“We have a mate-bond. To save your life, I connected my life to yours. It didn’t matter who you married, he would’ve never made you truly happy because you’ve belonged to me since you were four days old.”
I sit back in my seat, toying with this information. A lot of things about my life are starting to make sense. The fact that Inever quite felt connected to any of my boyfriends. Even my lack of interest in sex. It all stemmed from this man sitting across from me.
“If I belonged to you for all that time, why wait? Why not claim me sooner?”
He rubs his chin. “I’ve lived a very long time. Longer than you can imagine. I needed you to experience life a little more.”
I guess I can respect that. Thankfully he wasn’t one of those weird creeps that would have tried to claim me when I was sixteen or some shit.
“So, I’m supposed to just believe that we have a connection and we’re meant to be together?”
He shrugs. “I can’t make you believe anything. But I know you feel this.” He waves a hand between the two of us. “Under the anger, and the loyalty you have for that bitch-ass ex, you feel our connection. “
This time I’m not so quick to dispute his claims. I think back on my life, hell, at my wedding. That feeling of doing something I wasn’t supposed to be doing never left me. Now I know why.
“Look,” he goes on to say. “This isn’t a punishment. I’m not your enemy. Yes, this is a fucked-up situation, but I’m not here to hurt you.”
I look down at my hands twisting in the hem of my shirt. “I want to go back to work when my vacation is up. I can’t live like this, Raziel. I’d go crazy.”
The room is silent. I look up from my shirt to find his gaze on me.
“Okay,” he says. He stands after that. “I have to go into work. You have free rein of the house. There are still guards outside the door. Don’t make me regret this, Nasiah.” He turns and heads to the door.
“Can I please get a cellphone to call my parents?”
He stops, turning to face me, a smirk lifts his lips. “Baby steps, Beauty. Baby steps.” He turns and walks out of the library, leaving me alone.
Today was the first time he and I had a real conversation. I still wasn’t convinced of all that mate stuff he was talking about, but for the first time since he showed up, I didn’t feel this pressing need to get away from him. Plus, he bought me a fucking Disney Princess library.
“Don’t fall for it. A room dedicated to your favorite hobby and the freedom to move around his house do not make him a good guy,”my inner voice shouts at me.
She’s right, but as I look around at my library, I can’t help but think this damn sure doesn’t make him a bad person.
chapter Nine
WTF
Raziel
Istand amidst the rubble of a completely obliterated portal. The brick wall is in pieces at my feet. My anger has my darkness hovering over me as if I’m on fire.
Unina and Conah are busy asking my gatekeepers the crucial questions. From what I’m picking up, they’re just as shocked and confused as I am.
Squatting down, I pick up a piece of brick, the paint from the graffiti still intact. The words are hot to touch. Odd.
“Boss,” Conah calls, getting my attention. Tossing the brick back into the wreckage, I stand, turning to face my ambassador.
“Mei says Rojun just pulled up.”
Tapping down my anger, I reel my darkness back in. I didn’t need my count to see me like this. I was livid, but now was not the time for this shit.
“What the fuck?” Rojun says as he steps into the basement of my club. His gaze scans the wall where the portal is supposed to be and then the rubble on the floor. He looks over at me, his mouth open.
“What the hell happened?”
I give him his courtesy bow, before standing straight.
“I don’t know. The portal was working fine. One of the gate attendees said they heard a grinding sound right before it exploded.”
