“I can only speculate,” Ciprian says. “And before you ask, no, I’m not going to do that with this. I will tell you that some bonds in our world are incredibly rare.” He pauses, then I hear him sigh again. “Sheena. You need to talk to Gideon about this. He’s the only one who can answer your questions. Call me if you need me.”
I barely absorb the last bit over the roaring in my head. Absently, I hear myself say something noncommittal before disconnecting the call.
My content feeling from earlier is gone. Both my body and mind are on high alert now. I missed something monumental because I didn’t know the right questions to ask. That ends now.
I walk down the stairs, forcing myself not to run. They lied to me, and I’m scared, but I don’t know why I feel so betrayed. I only met them a week ago. So why does my heart feel like it's cracking into pieces? I rub my chest to ease the sudden return of the ache.
When I step into the kitchen, I find them both prepping dinner. Gideon looks up and gives me such a sweet smile I have to remind myself he’s been keeping something from me. Something so huge it even shocked Ciprian. Gideon’s smile fades as he processes whatever look is on my face.
“Sheena, is everything?—”
“What’s a fated mate?” I cut him off, my voice sharp.
Both of them look shocked by the question, so I know I'm on the right track. My heart sinks, beating violently in my chest.
“Where did you hear that?” Callum asks, looking suspicious.
“I’m asking the questions this time,” I snap. “Gideon, why has my chest been throbbing since we met?”
He steps toward me then, arms outstretched. I retreat, and his eyes fill with hurt and something that looks a lot like panic.
“It's complicated.” Callum tries again. “Remember how I told you Gideon thought you two had a special connection?”
I hold my hand up to stop him.
“I need Gideon to answer my questions.” I pin Callum with my stare. “I want Gideonto give me honesty. Can Gideon not speak for himself?”
Callum takes a step back and Gideon looks lost, his arms still partially reaching out to me. I lock eyes with him, waiting out the tense silence with my arms crossed over my chest. When he stays silent, I double down.
“I will walk out that door and never look back if you don’t explain this to me right now. No one gets to control me again.” My voice breaks, but I can’t stop. “Half-truths aren't good enough. Not when this bullshit world of yours has the power to destroy me.”
Tears are rolling down my face now, but I ignore them. What he says next will determine if I ever cry over him again. Gideon takes another step toward me.
“Sheena, I swear I never lied.” Gideon’s voice is husky and raw. I can hear the fear in his words. “I was scared. Didn't want to scare you off.” He runs his fingers through his curls, the strands still messy and tangled from my fingers earlier.
“Fuck.” His shout startles me, and I take an involuntary step back. Gideon tracks my movement, his face crumpling. “Baby, I'm not good at explaining. I wish I could tell you how I really feel.”
The words are my worst nightmare come to life.
No. God, no. Please.But it's too late. I feel the moment my powers activate. It's like I'm both in my body and outside of it. Energy shoots out of every pore in an explosion that I have no control over. One second, Gideon and Callum are staring at me with shock and horror. The next, my hair floats, my eyes burn, and words pour out of Gideon like he’s possessed.
“Sheena, you are my fated mate. It's an old, traditional term for a rare magical bond. It can never encompass how I feel about you, but in simple words, it means you are the being who completes my soul. The perfect complement to everything I am. In this vast universe with creatures of all kinds, we were designed to be each other's shelter and peace. You’re my perfect partner.”
I’m frozen in mid-air, terror consuming my thoughts while magic pours out of my body. Gideon's eyes well up with tears, but his voice is robotic. Though I’m compelling him to say these things, I’m as powerless as him. Against my will, against his... A careless wish has stripped us both of consent and damned us at the same time.
“You’re upset, and I understand that, but I couldn’t risk telling you the truth and driving you away.” Gideon steps up to me then, his brow furrowed like he’s fighting the control of my magic. “When we first met, you ran from me, didn’t give me a chance. You didn't know what was going on then. Youwere understandably afraid, but I've lived in terror ever since... Knowing that I could be forced to watch you leave me again.”
I can barely make sense of his words. All I know is he hid this from me, omitting information in order to keep me here. He may not have locked the doors, but he chose not to be completely honest. A fated mate bond, a magical tether controlling me...
Oh god, did he touch me earlier as another way to tie me to him?
Gideon brushes the tears from my cheeks. My body wants to flinch away from his touch, but I can’t move. He’s still under the compulsion of his own wish, but he’s also clearly reading something in my expression because he drops his hand and steps back. His gold, glowing eyes beg me to understand even as he gives me space.
“You’re not a hostage, Sheena. You could leave me behind at any time. The bond still hurts because it isn’t sealed yet. You can believe what you want about me, but I would never do that without your consent. Yes, you're my fated mate—a rare gift from the gods—but you don't have to accept the bond. You have the power to reject me.”
My tears are dripping down my face now, each one falling faster than the last. Gideon stares at them as they collect in a puddle on the kitchen tile.
“I’ve never been good with words, baby. I act first, think later, and you were looking for a reason to leave. If I had told you at the start, you wouldn’t have given us a chance. Is it so wrong that I wanted to buy some time to give you a reason to stay?”
