“I’m a fairy, baby. Maybe that makes me soft in some ways, but my spine is steel and my magic is strong. There are different layers to reality, but for all intents and purposes, I’m here every bit as much as you are. Together in our minds.”
Stone held Lysander tighter. “I’m so sorry about everything. You should probably hate me by now. Even though I don’t know what happened when that thing had me in its grasp, I’m sure it was terrible. Sometimes I’d wake up, and he was gone and—”
“Shhh.” Lysander petted and soothed him, cutting him off. “Set it aside for now. Focus on healing.”
“You should hate me,” Stone repeated, sounding every bit as heartbroken as he was. Lysander had claimed him. He had to be disappointed as hell to have ended up with Stone. They both knew he was nothing more than an empty-headed flirt. For months now, he had felt nothing except rage… unless he was with Lysander. Still, all he had shown Lysander was nothing at all. How sad. He deserved so much better than Stone.
Lysander kissed his neck.
Stone closed his eyes and savored the sensation. The night they met stood out so vividly in his mind compared to recent months. He had been untainted by darkness. Lysander had been such a sexy glow cutting through the night. Life had looked so different.
The grass rustled beneath his feet. He had left his boots next to a tree at the edge of the forest. His kilt moved slightly in the wind, reminding him of bygone days. Stone closed his eyes and dragged the night air into his lungs. It smelled like freedom and something else.
Stone’s eyes shot open. His entire body went on alert. Stone couldn’t place the smell. It was almost tropical, which made no sense for the area. His feet carried him toward the scent. A soft light cast a glow on the nearby trees. Stone’s gaze moved in every direction, searching for the source. He was in hunter mode. His chin shot up as a sound rustled above. A man sat on a tree branch. It was an odd sight. He seemed tall and looked solid, yet the narrow branch didn’t even droop from his weight. His eyes were arresting. They glowed and were almost two colors, with a vivid green slowly turning to light blue around his pupils.
“Who are you?”
Stone blinked at the guy’s tone. He sounded like Stone trespassed. Maybe he had. “Stone.” A wicked smile stretched across Stone’s lips. “I bet you have a sexy name. One that sounds amazing when moaned.”
The sexiest smile Stone had ever seen in his life exploded across the man’s face. “You should find out.”
The way Stone felt in that moment should have given an inkling about their bond. While Stone had zero reservations about hopping from every bed he could, something about Lysanderhad been different. Stone had actually felt happy that night, making him realize exactly what made him jump from partner to partner. He hadn’t been satisfied because no one else was Lysander.
“Sleep.” The quietly spoken order enchanted Stone’s mind, hypnotizing him. He could truly rest now. His mate had him.
Chapter Four
Somethingfamiliartickledhissenses. Stone snuggled deeper beneath the pillows. He was too sleepy to be curious. Stone rearranged his pillows and curled around the plush cushion. Wait. It was his pillow. He shot upright. His gaze swung from side to side. Stone’s heart tried climbing into his throat. It had happened again. He was in a different place than where he had fallen asleep. What had he done this time? He wanted to puke. Stone had really thought he had gotten free this time. Had his hijacker found a new way to torment him? Would he spend the rest of his life trapped between nothing and hallucinations?
Lysander rushed into the room, holding a mug. “Oh no. I only left for five minutes to make tea. Why are you awake?”
Stone breathed as if he had barely survived running a mile. Sweat coated his skin. “I was at Frost’s. Wasn’t I? What did I do?”
Lysander set his cup on the nightstand. He sat on the edge of the bed at Stone’s hip, facing him. His eyes held Stone captive, slowing his heart. “I brought you home. All you’ve done is sleep, exactly like you needed to do. I knew you’d be more comfortable here.”
Relief had Stone falling back onto his pillows. “Thank Goddess.” With the terror ebbing, his focus turned to Lysander. He wore a white silk robe, looking entirely too sexy. Stone fiddled with the material, enjoying the sensation of the loose belt running between his fingers. “Look at you, being way too tempting.”
Lysander’s mouth lifted at one corner. “You haven’t been awake even five minutes, and I’m literally just existing at the moment.”
Stone turned serious. “That’s all you need to do. You have nae idea how much I hate knowing you’ve gotten so little of the real me.”
“I haven’t heard you use that thick of an accent in a while. Maybe that should’ve clued me in sooner that something was wrong.” His expression turned sad. “I’m sorry I failed you.”
There was a hollow spot in his chest. Stone ran his hand up Lysander’s thigh. “No. I—” Stone swallowed. The longer they sat there, enjoying each other’s space, the more it sank in that this was his mate. Lysander had claimed him. No doubt, that hadn’t been an easy decision for him, considering Stone’s drama. Yet he hadn’t hesitated, and Stone hadn’t given him the same courtesy. He had heard it was painful to go unclaimed. Lysander had grace in a way Stone had never witnessed. He hadn’t complained orasked to be put out of his misery. In fact, he had been ready to return to magic rather than inconvenience him. Stone hated he felt that way. Without claiming Lysander, he couldn’t see into his mind. Stone had never understood that one. As a vampire, he should hear every thought Lysander had. There was nothing. With no way of checking his emotions, Stone felt worse by the second. Why had Lysander been so willing to pass to another existence rather than come to Stone?
A terrible feeling rose in his gut. He searched the recesses of his mind, frantically fighting to learn what he had done while possessed.
Lysander brushed a sweet kiss across his lips. “Don’t do this to yourself.”
Damn. He was Lysander’s mate. He could look into Stone’s mind anytime he liked. It was his right. “Please tell me what I did.”
“Only because it’s important to you and you seem to keep forgetting about it.” He sighed and righted himself. “You told me you never wanted to see my face ever again. I guess I overreacted a little.”
Stone’s eyes fell closed. That fae fucker had done his best to level Stone’s life. He didn’t even know how he had ended up possessed. Months were just gone, and it was maddening. Stone forced himself to focus on Lysander. His mate deserved for him to face this head-on. “You’re my mate. I imagine I’d feel the same if you rejected me. But I hope you know I would never treat you that way. It wasn’t me.”
A sweet smile crossed Lysander’s lips. “You’re a lover first and then a warrior. Logically, I knew it wasn’t you. While you had me pinned against the tree, I saw your eyes.”
“Hold up. I had you pinned against a tree. Did I hurt you?” Please, Goddess. He couldn’t know he had hurt Lysander.
