Page 41 of Blood Moon Bound

I gave it to him.

“What page?”

I took it back and flipped to where it started and handed it back. I watched as he read it, his jaw tight, the veins in his forearm bulging as he gripped the novel, and the look on his face that—oh god—I wanted to shrink, to disappear. Disgust, that’s what I saw. John was right, Constantine didn’t want to mate with me. I was desperate for him, and he was repulsed at the very idea. What had I done wrong? Why had he changed his mind?

He was going to leave me.

I shook as tears welled in my eyes, until they couldn’t be contained any longer and spilled onto my cheeks. This hurt. So much. More than anything had in my entire life. My throat burned from swallowing down my sobs. As he lowered the book, I dropped my head, letting my hair fall forward, covering my tear-soaked face, utterly humiliated.

“Come here.”

Even after seeing that look on his face, his low demand had embers of lust bursting into flame. I did as he said, because what else could I do? I had become the property of my stepfather when he mated my mother, and now I belonged to Constantine. It didn’t matter that he didn’t want me the way a male should want his mate.

“Look at me,” he growled.

I shook my head.

“Now.”

His tone sent a shiver through me, and I wasn’t sure if it was born from fear or desire, maybe a little of both. I lifted my head, and Constantine flinched.

“Why are you crying?”

How could he not know how much he was hurting me? How could he be so blind? My own fury filled me, and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid to let it free. Whatever the consequences, I was prepared to pay them. For once, I would not bite my tongue. I would not smile and pretend I was okay with whatever meager crumbs of kindness someone gave me, or that my heart was surrounded by iron armor and their cruelty didn’t cause damage with every disdainful look or harsh word.

“Why did you even claim me?” I cried, for the first time, since I was a child, raising my voice in anger. “Why did you come to the blood moon ceremony?” He reached for me, and I stepped back. “No. No, you don’t touch me, not anymore. I thought you were my escape from Hell, but you only brought me to a new one. And this one is so much worse, because you gave me hope, over and over again, then each time you snatched it away. You say nice things or give me pleasure, then you hold me at a distance like I’m an inconvenience or an annoyance. I offer myself to you, and you sit there and cut me to pieces with your look of disgust.”

He stood, his shock at my outburst written all over his face. “Sweetheart—”

“I’m not your sweetheart, and I don’t want to be here anymore. Release me. Let me go, because this hurts too much.”

His mouth twisted, his eyes growing wild. He took a step toward me, his face thrown in shadow, concealing his features.

“No,” I said again and backed up several more steps. “I don’t want you to touch me.”

His chest expanded, and when he took another step closer, light from the lamp bathed the side of his face. I gasped. He was transformed, like he had in the shower, but even more so, his face all sharp angles, his fangs long and vicious, his eyes glowing and vibrant. I was looking into the eyes of a monster.

I fell back another step.

“Do not run, Delphine,” he snarled. “Whatever you do, do not run from me.”

Twelve

CONSTANTINE

Delphine took another step back.

“Don’t you fucking run,” I snarled again. The monster had roared to the surface as soon as I’d seen her tears. Then she’d gone and laid out all the ways I’d hurt her, that she wanted to leave me, and the predator was ready to do anything to stop that. If my heart could beat, it would be pounding in my chest, as it was, adrenaline coursed through me so hard and fast my head spun.

Delphine stared at me, bloody tears glistening on her cheeks, shaking with her anger and hurt.

“Delphine,” I growled.

Her shoulders stiffened.

“Don’t—”

She spun around and ran from the room.