His sapphire eyes resembled ice. Perhaps he was being honest when he claimed no one had ever accused him of being polite. In other company maybe I would have given pause to the viciousness permeating the air around us. Maybe he was as terrifying as the people whispered the Illum to be, but I couldn’t find it in me to be anything except relieved for the strength behind me.
Vincent’s eyes narrowed for a heartbeat, but a moment later, he smiled tightly, clapping his hands together. “You misunderstand; I am simply shocked that a decision tied so close to me would remain unknown.” Vincent’s cold stare conflicted with his smile. Collin’s hand clenched the fabric of my dress.
“I was unaware she was close to you,” Collin told my birth father.
“We would be honored to host you at our home this week. This is a blessing and should be celebrated,” Helen chimed in, a delicate smile on her ageless face.
My mind ran off the rails completely. An honor? A blessing?We?I couldn’t stand the sound of the words. Now I was worthy of celebrating, worthy of her attention. I had never been invited to their home. I had never been visited by them. I hadn’t even known how many genetically Elite siblings I had. I should have run.
The hand fisted at my back released the fabric, falling flat against my skin. “You may reach out with the details. Now, after you.” Collin gestured to the bridge, dismissing them. “I have a few more things to discuss with my Mate, and you are holding up the Elite.”
The shock radiating from them was sickly satisfying. Collin had stepped even closer, his stable presence seeping through the thin fabric of my dress. Several platforms hovered, waiting, filled with colorfully dressed Elite all craning their necks to see the holdup.
“Yes, of course.” Helen bowed her head slightly, the others following suit. Richard extended his arm, leading Helen down the bridge. “We will be in contact soon,” she said over her shoulder, recapturing her superior grace as she glided down the path to the Pods. Phillip and Gregory followed. I swore one of them laughed as they passed us.
“See you tomorrow,” Vincent said, barely bowing his head before following them out. I watched them go, a family.
I whirled around, my dress fanning out all around me as I faced Collin. There was no space between us. His arms found my hips, steadying me. I tilted my head up to see his face. My heart dove off the platform, unafraid of the fall, racing as I took him in up close. His sapphire eyes met mine, stealing my breath at the intensity shining back at me.
Words failed me. He had dismissed the people who had always seen me as worthless, who had denied me since birth.Thank youdidn’t seem to be enough.
One of Collin’s hands left my hip. The man who had silenced the Elite, with unwavering ferociousness, tucked a wayward curl behind my ear with painstaking gentleness. My entire body ignited under his piercing gaze. I felt eyes on us but for the first time I didn’t care that I was being observed.
“You are an extension of me now,” he said, his voice low and rough. “They will do well to remember that. They’ll regret their unkindness. They all will.”
I glanced up to find everyone in the Sphere looking toward us, some even leaning over the edge. Collin’s other hand drifted to my waist, a hesitation there.
“They are all watching us,” I whispered. The fabric of my dress caught on his suit. Had I moved closer to him or had he moved closer to me?
“Let them,” he told me, his thumb brushing against my cheek. I leaned into the warmth, my pulse fluttering beneath his touch. His gentleness was so at odds with the viciousness he had shown moments before. “Do you trust me, Emeline?”
Did I trust him? Did I want to?
Collin’s eyes swept the Sphere, and his hand gripped my waist. I sucked in a shaky breath. My mouth went dry.
“Do you remember Rule Ten?” he asked, his voice lower. Those sapphire pools found me—and I willingly drowned in them.
Rule Ten: You are not permitted under any circumstances to tell your Mate no regarding public appearances, attire, or desires. If your Mate asks, you are to oblige him.
I nodded, confused. “I can’t tell you no.”
Something shifted in Collin’s eyes, the icy depths churning with an unnamed emotion. “Forgive me.”
His lips collided with mine. Gentle, delicate—hesitating.
My mind went blissfully quiet, and I was falling. His lips were soft as silk. Heart racing against the new sensation, I pressed a trembling hand to his chest, something foreign consuming me. I pushed closer, standing on tiptoes. His hold on my waist tightened, sweeping an arm around my lower back, his fingers trailing a burning path across my bare skin. I gasped, and Collin sucked in a sharp breath, his lips hovering over mine, as if ready to pull away.
But I wasn’t ready for this to end.
I tightened my hold on his shirt. A low sound escaped him as his hand slid to the back of my neck and brought my mouth to his once more, the pressure shifting, the need different. I let go in the unknown, trusting him. The rest of the world fell away.
His tongue traced my bottom lip and tangled with mine when I opened. He tasted of mint tea, and I breathed him in, flattening my hand against his chest. A frenzied beat raged beneath his crafted exterior. I sighed into his mouth, pressing myself entirely against him. He froze, then his mouth left mine, the hand on my waist pushing me away.
I opened my eyes to find his gaze untamed and wild as he turned away from me completely.
CHAPTER NINE
“SO, HOW WAS IT?”LO ASKED FROM MY BED, DRESSED IN A GRAYsleep shirt and socks.
