“Gods, stop,” he said, giggling. “Your tongue is so scratchy as a leopard.”
Kaz shifted back, so that she straddled Emmeric’s lap on the ground. His hands drifted to her hips as she ran her hands up his bare chest. “This tongue is perfect though,” she purred, licking up his neck. Tightening his grip on her body, he rolled them both over. Kaz wrapped her legs around him, grinding her hips into his. He was seconds away from fucking her on the forest floor when crashing and swearing wound its way towards them.
“That’ll be Iyana then,” Kaz said. Emmeric leapt to his feet, but not fast enough for Iyana to miss what had been about to happen. She stopped next to them, noticing Kaz on her back on the ground, and Emmeric’s face flushed. “Catch ya later,” Kaz said with a wink before shifting back to a leopard and darting off.
This was twice now Iyana had caught him with Kaz. Phaedros take him, if he was trying to win her from Altair this was a piss-poor attempt.Washe trying to win her affections? The poor girl doubled over with her hands on her knees, panting for breath, face red with exertion, hair mussed perfectly. She looked amazing. Emmeric smiled.
“Running suits you, Mouse.”
“Shut. Up,” she said between heaving breaths, glaring at him with her gorgeous, caramel-colored eyes.
Iyana hauled herself off her knees to stand up straight, but stumbled, unused to strenuous exercise. Emmeric was there, catching her before she hit the ground, and drawing her towards him without a second thought. Her warm hand was on his bare chest, steadying herself. Emmeric’s heart beat in double time, and not because of the run. He wondered if Iyana could feel it underneath her fingertips. They spent several moments staring into each other’s gaze. His body was screaming at him tokiss her, kiss her, kiss her. When he was a second away from giving in, he saw her eyes shutter and she tried to push away from him.
“Fuck you, Emmeric. Get off of me.”
He released her and took a step back. “You want me to let you fall next time, then?”
“Yes,” she snapped. Her hair was still a mess around her head, chest heaving with deep breaths, brown eyes staring at him with anger and confusion, the same intense emotions pulsing down the bond.
“Where is this attitude coming from?” Emmeric was done dealing with her hot and cold attitude. They either were getting along great, or they were at each other’s throats. Things had seemed to be going well until she caught him and Kaz in the throes… oh.
“Is this about me and Kaz?”
“No,” she said, quickly. Too quickly.
“It is. Are you…jealous?”
Iyana squinted at him and made apfftsound in an attempt to seem indifferent. “You wish.”
That was Emmeric’s last straw. He prowled towards her, anger rising within him. Iyana dug her heels in, staring him down and raising her chin defiantly. Gods, he hated how beautiful she was when she was at her most stubborn. It was infuriating. He came in close enough that one deep breath would bring their chests together, but he didn’t touch her.
Glowering down at her, Iyana’s wide eyes met his—a war of conflicting emotions taking place in their depths. “I know you feel this connection between us, Iyana. Don’t try to deny it.”
“It’s the bond,” she whispered.
“Maybe the bond is some of it, but there’s more there.” He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and didn’t miss the way her breath hitched and eyelids fluttered. Then he stepped away from her abruptly.
“But you’re with Altair. You don’t get it both ways, Mouse. You either be with him, and let me pursue my own relationships, or you admit to yourself there’s more here.”
“There’snothingbetween you and me,” she snarled.
“Then you have no right to be jealous. And you have no right to be angry withmeafter all I’ve done for you. Everything I’ve given up foryou, Iyana.” She rubbed ather chest, where their bond resided. But for the first time in a while, his own anger and hurt were overriding anything he might be picking up from her.Good.
“Just…leave me alone,” he said, anger draining out of him. He turned and left her there in the woods. Godsdamn her and her double standards. She could find her own way back. After all this business with Uther was over, he would wash his hands of Iyana and never see her again.
Chapter 38
Iyana
Who the fuck did Emmeric think he was?
It had already been three days since their fight during the run, but every time Iyana saw his stupid face, she was reminded how angry he made her. To insinuate she was jealous of him and Kaz was ludicrous. Never mind that shedidfeel jealous when she saw the two of them together. But it was just the bond. It had to be, because she loved Altair.
She loved Altair.
Didn’t she? Iyana looked forward to spending time with him, sleeping wrapped in his arms, and hearing him call herastalleormy stargave her a thrill. That was love, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, she had never experienced romantic love before and so she had nothing to compare this to. Loving him was a dangerous game, and she reminded herself this wouldn’t last forever. Even if he loved her back… He was immortal, and she was human. Eventually she would age, become bent and wrinkled, while Altair continued to appear the way he currently did. There was no way he would still desire her, still love her, when she was old. Aside from the age difference, once he had completed his task of defeating Uther, would he want to stay? Or would he return to the sky? These were all questions Iyana wanted answers to, and she had almost asked them a hundred times, but she feared the answers. So the thoughts stayed locked in her head, bouncing around during times of quiet, making her anxious and jittery.
Altair obviously recognized something was happening with her, but he only asked if she was alright. Iyana always saidyes, of course,to have him drop the subject, and she hoped he couldn’t read her thoughts.
