I fall back on my heels. “Wait,” I say breathlessly. “What?”
“Grounder,” he says, backing away, pulling the blanket taut around us. “Your wish is to be rid of the Caelum. To be rid of me.” He puffs out a low shaky breath. “I want you as my mate,” he whispers. “It’s something I’ve never felt or known before. But I won’t have you this way.” I swear, the room starts to spin.
“W-what way?” I whisper.
“Temporarily,” he rumbles, pushing forward, pressing his body up against mine, until my back flattens against a wall. His breath becomes heavier as he looms over me. “Once I mate, that’s it. It will be for life. My female will stay with me, until we part in death and I will never touch another.”
Oh damn.
“You want me to bring you back to Earth. You want me to leave you there, where I am certain you will die, and you won’t even think about staying here with me.” He bends down quickly, picks up his armor and shoves it at me. “That’s not the kind of mate I want. This sensation that festers in the spaces between our bodies needs to cease.” Then Rune yanks the blanket off his shoulders angrily and stands there absolutely, flawlessly naked in front of me, showing me exactly what a glorious thing I am going to be missing out on.
We both hesitate, staring each other down.
He’s going to change his mind. In a minute. I can see the way his chest heaves and his eyes begin roaming all over me. I drop my hands that hold the armor to my sides, so we’re both facing each other without the protection of clothes. Goose bumps ripple up my arms.
The muscles of his chest and arms tighten.
His jaw tics.
I’m waiting for him to pounce at me, for his lips to find their way to my mouth, but instead he backs away from me, shaking his head. “This was your choice, Kate. You’re choosing death over me.”
