Raith crosses his arms as he watches me, and it’s pretty clear he’s expecting me to fall, which only makes me even more determined to prove I can do this.Only a few more steps.I start to wobble on my feet, and Raith smirks like he’s expecting me to faceplant at any moment.Asshole.
If I can just…I’m a step away when my knee buckles like it’s purposely trying to sabotage me. A small cry slips from between my lips, and then strong arms are around me, shadows sliding against my skin as the sensation of ice and fire ignites a trail everywhere he’s touching me.
I gasp at the sensation. There’s always the feeling of ice and fire when I’m with my mates, but this is more intense. It remindsme of the first times when I’d touched my mates, before the burning sensation faded a little over time. No, this is so intense it almost hurts, and I realize it must be because of the effects of the drug.
Raith must feel it too because he stares at me, and that easy smile is gone from his face. He leans in close like he’s searching for something in my eyes.Do my eyes look weird because I’m affected by the serum?I have no idea. What I do know, is that I can’t stop myself from reaching up and kissing my mate. If we’re not going straight back to the party, we may as well enjoy ourselves while we’re out here. Especially seeing as the games are only hours away, and the queen seems determined to keep us up all night.
The moment my lips press against Raith’s, the sensation of ice and fire intensifies, making my entire body prickle with heat. I moan at the rush of desire that races through my body, chasing away the remaining effects of the truth serum like it’s some kind of magical antidote, and it’s then that I realize I’ve messed up.
I freeze as the intoxicating scent of citrus and steel fills my nose, sharp but so undeniably made for me. My heart hammers as my eyes fly open, and I pull my lips away a fraction so they’re almost still touching his. Raith is as still as I am. He stares at me like he’s still searching my face, but now that my head has cleared the drug, I realize it’s not Raith at all. This male doesn’t have a lion’s mask. No, it’s a wolf mask fixed to his face…
Knox?I frown in confusion.But he saved me. Why would Knox do that?If anything, I would have expected Knox to enjoy watching Germain torment me.
I expect my mate to pull away in disgust. For him to push me off him and probably send some insults my way in the process, but he doesn’t. My eyes flick to our surroundings. We’re in his favorite dell in the forest, but this time he’s not staring at thatblack water. No, he’s still staring at me, and right now, he looks as confused as I am.
Desire swirls more insistently in my belly, like fate is trying to tell me this man is mine. Only, Knox has made itveryclear that he wants nothing to do with me.Down girl,I internally chastise my vagina, because this obviously isn’t going to happen. Not that it matters, because I don’t even want him anyway. Not even a little bit. Really.
Okay, I’ve always been a terrible liar, and I undeniably, definitely do. Despite his continual shitty attitude, this man is mine whether he likes it or not.
Knox continues to stare at me, and despite what I tell myself, all I can do is look back at him. Admittedly, I always have loved pretty things, and I can’t help taking in the smooth curves of his chiseled face behind his mask, and the way his onyx eyes seem to sparkle in the moonlight. Indecision flickers on his face, and I’m still bracing myself for his rejection when he rasps, his voice sounding tortured, “You’re a cruel temptation.”
My breathing hitches, not because of what he’s said, but because of the raw emotion in his voice. The pain… it fills his eyes like he’s drowning in sorrow.
“You wish I was him, don’t you?” he adds.
It takes me a moment to realize he’s talking about Raith, and for a heartbeat, I contemplate that. It’s true I’m always happy to see Raith, but right now…well, Knox is the one who saved me from Germain and stopped me from opening my mouth and blurting our secret, likely damning us all in the process.
“No,” I whisper, surprised at the truth of the statement as it vibrates through me. If I was thinking logically, itwouldbe better to have Raith out here. At least I know Raith likes me, but Knox…he’s mine, too.Mine. My mate. Mine.The words repeat over and over in my head like fate is trying to make sure I won’t be able to tell myself otherwise.
Knox curses, and there’s a vulnerability on his face that I haven’t seen before. For a split second, his emotional mask is removed, and then his lips are on mine.
Ice and fire. The stabbing pain of ice is chased away by a searing heat that leaves me moaning into his mouth, as the man kisses me like he’s not holding anything back. Like for just this moment, he’s willing to let me in.
One of his hands grips the back of my head, tangling in my hair, while the other drops to the curve of my back, pulling me closer to him. And despite all my internal warnings, I lose myself to this man. To his scent of steel and citrus. To his touch that makes my body feel like it’s on fire.My mate.
My head throbs, power rushing through me as Knox kisses me, and a memory presses against the walls of my mind. It pushes harder, not quite reaching the surface, but familiar words float into my head. My lips pull back from Knox’s as I mumble, “Finally.”
His dark brows lower. “Finally?”
“Yeah,” I say, smiling. “Finally, I’m going to have a good night. I can already tell.”
The change on his face is instant, his posture going rigid as he holds me. “What? What did you just say?”
I frown, blinking at him, confused by his change in attitude. “Or not? I guess.”
“Those words,” he insists, sounding almost desperate. He’s on the verge of shaking me, which is freaking me out a little.Did he realize he wasn’t enjoying kissing me after all? I mean, it sure seemed like he was enjoying it.
“Why did you say those words?” he repeats, stills staring me down.
I have no idea what he’s going on about. “I don’t know. I guess they just popped into my head.” Lifting my hand, I rub my forehead, trying to disguise the small stab of hurt that buriesinto my heart at the thought that Knox might have changed his mind. “I have a serious headache coming on,” I mumble. I want to add that I think it might be called ‘Knox,’ but I figure that might be too much. The forgotten memory still presses insistently in my mind, but when I try to grab for it, I can’t make it out.
Knox grips me tighter, his face growing more serious, and before I can utter another word, the forest falls away as my mind tumbles into another place.
My stomach lurches as a scene materializes around us, a familiar bedroom coming into view. I had dreamt about this bedroom after the first time I’d been with Galen. A pattern of hearts and roses decorates the quilt on the mattress, but unlike the dream when I’d been the main character, this time I’m witnessing a scene play out like a silent viewer at the movies. The girl I’m staring at doesn’t exactly look like me. Her wavy pink hair reaches past her waist, spilling onto the bed, and her long legs are stretched out making it clear she’s taller than I am. Still, there’s something so familiar about her…
Knox is at my side, staring at the scene just as I am, and his body is so tense he looks like he’s one word away from some kind of mental episode. He keeps muttering something under his breath, but I’m too distracted to hear what he’s saying.
“I don’t understand,” I whisper to him. “Are we…in my dream? But I’m not even sleeping?”
