“You really never imagined finding a mate?” she had to ask.
“We all wish for things, and the nights can be long,” he admitted. He grinned sadly at the ground before adding, “In all honesty, when I let myself imagine, I envisioned someone like my brother’s mate Imogen, or even Briseis.”
Blood rushed past Maeve’s ears in a loud cascade, almost as though she stood near a waterfall. Oh, she’d guessed as much, but to hear him say it…
Yes, someone like Imogen or Briseis would certainly suit him. Someone kind, compassionate, sweet. Someone with the patience and grace to help him heal from the wounds he still clearly bore. Someone who could share dreams with him and give him children.
Basically, everything Maeve wasn’t.
There was her answer, and truth be told, she wasn’t glad to have it.You see, Auntie Sofie? You were wrong.Maeve would’ve much rather stayed in ignorant assumption.
She wasn’t proud of it, but she also didn’t care about the consequences when she said, “But you could’ve had something with someone like Briseis. You could’ve tried to be happy with her.”
Such a suit would’ve likely been well received by Briseis, if her soft looks were anything to go by. Their personalities and values matched well, and if neither cared about finding their fated mate, well then, serendipitous that they found each other instead.
But he hadn’t said anything, and if she had to guess, he likely never would have. It would’ve been up to Briseis to make the opening salvo.
Perhaps he’s a coward.Yes, she could swallow that better.
Soren looked down at her in surprise, as if he didn’t quite believe her.
Maeve nodded, driving the knife in further. “She likes you, Soren. It’s plain to see. So you didn’thave tobe alone, you chose to be.” Turning to face forward again, Maeve began to march for home with some speed. “How fortunate for you, then, that you were stuck with someone like me instead. How convenient.”
An unhappy sound echoed behind her, and Maeve couldn’t contain her gasp when a large, warm hand clasped around hers, drawing her to a halt.
Soren stared at her, his huge chest heaving. Lips parted, hisfangs looked pearlescent in the gathering gloam.
“That’s not—Miss Maeve, I—” He tugged his ear, even though he still held her hand in his other paw. The heat of his palm pad nearly burned her. “I’m notstuck with you,” he insisted, “anyone would be grateful for a mate such as you.”
“Anyone but you.”
He had the decency to wince. “The goddess doesn’t make mistakes. Perhaps she rightfully chose someone bold and confident. Someone like you.”
Well, that…also made a certain amount of sense. But Maeve was far from willing to give up her outrage.
“Yet you still don’t want a mate. Don’t wantme.”
Those fangs flashed again, this time with all his sharp teeth as his nose wrinkled in a fierce snarl. His feline pupils narrowed to slits, and Maeve felt her pulse flutter in…was it alarm or interest? She couldn’t tell.
“I want youtoo much,” he growled.
Damn it all, damn how her breathing went reedy at his words, damn her heart for lurching, and damn him in particular for saying such a thing now.
“Then what precisely is the issue?” she demanded, happy to pretend there were none on her side.
“You’releaving,” he repeated, this time much more accusatorily. “You’ll leave, and I won’t be able to bear it. The beast will tear me apart.”
“Beast?” she repeated.
Head dropping, Soren’s ears flattened against his head. “Mantii have two forms.Dulur, the two-legged, andturuk, the bestial. Theturuklives inside all of us, itisus, and mine is…” Maeve watched in astonishment as this huge man shuddered, the feathers of his wings rustling. “It islukan. Violent, aggressive. It is the worst kind of beast to be.”
Lips parting, Maeve couldn’t help taking a step forward,lessening the distance between them. Although she held her unlit lantern in her free hand, she lifted both to his chest, over his thundering heart, to see if she could feel what he said. A thick vibration met her skin; at first, she thought he growled, but no, it was far richer.
A purr. He was purring at her touch.
Oh. Syrupy heat suffused Maeve, that alluring purr rubbing against her as seductively as a siren’s song.
It nearly drove her to distraction.
