Touch him. Need to touch him.
That voice, softer than the voice of Kade’s shadows, echoed in my mind again.
“He can’t have me,” I seethed, throwing my head forward. Kade jerked back out of the way, loosening his grip just enough that I twisted one of my arms from his hold. "And he can’t haveyou.”
I thrust my hand forward against his chest as light exploded from my open palm. Kade’s eyes widened, and his body slackened above me. His grip relaxed enough for me to yank my other arm free. Immediately, I brought my hand to his face.
“Come back to me, mate,” I commanded, my voice infused with magic in a way I’d never heard before.
His hands fisted into the dirt on either side of my face as he leaned down and snarled as if the beast inside of him craved another shot at me. I wavered as a wave of light escaped from me and wrapped around him so quickly, it made me dizzy.
The space around us detonated with light, encompassing us. I brushed my thumb across his cheek.
“He can’t have you,” I repeated again, a tear falling down my cheek.
I watched the black fade from Kade’s eyes as the light twirled around him.
A breath shuddered out of his body, and my light faded. Kade finally took stock of his surroundings and let out a garbled sound while lifting a hand to my face.
“Mate,” he whispered reverently.
A whimper escaped my lips as relief and love bubbled to the surface hearing him say the word for the first time. Kade’s gaze morphed from awestruck love to absolute horror.
“Illiana, I—” He closed his eyes, and a tremor coursed through his body. He moved to get up, to pull away from me.
“Let me go, Little Rebel,” he said. “You have to let me go.”
Chapter 11
Kade
Lana's light soaked into my soul and filled every dark corner, expanding and cascading over me like nothing I’d ever felt before.
I shuddered, trembling with concentration as I latched on to my shadows and let them force the remaining darkness down, deep enough to cage.
Together, we’d done it. Lana had succeeded at the hardest part: breaking through the black. Enough for us to shove down the evil so that I could take control again.
But it didn’t matter.
The peace only she brought me, the utterly consuming obsession and love for her hadn’t been enough to stop me from hurting her.
Fuck.
I hurt her. Again.
I moved to stand, but my Little Rebel clutched my shirt, not bothering to hide the frantic look in her eyes.
“No, Kade,” she sobbed, tugging at my tunic. “Not again.”
Helpless against her, I froze, this time shaking for a different reason. I lowered my hand to her neck, gently running my fingertips over where I’d gripped her too tightly. “He infected mewith more of this darkness. More of his power. I’m not safe. I don’t know how long I have until it returns.”
I may have control now, but things had changed. The darkness lingered, only contained by my shadows.
“You’re safe with me,” she argued.
I rubbed her skin tenderly, caressing her with the tips of my fingers. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did something to you. Fuck, Lana, I’ve already hurt you too many times. I can’t let it happen again.”
“You fought it. You came back.” She cupped my cheek but didn’t release her other hand from the white-knuckled grip she had on my clothes. “He can’t have you. I refuse to let him take you, whether by force or from your guilt.”
