My eyes refuse to stray from his muscles, and I have to catch myself several times from being too obvious. I don’t want him to think I’m a freak for gaping at him like he’s the first man I’ve laid eyes on, butthose eyes—God, I need to rein it in.
The second my eyes met the storm in his, I wanted to throw myself in his arms and never let go. That was also when Rick grabbed my arm to keep me from tripping over my own feet, and every poor decision I’ve ever made flashed before my eyes—including the man clutching my arm.
Rick’s hand on me didn’t go unnoticed bymy mate,and the agony in his eyes made me want to drop to my knees and beg until Harvey took pity and forgave me. I despise it, but keeping my distance from Harvey is my only option until I find a moment to talk to Rick. Alone.
I was shocked when Harvey didn’t demand any explanation or make his frustration clear. Instead, he understood my need for time before I could embrace the idea of us wholeheartedly. His acceptance only dug the knife of guilt deeper into my heart.
Why did Nevaeh think this was a good idea? I will most definitely have this unfairly good-looking man running for the hills with my track record with men.
Standing to survey the exits and ensure the party people are only focused on the party, Harvey sits beside me and breathes out, “So the warrior—Rick, he’s your boyfriend?”
I freeze when Harvey jumps straight to the point. I should’ve known he would want an answer. Whatever I say will only make him mad. What if he thinks I’m a whore for being with a different man and not waiting for my mate.
How do I make him believe I’m not that girl? Rick never trusts me, and I’ve been with him for two years. What chance doI have to make this man I’ve just met believe that I genuinely didn’t think someone was specifically made for me?
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t think—”
“No need for apologies, darling. I’m not interested in who came before me. All I want to know is if you intend on rejecting the bond.”
“No! I don’t want that.” Harvey’s face softens from his stern expression, and I relax a little. “I genuinely thought I didn’t have a mate since I’m human. Rick told me I didn’t.”
His lips turn down, and my heart burns the moment his eyes aren’t on me, so I quickly add, “But I always wanted one. I’m not rejecting the bond.Never. I’ll talk to Rick, and I’m sure he will understand.”Will he, though?
Just the thought of telling him about Harvey makes my heart rate pick up. My mind replays the times he got so blinded by his anger that he didn’t even realize he was hurting me. This time, I’m giving him something to be mad about, and I have a feeling I won’t like the outcome of that conversation.
Maybe my fear cracks through my false calm exterior because Harvey grabs my hand, clutching the end of my dress, andsmilesat me. A warm smile that melts my insides, and I curse every day of my life I’ve lived without it.
I almost got electrocuted the first time his palm touched my back, so it’s a relief to know it won’t be happening every time we touch. Nevaeh never mentioned anything about the spark beingliteral, but that could be because she was so out of it when she first met Anxo.
“Don’t worry darling, I’ve waited years for my mate, I can wait a few more hours or days. But not more than that,” he waits until I honestly agree to sort out my mess. “Now tell me everything I’ve missed.”
My face burns with the endearment, and I’m starting to feel a love-hate relationship with how he makes me feel. Clearing mythroat, I try to remove my hand from his, but he holds on tighter. The plea in his eyes tells me he needs at least this, so I stretch my fingers to entangle with his.
“I should start with the basics. So the previous leaders combined the kingdoms—Nevaeh told us it was your dream, so I bet you’re excited about that.”
The corner of his lips tilts up as he asks, “Horseman Conquer said theTetrad kingdomwas waiting for me. I’m assuming we rebranded?”
“Oh yes. The four individual kingdoms are still there, but we present as one big dynasty among mythics now. When they moved from the human realm—really sorry about the shift, by the way, the previous leaders built portals…”
I don’t know how long we sit there, but by the end, Harvey knows everything new about the kingdom compared to what he remembers. The entire time, he sits patiently, listening to every word with genuine curiosity and waits until I finish a topic to ask questions. He even remembers to ask how Hazel and I came into the picture.
Throughout our interaction, I can’t help but think how different it is talking with Harvey.
Harvey talkswithme, whereas Rick talksatme.
Rick would never let me go on for this long. He thinks my ‘know it all’behavior is annoying, and just because I’m a Bookkeeper doesn’t mean I have to yap about everything constantly.
I feel horrible not bringing up his parents, but that’s a conversation Anxo didn’t want me to touch. It feels like a betrayal to hide something this big from my mate, but I promised Anxo I’ll let him handle this. He thinks it’s crucial we have Harvey in our corner to prevent a complete breakdown, because when Nevaeh finds out about this, she’ll need her best friend more than any of us.
“So, my little human, anything else I’m missing?”
If I were even a shade lighter, I’m sure my blush would’ve given away how his endearment creates a whole zoo inside my stomach. I can’t keep my head straight if he keeps acting so darn cute.
I’m about to say yes because how can I tell a decade’s worth of information in such a short time when Rick stomps over to our table, and only when he speaks over me do I notice his presence.
“Outside. Now.” He sneers near my face and only backs away when I get up.
I swallow thickly at the crazed look in his eyes. I almost want to tell Rick I won’t go anywhere with him when he’s acting this way, but decide against making a scene in front of everyone.In front of Harvey.
