I try to pull my hands from his grip, but Angel holds firm. Even when he is sitting right in front of me, he’s blind to the damage his cruel joke is doing to my heart.
I know Angel isn’t heartless, so why is he toying with my pain like this?
I’m cursed. There’s no way I’m lucky enough to have him asmy mate.
‘He’s lying! You know the truth. You sobbed into the arm I toreout of your mate’s socket. He is dead. They’re all dead!’
Visha’s voice rings in my head, but it gets weaker with every stroke of Angel’s thumb over my knuckles. He waits patiently as I try to pick apart Visha’s lies from the reality sitting in front of me.
I remember the day Visha threw that severed limb into my cell. There was no scent on that arm. I would’ve questioned her, but Visha kept telling me all the gory details of how she destroyed yet another part of my future. The guilt and agony of my mate’s death crushed the fight out of me.
She lied. Again.
As I look into Angel’s hypnotizing green eyes that have spellbound me since the moment we met, I start to wonder if the connection I feel between us is more than the bond between two Horsemen descendants.
“Visha said you were dead.” I bite my bottom lip when it starts to quiver. “She told me she killed you. Anxo, she threw a severed arm into my cell to prove what she did. I-I saw it. Held it. I believed her.” I blink rapidly to hold back tears as my fingers slowly trail along his strong arms.
Angel gently squeezes my hands, urging me to look at him, into those glassy eyes that mirror my pain. He bows his head and kisses my knuckles. The rush of electricity that follows his touch is a testament to our intertwined destinies.
Angel cups the side of my face with his large palm, pressing our foreheads together. He tries to laugh, but it breaks halfway through. “I’m right here, sweetheart.”
A spark rushes down my spine, and I grip his wrist, pulling him closer. My soul hums with content at his closeness, and I forget about the world around us.
‘How pathetic. You believe everything you hear, don’t you? So easy to break. So weak...’
The longer Angel holds me, the quieter Visha’s voice becomes until it’s a distant whisper I can easily ignore.
“Do you want more proof, sweetheart? I’m sure I can think of something to convince you.” The teasing glint in Angel’seyes makes mine nearly pop out. Every cell in my body is suddenly on fire, aching for his touch.
When Angel starts to stand, panic seizes me. It feels like someone has reached inside my chest to squeeze the air out of my lungs. But when, instead of leaving, Angel sinks back into his seat beside me and drapes his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side, I finally feel like I can breathe again.
His fingers brush my hair behind my ear before lazily running along the back of my neck. The feather-light touch is so hypnotic that I lean into his side and hold still, praying he won’t stop.
Hazel clears her throat loudly, snapping me out of my touch-starved trance. “Now that you know your love life isn’t dead, can we get back to business? We have some important questions only you can answer, and I’m running out of patience.”
Angel shifts closer, his warm breath fanning my ear as he shoots Hazel a warning look. “Don’t be a ghoul.”
Seiji grabs a small pillow and tosses it at Hazel. “Why did you have to ruin it?”
“Yeah, I didn’t even get to take a picture. They looked so cute together.” Grace sniffs, wiping her cheeks.
Seiji squints at Hazel. “You know it’s not your job to suck the love out of the air, right?”
“I thought they were done!” Hazel throws her hands in the air and turns to Angel for help, but he just laughs it off.
“Don’t look at me. You brought this on yourself.”
I don’t realize I’m staring at my mate, admiring his smile lines, until he turns to me with a sly smirk. Gently gripping my chin, he shifts my gaze to Hazel, who is staring at me in exasperation, clearly hoping I’ll put her out of her misery.
At least now I know why my brain short-circuits every time Angel touches me.
Focus, Nevaeh.
“I’ll answer your questions… after you answer mine.”
“Oh, of course, princess. We’re happy to follow your lead.”Hazel flashes the fakest smile I’ve ever seen. It’s wide and a little unhinged.Adorable.
With an exaggerated eye roll, I wave off Hazel’s sarcasm and ask, “How are you both here together?” I gesture to Seiji and Angel, only to be met with their confused faces. “Horsemen usually stick to their side of the human realm.”
