I can’t say what reaction I was expecting, but it isn’t the slight look of horror I’m now seeing in his eyes.
“I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with, but you don’t have to look mortified,” I mutter.
He blinks, dragging his hand down his beard to smooth it. “Sorry. I’m not mortified, not at all. I just… I don’t know how… I’ve never been…” He shakes his head, staring at me with wide eyes.
“I’m not following, Atlas. What’s concerning you?”
He nods, as if acknowledging something I can’t hear. “I’ve never been in a committed relationship before, and I don’t havea clue how to be a good mate to you. I don’t know what the expectations are.” He puts his hands on my arms. “I don’t even know if the ritual actually works.”
Aww, the big lug is such a softy. It almost melts my ice-cold heart.
“We can take things a step at a time, Atlas. If it works, we’ll go from there. If it doesn’t, we’ll move on to the next idea. We don’t have to figure it all out today, but we do need to get out of here. After we do that, we can tackle everything else.” I press a soft kiss to his lips. “There are no expectations, so just relax, huh?”
He doesn’t relax. He shakes his head, mumbling under his breath.
“Talk to me, Atlas.”
“If it works, and you leave me…” He blows out a breath. “I’ll suffer.”
Now I understand the gravity of the situation. I’m a rolling stone and we both know it, but now, if we mate and it takes, I’ll hurt him. That’s a lot of responsibility. Atlas is a good man, and I don’t want to hurt him, but I also can’t imagine being domesticated.
The tug-of-war between potentially ruining him and possibly getting my power back is rough. Is there a way we could make it work? I certainly didn’t think I’d ever be fated to someone, but if the ritual works, that means I am. And if fate chose me for Atlas, well, that means something. I should at least be open to what the future could look like, and having sex with the massive gargoyle isn’t exactly a hardship.
“I hear what you’re telling me.” I stroke his cheek. “It’s a major commitment, and I don’t take it lightly, so I promise you this: if the ritual works and we actually bond, then it means we’re fated mates, right?”
“Correct.”
“And if that’s the case, then I promise you I’ll do everything I can to avoid hurting you. I don’t know what our future will look like, but I can tell you I won’t just leave you when this is over.”
Atlas searches my eyes for a moment as his turn glassy. Shoot, this is a big deal for him. I’m not being too selfish though. I need my magic back to save us both. His life depends on it too.
“Okay, Rune. Let’s see what happens.”
I throw my arms around his shoulders and kiss him hard. I can feel his cock swelling beneath me, pressing into my ass. At least I know the attraction between us is real. Reaching between us, I tug on the button of his jeans. I’m gonna ride myself into oblivion, and gods willing, mate myself to this sweet, handsome man. There are worse fates to be had.
As we kiss, my tattoos flicker with dim energy, renewing my hope that the bonding will work and I’ll be able to harness my powers again. Rubbing against him, I murmur a little spell I made for such occasions, hoping I have enough juice to power it. When I feel the telltale wetness forming around my hole, I smile. It worked.
Suddenly, Elvira’s clomping footsteps break the mood, and Atlas disappears right from under me, leaving me horny and confused.
My cell door swings open, but it’s not Elvira. It’s a man dressed in all black as well. He stares at me with dead eyes, before narrowing his gaze and surveying the room.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
His attention shifts back to me, his gaze focusing on the barely flickering tattoos on my skin. He’s not at all like Elvira. He’s big and intimidating, with white hair, dark skin, and cloudy gray eyes. Definitely dead. How powerful is a reanimated being?
“You are alone,” he says with a flat affect.
“Of course I’m alone. How could I not be?”
“There is energy here. Where does it come from?”
I shrug, really hoping this thing can’t detect Atlas. “I am a rather powerful mage. I suppose some of it is residual.” I stand up and take a step forward. The man doesn’t move. “Maybe the magic holding me back won’t last forever. You can tell my captor that.”
“Captor?” the man repeats.
“The person who has me locked in here.”
“Mistress.”
