AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Right. But someone injured the person who possessed your father that day. And yet, nothing. You didn’t have a reaction to my blood that day. Because it wasn’t truly me.”
“Oh, goddess,” Lorn gasped. “Your father. I saw him shift into otherpeople. At first, I thought it was a dream.”
“It’s his gift. He can shift into anyone, but he often uses my shape, my skin, to hide behind. I didn’t know what happened that day until later, when he branded this onto my arm. A matching scar to the one he received. One that would be suspiciously missing if anyone suspected me of the crimes he committed. Few know he can shift into human skins as it’s considered dark magick. He doesn’t let others see just how unbalanced he truly is. If they found out, he’d lose his power and position among our people.”
“Why didn’t he just compel you to do his dirty work? Why go through all the trouble?” Lorn asked, running her fingers lightly over the raised scar on my forearm.
“He usually does. But there are two things you can’t compel someone to do. Love someone or kill someone. A possession is a death sentence drawn out over time,” I said, trying to ease the blow in case she wasn’t ready to hear just how dire her father’s situation was. I vowed I’d do everything in my power to save him, and if I couldn’t, if he was too far gone under the shade’s influence, I’d give him a quick, painless death to ease his suffering.
“But today,” Lorn shivered and drew back, looking down at her forearms as if she could still feel the slices I’d put into her skin.
I dropped to my knees before her and gripped her thighs lightly, squeezing gently until she looked down at me. There was so much emotion swimming behind her eyes and firing down that golden thread that spanned between our chests. “I would never let you die.”
“I figured that out about halfway through,” Lorn sniffed. “If you wanted to kill me, you would have sliced a long line vertically up each arm, and you wouldn’t have bypassed the arteries. In your own way, you protected me.”
“Not enough to stop my father from cracking the veil open.” The situation was dire, but I couldn’t focus on that when I had my mate inches away.
Stepping around me, Lorn pushed from the bed and paced her own trail toward the front of the cave and back, staying well away from the crack of sunlight that shone on the floor.
“Everything is so messed up. I lost the grimoire. I got myself drugged. The veil is spilling shades into our realm to be controlled by your father, my enemy. The only good thing that happened was mating with you.”
“Always happy to be a highlight.” I smirked, enjoying the way it irritated her. “And you didn’t lose the grimoire. The Book of the Keepers can’t be destroyed so easily.”
“I saw him smash it into the wall. Papers were flying everywhere,” she reminded me, as though I hadn’t seen it for myself.
“There was a reason your mother hid the grimoire. Think of it like the sword of Gryffindor. It always makes its way back to the person who needs it, or in this case, its rightful owner. When she passed, ownership of the book transferred to you. And if you’d had it, my father would’ve found both the book and you far sooner than he did. So, she hid it in the Shadow Realm. The only way it could make its way back into the mortal realm was for someone to go and physically retrieve it. Somewhere only you can go. She protected the book, but more importantly, she protected you.”
A laugh bubbled out of Lorn, one filled with stress, sadness, relief, and a little hysteria. “You’re like my own personal Wikipedia. How do you know all of this?”
Sitting on the floor, I leaned back against the bed, propped up a knee, and spread my arms along the edge of the mattress. “You pick up a few useful pieces of information when you live with the devil incarnate. He mumbles about shit a lot. Especially about being jilted by your mother. The rest was research I did when I realized I was destined to mate with the Veil Keeper.”
“Hopefully, your knowledge will be enough to undo the damage you’ve done with my other mates. They’re going to absolutely murder you for kidnapping me.”
“Why do you think I’m holding you hostage? I need to make sure you like me enough to vouch for my welfare,” I teased, but couldn’t hide the hint of worry that worked its way through me as potent as snake venom. The truth was, I could portal Lorn home now if it wasn’t for the sunlight, but I wanted to keep her to myself for just a little longer.
“I think the sun is the one keeping me hostage,” she challenged. “But I can’t say I’m mad at the chance to get to know you.”
“And what do you think so far?” I pushed from the ground and took slow, purposeful steps in her direction, loving the way she drew a deep breath to scent me and the way her eyes darkened in response.
“I think you and I have a very complicated relationship.”
“And?” I pressed.
“And I think you’re too arrogant for your own good.”
“And?” I stalked closer.
“And I hate how good you smell. And how much I love it.”
“And?” I backed her against the wall again in what was becoming my signature move. There was something about having her pinned, about knowing she could escape if she wanted to, and yet, she let me maintain control.
She wanted me to chase her as much as she wanted to be caught. And she wanted me to dominate her as much as she wanted to submit.
It was exactly what I needed after a lifetime of being out of control. I’d never surrender to anyone again, and she seemed to understand my deep-seated need to own rather than be owned.
“And…” She gasped as I braced myself on either side of her and shoved a thigh between her legs. “And…” she trailed off as I leaned in and licked the mark on her neck.Mymark. “Tye,” she whispered breathlessly.
“Mmm?” I hummed.
