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The smooth way he moved me through the cave was really damn impressive.
“Do you know any strong seelies who might be interested in mating with me?” I asked him quietly, as he moved us. “The unseelies all hate me for what happened with Aev, so they’re not really an option. And Vevol made me promise to choose one of the strongest males, so I wouldn’t lose control of the creatures. They’re meant to be an army to protect us, in case any monsters come from the other lands now that the forcefields separating us are down.”
“What happened with Aev?” Teris asked, dodging my first question entirely.
That wasn’t a no.
“Everyone knows the story,” I shot back.
“Not me.” He stepped free of the crack between the rocks, and pulled me out too. Then, he swept me into his arms and draped me over his shoulder. I winced in pain with the movement. Not because of him, but because every inch of me ached.
I huffed, but didn’t open my mouth.
What was I supposed to say to him about Aeven when I’d spent so long hoping that he would show up and sweep me away from the unseelies?
“The last time I saw you, you had just met Aev, and were staring at him like your whole damn world was right now that he was in it,” Teris said gruffly.
“Ineverlooked at him that way,” I shot back, fury flaming to life in my veins with his words.
“I caught up to you in the forest thirty seconds after he did. I’m notwondering, Nai. I saw you look at him—and I saw him look at you. Everyone could feel the fucking magic in the air when Vevol connected you two, too.” He didn’t sound angry about it, but I kind of wished he did.
My own anger had mostly fizzled out with his words, though, and my words were quiet when I replied, “I had no idea what that connection meant. It felt too intense, and that terrified me. If I was looking at him that way, it was unintentional. I asked him to leave me as soon as he’d dragged me back to his house, and he did. I was up for three days pacing the room and wondering why you hadn’t chased after me, and if I’d imagined everything between us.”
Teris stopped, suddenly.
Just halted, where he was.
My face bumped his back, and I fought a groan at the ripple of pain. Not because of the collision, but because of the muscles.
“I had to use my magic to trap myself in a cave for days, because I knew I’d hunt you down if I was free. By the time I came out, every fucking male was talking about how perfect yourmate bondwas, and how lucky the unseelie bastard was to have you.”
My eyes stung.
I hadn’t considered what it would look like or sound like to Teris. I definitely hadn’t known that he’d seen me meet Aev. I thought he’d just let me walk away without caring enough to come after me, but… that really didn’t fit his personality, did it?
“If I hadn’t seen you meet him, I would’ve come after you anyway. But the way you looked at him played in my mind over and over again, and there was no fucking way I’d survive seeing you look at him like that again.”
The burning in my eyes grew fiercer. “I thought you just didn’t want me.”
Teris was moving again—moving fast.
He had me on my feet, with my back pinned to the wall, a heartbeat later. His hands cupped my face, and his eyes burned into mine in another heartbeat. “Ialwayswanted you, Nai.Always. With every fucking beat of my heart, I wanted you. If I had realized…” He shook his head harshly. “I would’ve fought with everything I had to get you back, if I’d realized that was what you wanted, even years later. Hell, evendecadeslater.”
“But not now,” I whispered.
His lips twisted in a snarl. “Now, I would fucking destroy any man who dared evenconsidermating with you. You’remine. Six days from now, the only bastard you’ll be tied to is me.”
With that, he eased me back over his shoulder and started walking again.
My throat swelled.
My eyes burned.
But my thoughts were too scrambled for me to come up with anything worth saying aloud.
He wanted me.
He’d always wanted me.
