“Not until you tell me why you’re acting like this.”
“You want to know? Fine. I stripped King Orion’s soul from his body. With half a thought. And there was a moment right after when I wanted to take more. There’s an insatiable hunger inside me, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop the next time.” I expect to at least see a flicker of bewilderment on his face, but there’s…nothing. I narrow my eyes. “Wait, why are you not surprised?” My face falls as it hits me. “The voice. It really was you, wasn’t it? How did you speak in my mind?”
There’s only silence.
This time, I put enough force into freeing my hand that I can fully face him. “Kaiden, I’m going to ask this again, and you better answer; how the fuck did you speak in my mind?”
His Adam’s apple bobs on a hard swallow. “We’re bonded.”
“I don’t understand. Bonded how?”
“Have you ever heard of fated mates? It’s something…similar.”
Shock waves ripple through me. “What? I thought those were stories—make-believe.” My first instinct is to reject this as a possibility because it’s too crazy to be true. I don’t know muchabout fated mates. But if I truly look inward, his word choice—bonded—is exactly how I feel because there’s this thread that perpetually pulls me to him. Hell, my subconscious already knew he was here on the beach. That’s why I came running out of my room—I needed him. And there were so many moments when I was drowning inhisemotions. “What does that even mean?”
“I can’t tell you anything more than that.”
“For how—?” I suck in a jagged breath. “For how long have you known?”
“Since the bond snapped into place the first time we had sex.”
I stumble back as if he stabbed me, and in all honesty, it would have hurt less. “God, Kaiden, do you even hear yourself? You profess your love to me one second, then I find yet another life-altering secret you kept from me in the next. It’s never-ending, and I’m so fucking tired of getting whiplash.”
“Do you think this is easy for me? That I wantthis? Every single second of every goddamn day, I’m crushed under the weight of my secrets. However, I’ll take that over you being hurt because if something ever happens to you, I will never be able to forgive myself. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you, but my answers will never be enough, and if I accidentally slip up and say something that triggers the wall—”
“So what, were you waiting for me to miraculously get my memories back? Was that it?”
“Fuck.” He scrubs a hand over his face. “I don’t know.”
“Well, this doesn’t change anything about us. Stay out of my life,” I grit out, then storm off on laden legs. I don’t look back, even though what is left of my hemorrhaging heart stays with him.
41
Iris
Sam: U hungry? Wanna grab dinner—my place?
Changed my mind.
I’ll come by because demons are hunting your ass down, and your apartment has stronger wards.
Do you want sushi? I’ve been stuffing my face with only pizza since we got back. If I see another pepperoni slice, I swear I’m going to puke.??
Sam: Can’t come over after all. I’m buried in flower arrangements. I had to give Trish some time off since she managed the events and flower shop all by herself for a freakin’ month. Ugh. I’m gonna be stuck here all night.??Peel me off the shop’s floor tomorrow morning? We can get donuts—my treat.??
Sam: Did your phone fall into the toilet or smth? Why aren’t you picking up???
Sam: Dude, I’ve called like ten times.
Hello???
Sam: You better answer me, ho-bag.??
Sam: We need to come up with a plan to stop that prophecy.
Sam: Are you fucking kidding me, Iris? It’s been three days.??????
Sam: You do know I can see you’re at home, right???You’re still sharing your location with me.
