Ache
The ache in my chest only grew with every step she took. I clawed at the spot, ignoring everything that told me to drag her home. Her words bounced around in my head, but I knew better than to fall for it. I should, and yet, with every word that falls from her lip, she casts a spell on me. I could feel myself falling under the influence, getting drunk off the words that dripped from her like honey.
I can read her like an open book, or could. I’ve known Adealine for lifetimes and none of them made me question her as much as this one did. I knew what she would do because she did the same thing in each one. I could almost see the strings attached to her head and limbs. The Goddess played everyone and we had no choice but to move according to her will.
In this life, Adealine had already surprised me more times than I would like to count. It made me nervous. She made me nervous. Things in this life were different. It was as if I was engineered to believe her. No matter how much I told myself I hated her, no matter how hard I tried to push her in this life, it was always so much easier just to follow her. Even with knowing her compass always lead her to him, I was like a solider off to battle, ready to sacrifice myself with a single order.
At the thought of him, I scanned the parking lot as if he would appear. I’d taken care of him and yet I knew it couldn’t be possible. Nothing but the wind moved. My gaze cut back to her. My eyes begin their descent. Her long brown hair cascades down her back. It sways in the wind, revealing just how naked she was. She shivers and I want nothing more than to grab her and bring her back.
Fuck.
I hated that she was cold. Hated that I could see the droop in her head and the way her shoulders slumped with every sigh that left her lips. The bruises were already forming on her arms, but I didn’t regret them. I’d marked her. I’d marked her in the only way I knew I would be able to. I clenched my fists tight as if that would vanquish the urge to run to her. She was cold and I had a hoodie in the back.
No.
Yes.
No.
Yes.
Dammit.
I grabbed the hoodie, pushed the door open so hard I’m surprised I didn’t break it, and hopped out. She was almost to the front door. I’d been dead set against showing her any sort of kindness and I couldn’t even do five minutes of her being cold. I push my weak ass thoughts from my mind as my feet carrier me closer to her.
Adealine is like a magnet. I have no choice but to be pulled toward her.
I told myself I wasn’t going to go upstairs, I told myself I wasn’t going to run after her even though I waited for her to turn around. My actions went against what my brain wanted. I knew where this would go, knew where I would end up if I continued. With every step I took toward her, my death took a step toward me.
I’m in front of her and the thoughts vanish as she whirls around. Her brown eyes widen and I love the way they brighten when she realizes it’s me. The corner of her lip tilts up and I know I’ve made her happy. Something in my chest twists and I banish Maximus—pushing him to the back of my mind. Even when he’s silent, I can feel what he’s thinking. He whines as he’s shoved into that little cage I lock him in.
Lifting the hoodie, I pull it down over her head, and she wriggles into it. When she’s got it on, she turns her head toward her shoulder and inhales deeply. A growl vibrates through my chest and her eyes are back on me. We stand there, staring at each other. Her not wanting to go in and me not wanting to be the first to leave. She grabs my hand and pulls me. Instead of digging my heels in, I step forward.
“I’ll walk you to your door,” I murmured.
“Mm-hmm,” she hummed.
“Just to your door,” I said more firmly than I had before. I don’t know who I was trying to convince more. Her or me.
Her hand was warm on my wrist. It almost felt like it tingled. I followed her into the lobby. When we got upstairs, her scent was everywhere, and I could feel myself wanting to drown in it—in everything that was my one true mate. That ache was getting worse as we stopped in front of the door. Her hand froze over the knob before she dropped it. Turning around, she stepped toward me, and I fought the urge to take a step back.
Everything about this woman would be my undoing.
This small creature being swallowed up by my hoodie would kill me.
And here all I could think about was picking her up and fucking her against this door.
She leaned up on the tips of her toes and kissed me. It was soft and slow. Just like it had been in the back of my truck. I’ve never shown more restraint than I did back there, and possibly even now. How had I gone from angry and hate fucking her to kissing her back like… We broke apart and she pushed the door open behind her.
Turning from me, she walked into the apartment, pulling me in. I was hit with two male scents. I knew Gabriel was here, but the other was an Alpha. It was a punch to the gut. She was used to men being in her space. Not just at work, but at home too. I stopped, closing my eyes as images of her with other men flashed through my mind.
“Shane?” she asked.
I’m such a fool.
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