Page 46 of Her Ivory Flame

Kaden looked at her over his shoulder and she just gave him a sigh while nodding. He wouldn’t leave until he got what he wanted and she wanted him gone quickly.

Silas darted around Kaden who had stepped aside and crossed the room before she could even comprehend his speed.

“Alyra,” his voice sounded next to her and when his hand touched her arm she jerked it away from him. The feeling of his skin on hers made her instantly sick and she knew then all her trust in him was officially gone.

How did she go from wanting to be tangled up with him to being disgusted by his touch?

“I was stupid I know, I should never have gone there but when you said you still wanted to wait I just snapped. One thing led to another and I wasn’t thinking.” His hand gripped her arm tighter and she clenched her teeth in response. “You are who I want, you have always been since the day I rescued you. You have so much power and you’re gorgeous. I felt like I had lost you this past month and I handled it poorly.”

Her brows furrowed and she curled her lip up at him in disgust.

“Handled it poorly?” She yelled. “I’ve only slept with two people, Silas, you being one of them and I would have never run off to sleep with a random guy because we fought or I was feeling horny.”

She could feel her flame forming around her, a protective measure she used to have when her emotions got too high and it seemed it reactivated with the new amount of magic she was able to obtain outside today.

He stepped back, seeing the flame start to encase her but still kept his stare on her with pleading eyes.

“You know what,” she growled. “We never made anything official so I can’t be too upset.”

She could see his eyebrow raise and she knew he could sense what she was about to say by the look his eyes suddenly held.

“Sleep with who you want to Silas, but it won't be me again.” She didn’t want to see his face as she turned to walk to her wardrobe, her skin starting to get cold under the towel.

When he didn’t walk away and kept watching her, she glared at him and gestured for him to leave. He wouldn’t have any part of her anymore or see any part of her again. He just slumped his shoulders and walked back into the main area.

Once dressed she walked back out to see Kaden leaning against the entrance with his arms crossed and Silas sitting on the couch. She threw his clothes at him, his eyes widening as she glared.

“You can store your clothes in the cabinet next to the bathroom and I’ll have Raine bring you bedding for the couch.” She didn’t let her voice waiver even though she was barely holding on to her emotions.

“Alyra-”

“You did this,” she barked. “And I was stupid enough to fall for it.”

She nodded to Kaden, the silent communication letting him know he was ok to leave her and he nodded back. It seemed for the first time, she would have preferred him stay instead of Silas, but he already served his duty today and wouldn’t ask him for more.

Kaden gave her one last look over his shoulder, a hint of worry in them and then walked out the door without a word. She didn’t know he was even capable of worry, but it made her feel slightly better knowing the brute seemed to care a little.

She turned to walk back into her bedchamber when she heard Silas stand and walk towards her.

“I want you, Alyra.” He wrapped his arm around her stomach and she dug her nails into his skin to get him to release her.

He grunted in pain but didn’t say anything as she spun around to glare at him.

“You want my body,” she growled. “You took advantage of my vulnerability and then as soon as I started to get back on my feet you threw me away.”

“I was angry,” he mumbled.

“Angry that I wanted to get to know you more?”

“It made me feel like you didn’t trust me!” he yelled back.

“Well apparently my intuition was correct.” She sighed and started towards her bed again.

He stood planted in place for a moment, her words obviously hitting him hard but she didn’t care. Well, maybe she did care but she was so exhausted it was hard to tell what she should be feeling at the moment.

She crawled into her empty bed, the first time she had been alone since she arrived and heard him walk back to the couch. She didn’t send for Raine, if he wanted bedding he could do it himself,and just laid with her back to him staring out the window to the night sky.

She was done being weak, done being the person people can walk all over to get what they want. She needed to get back to her pre-war self, and this was the push she needed even though it hurt.