“Alex?” Hele’s expression fell, then tightened again with heartbreaking betrayal. “Why would she tell you that?”
“I believe she was trying to taunt me.” And it worked. Not only because he was possessive, but because of a past she almost certainly didn’t know.
If she knew it was elves who shelled his family’s dwelling, he was certain she would not have thrown it in his face. Alex would have been horrified to know it was glamoured elves who sifted through the rubble of his small town to execute those who survived. It was elves who haunted his nightmares.
The thought of his Hele, untried, trusting, with an elf who could tear her limb from limb… It was too much for him to handle. It would have been bad if it wasanyoneon a date with her, but an elf? Unreasonable panic made his hands shake.
He wasn’t trapped in the rubble. He was fine. But that feeling of imminent death, theloss…That lingered like a stain in his soul, tainting everything it touched. The desperation he felt, the fear of losing his clan again, was too much to ignore.
One way or another, he could have lost his mate. All because he thought he knew what she needed — even when she told him what shewanted.
Hele looked up at him with a small frown. “I did not want her to do that. I just wanted—” She stopped herself. Her lips, soft and faintly purple, pressed into a hard line.
His heart ached for her. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Tell me,t?ht.What did you want?”
When she spoke, her voice was hollow, tired. “I just wanted tosee.I wanted to know what it was like to go on a date. But I didn’t go on a date. He thought I was— I must be awful, because he did not even want to pretend. He paid someone to let him out the backdoor.”
Her chin wobbled again, but his stubborn, proud Hele did not let herself cry. Squaring her shoulders, she said, “I didn’t even like him. He waswrong.But I think I am done with dates. I’ll just have to find a mate another way.”
Blood rushed in his ears. “You will not.”
“Iwill.”
“You won’t because youhavea mate.” He stepped closer, until their bodies nearly touched. The anger was back, but not directed at her. It burned as cold and vicious as dragon fire in his veins when he ground out, “Yourmatewill hunt this elf down and bring you his fucking head.”
Hele didn’t have the same eyes as him, so it was hard to tell for certain, but heknewshe rolled them then. The sad creature on the curb was gone. Vivid life had returned alongside her temper. Her hair swayed against her back, the strands popping and sizzling with the power he loved so much. “I do not want his head!”
He breathed deep and held the air in his lungs.Calm. Hele is what matters. You must be calm.
Temper momentarily banked, he dared to skim the tip of his nose over hers, then down across her cheek. Breathing against her dainty ear, he asked, “Then whatdoyou want?”
For once, she had no quick comeback for him. Vael felt her sway slightly, closer to him, giving him the chance to hear her breath hitch.
His lashes brushed the sweet curve of her cheek when he whispered, “You Chose me, Hele. I think you know what —whoyou want. This fight is done. You’ve won it. I’m yours.”
“I didn’t. You saidno.You saidnot yet.”The tremble in her voice nearly killed him. “I didn’t win anything. My mate doesn’t want me. That’s notwinning.”
He allowed himself the small comfort of touching his forehead to her temple, right where the wispy hairs turned into long, bone white strands. “I’m sorry. To know I’ve made you feel this way, when all I’ve ever wanted is your happiness— Hele, I never meant to hurt you. You have to know by now how much Idowant you. Enough to wait as long as you needed me to. I thought I was doing what was right.”
“Forme.” She practically spat the words. They hit him in two pitiless blows, making him wince.
“Yes,” he answered. “And that was wrong. I should have listened.”
His proud mate did not give an inch. “You should have.”
“Do you forgive me, my mate?”
“I haven’t decided.”
Gods, I love you, you stubborn woman. Never change.
Was it wrong to smile when he was apologizing? Vael bit the insides of his cheeks. He loved her pride so much. He didn’t even mind that she was upset with him still. She had a right to be. He was happy to beg for forgiveness, so long as she stayed with him.
If this was crawling, as Artem suggested he should, then he didn’t think he minded it too much. He loved her spirit. His wily mate made him proud every time she fought for herself, when she defiantly showed her spark to the world.
“Let me make it up to you,t?ht.”
“I do not think I should.”
