He’s the one who matters. Chaos and Rime have been on the alpha’s bad side once before. And here I am throwing them right back across that line once again.
“I think my daughter might be correct, Kain. As I advised you before, I think you should consider some of your past mistakes and try to … make up for your errors.” The polite and overly formal wording doesn’t deter the building irritation within my chest.
…His errors.
His errors. Like leaving Brylee. Like meeting me. Like coming here with me.
Just when I think I’m fitting in here, I realize I’m not.
A mixture of pain and anger strike through each beat of my heart as my attention holds on Kain and the way he’s staring hard at the man in front of him.
“I don’t think I’ve made any mistakes, Lord Carlin. As a matter of fact, I think my decisions have beenquintessential. One hundred fucking percent perfect.” Kain’s mocking properness mirror’s Carlin’s false civility but the anger beneath the surface tears against his tone.
Emerald eyes flicker to me for a split second before he rakes his gaze back to Carlin.
The man’s jaw spasms. There’s a tension in the air between them. I always wondered how too much alpha dominance could work in this sort of society.
And here’s my answer.
It doesn’t.
“Thatwomandoesn’t love you.” The way Carlin’s voice scrapes against the word woman makes the blush against my cheeks burn hotter. Anger rushes into me in insufferable waves. “She’ll never be your mate. You had a mate of utter perfection and you threw her away. And now you’re settling for watching your friends find love when you should be fixing what you had.”
Brylee’s slender fingers tick just enough for her skin to meet Kain’s. It’s the smallest brush of their hands.
And it fucking enrages me.
“He’s right, KayKay.” And that absurd term of endearment that she utters is my breaking point.
My feet are pounding against the dirt before my mind can even realize what I’m doing.
“Arrie, don’t.” Sinister’s hand catches against mine, but I rip way from him.
The wind catches my hair as I run faster toward them. Mere inches separate me from them when Kain turns to look at me. Angry energy pulses through my veins, and he barely has time to react when I leap.
And he catches me.
The fabric of my dress bunches against my thighs as my legs wrap securely around his lean hips. My fingers push through his thick hair and before he can catch his breath, my lips crash against his. His tongue pushes against my lips the moment we kiss, demanding entrance. His tongue slides against mine, claiming all my emotions with every caress. I breath him in and his hold on me tightens, his fingers sinking into the underside of my thighs. I feel every part of him; the hard muscle of his body along with the contained anger he’s holding within. He gives it all to me with the bruising press of our lips and the sensual flicks of his tongue. The light copper taste of blood tinges my tongue as the firm press of our lips becomes as painful as it is pleasurable.
Angry desire never tasted so good.
When I finally pull back with a gasping breath, we stare at one another like we’re not in the crowded village, right in front of our friends, right in front of their leader, and of course, right in front of his scowling ex-girlfriend.
Because he’s mine.
I feel it all at once. I feel the pressing pull of emotions strike through me like something I’ve never experienced before. It’s a bond that I never could have imagined.
“I love you.” The whispered words sneak out without thought and all the pain, anger, and love I’ve held in for years slip out right along with them.
And he catches it all.
His lips tease mine once more.
“I love you too,” he says against my mouth. Slowly his tongue slides against mine. The slowest kiss steals the breath in my lungs. He kisses me adamantly until there isn’t anything left. There isn’t a single thought in my head.
When he pulls away she’s gone. The cruel woman and her father are nowhere to be seen. But Aggie’s there now. She and Skovence watch us closely while they whisper back and forth to one another with smiles ghosting their lips.
“I have a present for you.” Kain never lowers me, he keeps me held against him despite how many people are looking our way.
