“I would never wish for something like this,” he growled. “You know the risks.”
“Risks?” she bit out, hating him and wanting him at the same time. “I was prepared to brave anything and everything! Even them.” She flung out a hand behind her. “My fellow Guardians, and the archangel himself, but I was a fool caught in the throes of lust, believing in something that wasn’t there, believing for a moment that you were different.”
“Wait one damn minute—”
“Go to hell, Nate!” Before he witnessed her falling apart, she dematerialized, his low, tormented words echoing behind her,“My existenceishell…”
But you won’t let me in. Won’t let me help.She couldn’t even breathe past the surge of despair welling in her throat as she departed the cabin and the Adirondacks, leaving behind the brief interlude she thought would be so much more.
CHAPTER15
Nate grabbedthe bars and banged his brow against the metal, his horns slamming into them, pain crashing through his skull. He lifted his gaze to stare at the empty spot where Ely had been—empty like his entire existence.
He wanted to go after her.
And say what?You can’t be with her.
He grasped his head, fisting his horns, not sure if it was his thoughts or the beast fucking with him again. He’d done his best to get her to leave, but she fought him at every turn until he finally cracked her, putting pain in her beautiful eyes.
He pivoted and punched the wall again. Agony shot through his damaged hand to lodge in his heart. Breathing hard, he sagged against the granite, detesting the bastard he was more than the beast within him.
The basement resonated with her hurt.I was a fool caught in the throes of lust, believing in something that wasn’t there, believing for a moment that you were different!Her words flayed him like daggers, ripping him apart.
I’m so fucking sorry, Ely.
Footsteps sounded.
Nate shoved away from the wall and tramped to the other end of the basement, the splintering pain in his bones intensifying as the wyvern stretched its essence, searching for a way to break through Nate’s control.
Aba appeared in front of the cell. “Nate?”
He shook his head, unable to deal with this conversation. “Not now.”
“Yes,now,” his sire rumbled. “What in Hades’ hell are you doing?”
Sacrificing my one chance at happiness because I can’t fucking keep her in my life!
He wanted to put his fist through the wall again. Instead, he paced back and forth, rubbing his nape, feeling as if he was unraveling at the seams.
“Nate,” Aba said then, seeming to quiet down a little. “I like Ely, too. But a Guardian? You are taking a gargantuan risk with your life.”
He spun to his sire, anger and torment garroting him. “You think I don’t know that? It’s always aboutme!”
“It has to be. It’s the only way you’ll remain undetected by the Others.” His sire’s dark eyes pinned his, reminding Nate that Aba wasn’t just any demon but an old one. “My blood runs in your veins,cnati. I sensed something was wrong, and that’s why I came. Nate—” He gripped the bars. “We built this place, a supposedly safe andsecretplace for you to have time to recover when this semi-shift occurs. Now, a Guardian knows about the hideout, and shesawyour other side! What do you think will happen when it becomes known that a being like you exists in this world? The Guardians will come after you!”
“She won’t tell them.”
“You trust her that much?” Aba demanded.
After she’d first hurt him, then came after him to heal him? Hell, the female unearthed feelings in him like no other. Moreover, she was willing to be with him even though she knew the minefield she would have to traverse because both their lives were battlegrounds.
“With my life.”
His sire sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, then his gaze lowered to the dressing on Nate’s chest. “What happened?”
He shrugged, staring at his scaly fingers and talons. “Took a hit from a hellfire bolt.”
“You what?” Aba’s eyes narrowed. Yeah, he didn’t buy the bullshit when he knew how good Nate’s reflexes were since they often trained together. “You saved her, didn’t you?”
