Page 120 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

She stands up; although she’s still far shorter than I am, it doesn’t deter her, and she shakes her head. “No, you shouldn’t. Now more than ever, we need to figure out what we’re going to do. Together.”

I hesitate before I voice what I’m thinking. “They want you to access that dome, and it will somehow harm you – that’s what I’m getting from it, and as my mate, that would affect me.”

“And that is exactly why pushing me away would do no good. We are bound, Jayce,” she says softly.

I look at her, wanting to cup her face and kiss her and tell her I know. I fucking know, but I’ll keep failing her. My wolf snarls, telling me I need to keep her close.

“Yeah… But it doesn’t mean you should be put in the line of fire any more than you already are.”

To my surprise, Sienna rolls her eyes, shaking her head, her curls bouncing as she plants her hands on her hips. “Since when did you become so dumb? They literally said, if you are by my side, we won’t fail – they fear that! Are you really going to be that stubborn? Wake the hell up, Westwood. What is your problem?” she snaps, exasperated.

Her words take me by surprise as her eyes glimmer with rage, and her nostrils flare as she stares me down; despite her small stature, she doesn’t back away.

What she said… She’s not wrong. Why am I so fucking screwed in the head? And yet, to let her back in entirely? I can’t do that. But she’s already fucking with my head badly.

“Are you with me?” she asks, her voice calmer as she stares sincerely into my eyes.

“Depends on what that means…” I’m not liking this. I know what she means even before she speaks.

“That dome, I need to go back there; the answers lie there. I also feel there’s more to the vampires than Prince Mikhail lets on. I think he knows more than he is sharing, and we need to find out what.”

“Possibly… We’ll get the answers. We can work together as we have been doing so, despite my better judgement,” I remark. She narrows those gorgeous eyes and cocks a brow.

For someone who knows when a person lies, does a voice go off in your head that screams LIAR every time you lie?” she asks in a sassy tone. I’m glad she’s fucking recovered, but why is she so fucking sexy when she’s worked up?

“I’m not lying; I know what I need to do,” I point out.

She rolls her eyes, turning away from me. “Fine. We’ll roll with that. Just remember, you duelled a god and won; let’s thwart another two gods and win this round, too.” She turns back to me, her eyes softening. “Everyone has fears and doubts, but we just have to work past them. Life is short.”

Life is.

“Since when did you get so wise?” I ask quietly.

She shrugs, shaking her head. Gone is the girl full of doubt; she’s a woman who knows what she wants… Oh, how the roles have fucking reversed.

But I know that as long as there’s distance between us, we will never be at our strongest unless we get past this.

“So, what’s the first step?” she asks me.

I look away briefly to clear my head, my brows furrowing as I look back at her intently. “He said he knew how to enslave demons… What does that even mean?”

Her face falls, her heart thundering, and she hugs herself, worry and nervousness in her eyes, as if she fears my reaction. I was going to tell you, she begins hesitantly. Ahren told me a few days ago, but he didn’t want me to tell anyone because that could put both of us in danger. It means we can be enslaved, too.

My blood runs cold as I stare at her; just the thought of someone enslaving her makes my stomach twist. I’m a little stung that she didn’t tell me, but my worry overshadows it.

I told him that I can’t keep any more secrets from you, and he agreed that you were the only person I could tell, but to never speak it out loud, not even in the safest of places. Because it is something that could do unimaginable harm, she continues.

She’s telling the truth, every single word spoken, but it doesn’t ease the storm growing within me.

But Set knows. And you’re his target, I say through the mind-link as I take hold of her elbows.

I guess so… she answers quietly.

I stare at her. How is she not worried? Her slender form looks so fucking fragile, even though I know it isn’t. Even if she’s a warrior, even if she’s strong, even if she’s fucking incredible, I still need to protect her because she is my mate; I’m meant to be her protector.

Even if I’m scared of failing her, I just have to make sure I don’t fail. Not again.

She is mine.