Huh. My brow furrowed as I searched Natasha’s memories, finding only their exchange at the beach, when he picked her off in his arms, but Star interrupted them before he could kiss her.
“Well, that was stupid of you,”I scoffed, to which she remained suspiciously quiet.
Hannes sighed deeply, bringing my attention back to him.
His enthralling gaze washed over me slowly, making the little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. There was something about him that was so utterly different from Dante and André. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it was there, pulsing between us and making him even more desirable.
“So…?” I pressed, still wanting an answer.
Lifting a hand, his thumb rested on my jaw while his fingertips gently caressed my neck, sending a delicious shudder down my spine.
“I want far more from you than just sex, Natalia. I want your heart.” His words cut through me, and still, he sidestepped me to keep walking away.
“If you wanted my love, you wouldn’t be leaving!” I shouted after him, standing my ground. I wasn’t running after any man; I didn’t care how mind-numbingly hot he was.
Our sexy lumberjack still didn’t answer, his steps steady as he almost reached the helicopter. The last of their luggage was being hauled inside the back door.
“Also, what kind of mate does that make you? Aren’t you supposed to be tied to Natasha by some Moon Goddess bond? And yet, you are leaving her when she still needs you?”
His entire body stiffened at that, halting his steps.
I’d hit a nerve. Good.
“Aren’t you supposed to be her protector? Her mighty shield?”
My own words slapped me with the truth, and I finally realized why he was leaving. It was me. I was the reason. Yes, Hannes was meant to protect Natasha from any evil that may come for her… but who would protect him from me?
Heart thundering in my chest I stepped forward, searching my mind for a way to stop this. There was none. He had every right to want to be as far away from me as possible.
Surprisingly, my bitchiness bounced right back for round two.
“Fine, so technically I could kill you. I can disintegrate you where you stand, so what? Are you going to let a tiny little thing like my fire being the only force in the universe that can destroy you stand between us?!”
I expected him to turn around and tell me off, to explode into the Beast, or at the very least laugh. Nothing. For the first time since I’d met him, he didn’t even smile.
Shit.
“I’m sorry, but we have to go.” He began to take the steps into the helicopter.
“Don’t let him leave!”Star roared like some kind of wolf monster.
“Well, short of jumping on him, I don’t—”Fuck!
Throwing the box on the ground, I dashed forward and launched myself at him, landing on his back and wrapping my arms and legs around him in a deadly vice.
He still entered the helicopter. Not a care in the fucking world.
Sadly, his words echoed in my mind too late… when my gaze fell on everyone already inside the helicopter.
WE.
The asshole had saidwe.
Wehave to leave.
It hadn’t even occurred to me that Dante, André, and Vanessa weren’t anywhere to be found in the castle, or even out here, trying to stop him too.
Alyce, André, and Vanessa, all sat comfortably in the living room-like space, chuckling with mischief. Each had a book, their phone, or a magazine in their hands. All except Dante, who was hiding his smirk behind the rim of his freshly poured glass of whiskey. He intently watched me—like he was waiting for a volcano to erupt.
