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“Until it didn’t.”
Everything in Cole was built to hate himself for that, I realized. He was an Alpha, the King of Hell. He was born to put himself in the path of destruction in order to save those he cared about, and I was the one he cared about most of all. Failing that had been brutal. It had been why, when he finally found me again, he tried to resist, even as fate drew us together. He’d been able to tolerate it when I was ignorant, but now he knew what I’d gone through—and with my memories, I did too.
But I didn’t see it as him failing me. We’d been in an impossible situation, and there’d been only one way out. The details were still hidden in the cobwebs of my mind, but I knew that down to my bones.
“Don’t leave me again,” I repeated. “Vow you’ll never leave me like that, Cole. Or if you do, I’ll kill myself and find you in that miserablepit and make you sorry.”
He looked stricken. “Don’t say that.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Don’t test me.”
“Then I’ll vow it, my fierce little wolf. But only if you make me one vow in return.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Marry me.”
Chapter XIV
Iblinked up athim. Of all the different responses I might have expected, that was the last one.
“What?” I said stupidly. As if I had somehow misheard him.
“Marry me,” he repeated. “Become my wife and rule with me.”
“Hecate said I didn’t have to marry you to rule as Queen of Hell.”
“That’s true.” Then he leaned down, his breath teasing at my earlobe. “There are more benefits to marrying me than just that, though.”
A teasing thrust of his hips punctuated the remark. My body jerked, still tender from last night, but eager for more.
“Talk about hot and cold,” I said, fighting for my composure while his words rattled in my brain. “One minute you’re trying to end us now… now, this?”
“What can I say, little wolf? You’re very persuasive, and I’m willing to be persuaded.”
I was pretty damn sure I wasn’t angling for marriage when I’d tracked Cole down.
“You’re supposed to ask bent on one knee, not while you have me pinned underneath you.”
“Really?” He made a theatrical show of considering my words. “I’d consider it an improvement.”
It certainly felt more true to form, I’d give him that. “How’s that?”
“Stops you from running away.” His grip loosened on my wrists, and he propped himself up on his arms atop me.
“Wasn’t our whole issue you wanting to be the one to run away?”
“No.” He nipped at my lower lip. “My little queen likes to disappear on me.”
I huffed. “That wasonetime.”
“One too many.” His fingers trailed around my throat. “I should put a bell on you.”
My pulse pounded under his fingertips, the words sending a thrill in me. “You’ll find I’m not the domestic kind of wolf.”
He chuckled, low and sensuous. “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
I wanted him to have menow. No matter how many rounds we’d gone last night, I’d never get enough of this male. “We need to talk about everything that’s happened in the past few months.”
