choose you! I never met Aodhan, but Shay says that you are just like him. Arrogant. Cruel.Deviant,” she listed my supposed faults as her eyes fell to the marks on my neck as if they were something that I should be ashamed of. “And Sageneverliked him. Which makes us all wonder what he wouldreallythink of you if not for the bond clouding his better judgmentment. You didn’t even seem upset when he was taken! It’s just… It is so unfair that such a good male is trapped with someone that he would probablyhateif he had a clearer head about it.”
Her words hit on every single insecurity that I had ever had about my relationship with Sage. Especially the last revelation that he’d never liked my brother since I clearly remembered Sage accusing me of being just like Aodhan. And not long ago, she might have succeeded in ripping me open and exposing my deepest vulnerabilities.
But all I could feel in that moment was utter shock at her blatant insensitivity. Her attempts to hurt me meant less than nothing because helovedme, and he had made damn sure that Iknewthat down to my bones.
But perhaps Orlaith and I were not as different as I had always thought we were…
“You are right, Orlaith,” I said, taking her off guard with my unexpected agreement. “I am arrogant and cruel. Most definitely deviant,” I added with a wink that made her glare in frustration that she wasn’t getting the reaction she had clearly wanted. “But I am also loyal. Protective. Self-sacrificing. Actually I am a littletooself-sacrificing according to Sage,” I added with forced chagrin.
But then I allowed the smirking facade to fall away, showing her a glimpse of the cold fury underneath.
“And I might have tried not to cry in front of anyone, but I did bring Sylvan Elves to their knees when I went to bring my mate home. Couldyourtearshave done that?”
Orlaith balked at me, clearly unsure whether she even believed me. That was understandable since the aes sídhe might have known Sage was taken prisoner, but we hadn’t told them exactly by whom. I pressed on regardless.
“And you are also right that Sage isa good male who deserves only the best of everything. But the best thing for him will always beme; the one who is willing to fight and bleed and kill to protect him. So if you think that your bitterness or Shay’s biases against my kind will keep me away from my mate, then I have bad news for you.”
I nearly turned away from her then so we could part on semipeaceful terms. But there was still a vindictive little part of me that was unwilling to let her get off so easily. And the violent impulses got the better of me.
Before I was able to think better of it, vines had shot out of the earth on either side of her and wrapped around her in a stranglehold. They didn’t squeeze hard enough to hurt her, but she definitely couldn’t breathe. And wasn’t it just too bad that she didn’t possess strong enough fire magic to even try and burn away my foliage?
“Sorry. I just have this nagging feeling that you missed the point Sage was trying to make earlier. So allow me to clarify that if youeverjump on my mate or try and kiss him again, Iwillslice open your fucking throat.”
Orlaith stopped struggling, her eyes tracing my face as if trying to verify my threat. She must have seen just how sincere I was because she quickly nodded to agree.
“Good. And I know he’s beautiful, and it’s difficult not to stare at him. But whatever you have to do to get over him already, I suggest you do that,” I urged as I raised a hand with one claw extended toward her face. She tried to flinch away, but the vines held her in place as one wicked talon trailed slowly from her temple to her cheekbone. “Because I’d really hate to gouge out these pretty eyes, but I will if they continue to linger on what ismine.”
Savage!Ciaran barked a laugh suddenly in my mind, making it clear that I was not protecting my thoughts very well whilst I was so angry.
Ornella, please at leasttryto refrain from maiming the people under my protection,Rian added drolly.
Stay out of my head!I hissed at them as I turned on my heel to stalk away without another word.
I left Orlaith to struggle in the tight hold of my vines until they withered and died in the Autumn cold.
Chapter forty-four
