Lena went still, a strange fluttering rising in her chest. It reminded her a little of what she felt when she looked at Evellor, but this fluttering was more intense. It was impossible to ignore. She wasn't a fool or ignorant of the softer emotions like Vor. Lena knew what the feeling was. She simply didn't want to accept it. In desperation, she searched for another explanation. There was none.
She was falling for Vor.
Impossible. Ridiculous. Traitorous! But the man made her feel safe. Again, ridiculous. Vor had captured her. He had bitten her! The bastard had used his bite to paralyze her so she couldn't fight back when he carried her away. She was a prisoner. And yet, Vor had reasons for what he'd done. Noble reasons. Lena hadn't believed him at first, but now, after this miraculous event, she was starting to. With that belief came a release of the emotions she'd been restraining. Her attraction forVor came rushing forward along with her growing admiration for him. All he wanted was a better life for his people. It was hard to fault that.
No! No, no, no! Lena couldn't let this happen. She tried to pull back on her feelings as she might the reins of a horse, but this stallion was wild and impossible to tame. It raced off with her, quickening her heart and awakening urges she'd never felt before. Not even for Evellor. The skin Vor had kissed tingled.
Riding that wild horse of emotion drove all reason from her mind. The reins were gone. Breathless, she asked, “And what about you? Will I have you wrapped around my little finger?”
Vor went still, his expression frozen, not in shock, but in wariness, as if he were watching a deer he didn't want to startle. “Lena, don't you know? Haven't I been clear enough? I am already yours. I'm wrapped around everything you are—fingers to toes.”
Lena shivered. “I . . . I can't do this. You and I, we're impossible.”
“And yet, here we are. You've helped me do the impossible. Imagine what else we could do together if you accepted who you are.”
“No.” Lena stood. “No, we cannot be together.”
“Why not?” He stood as well.
“I cannot love a man who has no love inside him.”
“I am not that man anymore. I feel things I've never felt before. I know I can love you, Lena.”
“You do not know what you're feeling.” She waved a hand at him. “I have to name your emotions. So, why do you think you're qualified enough to recognize love?”
Vor grimaced. “I'm feeling very protective of you. That must be the start of it.”
“You've felt that way from the beginning. Or so you say.”
“I think about you all the time.”
“That's called infatuation.”
“I want things with you that I've never wanted before. I want a future with you, Lena.”
“Only because the Source of Technology told you to.”
“It did not tell me what to want.”
“Want is not love. It's about possession, while love is the opposite.”
“Then how am I supposed to know?!” He threw his hands up in frustration. “How will I know when I love you?”
“You will know when you feel something for me that I don't have to explain to you.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Liria
Liria waited until the gates were closed before she turned to face Rallorival. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a sound, she punched him. The Aethari man staggered back, holding his nose, his eyes wide.
“You fucking idiot!” Liria pointed at him. “That man is the only thing standing between my sister and a Nethren gang rape! You say you care about her, but you nearly killed her.”
Rallorival's hand fell away, and blood flowed freely down his face. “I didn't think about that. I'm sorry. I only want to free her.”
“You never think, do you?” Liria hissed. “You led a rebellion under another man's name without bothering to ask him if he wanted it! Now, you follow us here and jeopardize the safety of my sister and all of Para with your jealousy! Commander Vor is asking for peace. Do you think if you killed him, the Nethren would still be interested in peace?”
“Nethren will never be interested in peace!” Rallorival growled. “He's a liar. They have ulterior motives.”
