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How had I not noticed that?
“That’s convenient,” he spat.
"The last thing I remember before that… was the night I was supposed to be officially betrothed to my mate."
The longer I was in Ares’s presence, the more "mate" seemed to burn my tongue. It felt wrong, like it had since I'd returned, but somehow Ares made it even more noticeable.
"You don't remember anything," he breathed, closing his eyes. When he opened them, the dark blue looked pained. He glanced out the window next to him. "You don't rememberthem."
"Them?" I asked curiously.
Ares didn't answer me, and instead he straightened up in his seat. "Change of plans. Take us to Galeru," he ordered the driver…Armand, I guess.
Panic hit me again as Armand nodded and then came to a slow stop before turning the car around.
"Galeru? Wait. Where are you taking me?"
Ares turned towards me, reaching out and taking my hand, and I didn't understand why I felt no need to yank it away. "We haven't gotten time together. If I can just have some. I know everything will be different. I promise to make this right for you, just not right now."
His words made no sense to me as my headache was growing to the point it felt like I was going to puke.
"What's wrong, pretty girl?" he breathed, looking concerned. His question pulled at my brain, like there was a memory there I should be recalling.
I leaned my head back, a tear sliding down my cheek. His eyes tracked it, his face pinched like it was offensive to him, but not in the way it had been to Alistair, who’d just been annoyed when I showed any emotion. Instead it looked like Ares just hated the idea of me being unhappy at all. I realized then…I was still holding his hand.
"I've been getting migraines ever since I've come back. Every time I try to recall something… It just gets worse." I don’t know why I was telling him this, why I felt so ready to tell him this, but I did.
"I can help you with that. Anytime you have any pain at all, I can help you." I turned my head and examined him…he seemed to really mean what he was saying.
"How do you do that?" I murmured, finding it hard to talk with how much my brain was pounding.
"It's a blood bond gift. I can help you."
"I don't understand what that is, but if there's anything you can do…" My voice trailed off as his hand slipped to my cheek, resting there almost…lovingly.
Immediately the pain began to slip away, my brain getting relief for the first time since I'd opened my eyes that first morning in Alistair's bedroom. I straightened up and stared at him in wonder. "It worked. The pain’s gone!"
He smiled at me fondly and my cheeks flushed again, because it only made him more attractive.
"Anytime you need anything from me. I'm all yours." The way he’d said that… It sounded like a vow.
"Can you explain the blood bond thing?" I asked, almost shyly. Because the moment we’d just shared felt so…intimate. I couldn't exactly explain why, but as my headache had begun to go away, I could feel how much he cared…somewhere deep inside of me.
I didn't understandhowI could feel him so clearly, and I couldn't sense Alistair at all. But I guess…I couldn't summon any emotions for Alistair either.
"I recall having this conversation with you before, it's almost nice to have a do over," he mused.
"Did I not take it well the first time?" I asked, cocking my head as I studied him, still amazed I could do so without blinding pain shooting through my brain.
"Not exactly." But he didn't explain that any further. "The wolves have true mates…and regular mates. But the vampires, we have blood bonds. There's someone out there who's your perfect match.”
I shivered. "You mean I'm what you have to feed on?" I asked, panicked.
He shook his head emphatically. "No…I mean yes. But no," he tried to explain.
"I have no interest in becoming a blood bag. Thanks for the offer though, can you just let me out right ahead?"
"Fuck, I’m messing this up even more than I did before."
