Finn moved farther away and said to Amelia, “Don’t touch me or your mate will rip me in half.”
Amelia stopped in her tracks, looking between the two men. “What?” The confusion in her eyes had Rennick advancing toward her, but she held out her hand to ward him off. “Stop,” she begged, and he hated the fear in her voice.
She is scared of me.He could feel it through the bond, and the realization gutted him. “I won’t hurt you,” he said gruffly, unsure why she thought he would.
Her arms went limp, falling to her sides. “Youare Nick?”
The disappointment in her voice stung. Her hazel eyes slid to Finn again, and a low growl rumbled from Rennick’s chest.
“I don’t understand,” she said, more to herself than them. Shaking her head, she turned to Finn. “I know it was you.I saw you.” Her eyes hardened as they moved to Rennick. “You’re lying.”
Rennick would kill someone today, and at the moment, that person was Finn. Pressing his lips in a flat line, he turned to his friend, who still lay on the ground. “What did you tell her?”
“I never spoke to her,” Finn swore. “I don’t know how she saw through the glamour.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Amelia demanded, as her fear and confusion gave way to anger.
“Finn, take your shirt off,” Rennick commanded, removing his own coat.
Finn muttered under his breath as he stood and yanked off his coat and shirt.
Rennick grabbed the collar of his own and ripped it down the middle.
Amelia’s brow lowered in confusion as she looked between them. Then realization shuddered across her face when her eyes landed on the tattoo covering half of Rennick’s chest and neck.
He smirked when her eyes trailed hungrily over his bare torso with desire.
“Do you like what you see, little mate?” he drawled, closing the distance between them. Ever so slowly, he reached for her, and when she didn’t cower from his touch, he gently lifted her chin to run his thumb over her soft bottom lip. “My name is Rennick, and you are mine, love, not his.”
18
Amelia swallowed hard as Nick—Rennick—dropped his hand. “Are you okay?” The lack of warmth in his voice added to her confusion. He looked and sounded terrifying, like a weapon created to destroy, yet his touch was gentle like his letters.
Well,someof his letters.
Taking a closer look, she noted his light green eyes, short, messy hair, and light stubble that begged to be touched.Her mate.
Her eyes flicked to the large owl tattoo on his chest again as she recalled a letter he’d sent years ago, telling her about it.“I hope you don’t hate it,”he’d written.She definitely didn’t.
“He brought the letters and gifts?” she asked, pointing at Finn, who looked everywhere but at her.
Rennick’s hand went to the small of her back and directed her in the opposite direction of the library. “Yes. Magic bound me to my kingdom until today.”
She nodded absent-mindedly, following him without a second’s consideration while going over everything she thought she knew. The boy who she’d seen over the years wasn’t Nick.Mortification stopped her in her tracks, and Rennick stiffened and looked down as she stared at Finn’s back.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, following her line of sight. Grabbing Finn’s shoulder, he whipped him around. “What did you do to her?”
Finn tried to shake out of Rennick’s hold to no avail. “Nothing!”
Amelia buried her face in her hands and groaned.
Someone hit the ground with a grunt before two large hands gently wrapped around her wrists and lowered them. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” she lied.
Rennick stared for a moment. “I can feel your embarrassment.”
Great, a walking lie detector.Her throat dried. “I…” Gods, she wanted to die. “I thought he was Nick—you—bringing me things, and I…” If ever there was a time for a chasm to open and swallow her whole, now would be it.
