Page 21 of A Fate In Moonstone

“Yes. That,” he said.

I nodded in a lustful daze, then shook out of it.

“What?” I asked like I didn’t already know.

“You’re to be with Tor,” he said with a hint of snarl laced in his words. Like the beast inside him came through when mentioning his brother.

“I am.”

He stared into me, and I felt the weight of his gaze pressing against me as if I were between him and a wall at my back.

Did my breaths hitch just now?

A deep growl rumbled from his chest and I leaned closer.

“We can’t be around each other.” His voice hardened and he shot to his feet.

My mouth watered as I nodded. My hands tightened into fists to keep from reaching out. Why was I feeling this?

We weren’t mates, not that I knew of. Wouldn’t that be a cruel twist from the Heart Tree?

“It’s the werewolf side. He’s feral, primal even. He likes you and you apparently have an unhealthy attraction to danger,” Rune said with a frown.

That cooled the sensations that warmed under my skin. I was attracted to him because he was dangerous? That’s it? Not that maybe I enjoyed our chats, and the time we spent when we met. Yeah, he screamed danger and I wasn’t afraid of that. Hell, he asked me to keep that side of me lit. Now it was a bad thing now?

“And what does that say about you, huh? Do you get off tempting your brother’s girl with your ‘fuck me’ stares?”

Rune snarled, and I snarled right back.

Were we overreacting? Likely. But he started it and I wasn’t backing down.

Chapter Twelve

Rune arched his eyebrow and his lips pressed together.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I grumbled. “Don’t go pointing fingers at me when you are just as guilty for flirting.”

Never had I gone from laughing to raising my voice in such a short time.

He laughed, but not in a way to ease the tension. “You’re young. You know nothing. If you do know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away. Marry and fuck my brother. Pop out charming kids and get the hell away from me.”

My anger died, and in its place something else brewed. Something sour.

“You really didn’t know who I was, did you?” He didn’t have to answer. I saw his eyes flash wide for a second before he hardened his face again and I kept talking. “Why say all those nice things, spend the day with me, and ask that favor if it all led to me dousing that fire as ‘your brother’s wife.’” My lips trembled and that sour feeling burned up my throat and in my eyes.

Why did I say that?

What was happening? This was too emotional, even for me.

He flinched and I turned away.

“Just stay away from me, Sapphira. You’re better off.”

He walked away, then took off into a sprint so fast I lost sight of him.

What just happened?

I stared at the fallen tree where Rune made me laugh moments ago. Our whole interaction was an opposite to the one we had before. What was real? Everything inside me, deep in my core ached for his presence. I wanted to run after the warrior and yell, and fight with him. For him.