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There was a glimmer in her eyes and a sort of distress in her voice that sent a pang to his heart.“Fia.”His voice softened as he watched a tear trickle down her mud stained face. Her anger was gone. As always, this was so much worse.
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, no doubt too prideful to allow him to see her cry. “Just leave me alone, okay? I can’t…”
“Can’t what?” He asked in a whisper, gently wiping the tear from her cheek. “Talk to me.”
“It’s not important.”
“But it is.” He cupped her face, gently tugging at it until she was facing him again. “What has you feeling this way?” She wasn’t upset about the kiss they just shared, was she? Gods, if their shared kiss was the reason she was feeling so down, then any chance he had with her had already come and gone. He lost his mate before he had a chance to have her. Again. Bile rose in his throat. He was disgusted with himself and how he had treated her. “Please talk to me.”Please tell me I’m not too late.
Sophia let out a deep breath, seeming to contemplate whether or not to say anything. But she eventually gave her head a shake and said, “Ugh fine. I can’t allow myself to feel hurt again. You hurt me last night. If I put myself in any sort of situation with you where I’m vulnerable… I simply refuse to feel like shit again. That’s exactly what will happen if I kiss you.”
Antonio let out a sigh of relief.
She wasn’t upset about the kiss they just shared but about what she assumed the repercussions would be if they shared another. Because shecaredabout him. Which meant he still had a chance.
Though he was relieved, he hated hearing how he had hurt her. Of course, he knew he had. Buthearingit hit differently. “I understand what you’re feeling and you have every right to feel that way. I behaved inappropriately last night and I regret it. Butyou need to trust me when I tell you there is nothing for you to worry about. It won’t happen again.”
“Nothing to worry about? You’re wrong. I haveeverythingto worry about.” She gripped at her hair. “Let’s not forget that only one of us can make it out of this tournament alive. If we’re lucky. Even if we both miraculously managed to make it out of this tournament alive you still have a mate. No good could come from me kissing you. At least not for me.”
She believed she didn’t have a chance with him, and she was clearly upset by it. Which meant shewantedhim. Knowing that thrilled him. The woman he was determined to live his life with was hurting because she wanted him, not because she was scared of him.
Now, he only had to convince her that a future with him was very possible. “You don’t have to worry about her.”
“But I do. As long as you have a mate, I’ll always be second.Always.”Then, in a much lower tone she whispered, “I’ll never be first.”
Her words and her obvious pain tugged at his heart. She couldn’t be more wrong, but how could he expect her to think differently? He had given her no reason to believe that it was her for him. Hell, he had been too stubborn to even see it himself.
How could he prove to Sophia that she was first for him when he already admitted to her that life had given him someone else as a mate?
He seriously regretted having told her anything about Giselle.
Sophia wanted him, but she didn’t want to get hurt. Somehow he needed to prove to her that she wouldn’t get hurt.
Shit.He was going to have to admit she was his mate, wasn’t he? As long as she believed there was another woman out there for him she’d never give him a chance. He’d kill for that chance. And if a confession was all it would take…
He tried to comfort her by rubbing his thumb in slow circles around her cheek. “If I tell you something, I need you to promise me you won’t run off. Ican’thave you running off, okay? You’re not the only one whose scared of getting hurt.”
Her eyes glimmered, as if with hope.“You’rescared of getting hurt?”
“You think the big bad wolf can’t get hurt? I’m no stranger to pain, Sophia.” He didn’t understand why that surprised this little warrior so much.
Thankfully, she nodded in understanding. “Okay.”
“You need to promise me this. Promise me you won’t run off.”
“How could I ever?” She really did care for him, didn’t she? Just like that, the greater part of his anxiety ebbed.
Suddenly, an idea arose in his head. If he was going to admit something so terrifyingly personal to her he might as well play his cards right while he did. “If I’m going to trust you with this secret of mine, I want you to do something for me. Deal?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why do I feel like this is a trap?”
“It could be. I am a monstrous werewolf, after all.” That brought out her smile. Damn, he missed that smile. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation, the certainty in her voice clear as day. It pleased him to know how she trusted him with such confidence.
“Then we have a deal?”
Sophia began nibbling on her lower lip as she debated her answer. The way her tooth nipped at that lip of hers made his need for her to agree to his terms all the more important. Because if she agreed, she washistonight.
