I turned away before he could see a tear fall, dashing at my face before I stood to explore the rest of the place. The kitchen was larger than the living room which made me smile. He’d installed Viking appliances and a double oven, and the fridge was tucked behind decorative wooden cabinets.
Every decorative touch had him written all over it. I ran my fingers over the granite countertop and went to the next room and then the next and so on. When I was finished, I was bursting with pent up emotion.
I turned to see Ethan hovering close behind, his damn heart in his eyes. Lashing out was my first instinct because how dare he do this to me? How dare he take so much time and so much effort to do something like this that was obviously meant for me and still push me away?
I moved a step closer, another, and another until Ethan was forced to back up. When his back bumped the wall, he stopped, swallowing hard at my look.
A vivid green glow cast his face in a brilliant shadow of magic. He blinked a few times. Desire rose through the air, the scent of pine and wildness saturating the room.
I pressed my palm against his chest, feeling the erratic beat of his heart. When I spoke this time, my voice was low and deadly.
“You don’t build a house for a woman you don’t want.” I shook my head. “But I won’t live here with you. I won’t accept this house. I won’t soften my heart to you.”
Hurt filled his expression, but I wasn’t done.
“I won’t do any of these things until you admit how you feel about me and let me in. Do that, Ethan, and I will fall on my knees for you. You will never wonder how I feel about you. You will never doubt the depth of my love. I will be yours for the rest of my immortal existence. But I won’t accept half of your heart.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but I pressed my finger against his lips. “You will always love her. I’m not asking you to forget her or pretend she was never part of your life. I don’t want you to do any such thing. The people we love live forever in our hearts, as they should. All I’m asking is for you to try to squeeze me in, too.”
Ethan closed his eyes, a pained expression crossing his face. He released a shuddering breath and reached for me, taking my face into his hands. Calloused thumbs stroked my cheeks.
He opened his mouth to speak and only one word came out.
“Understood.”
Chapter
Nine
ETHAN
Istumbled out of the house and shifted, my paws sinking into the cold soil. My thoughts were scrambled and all over the place, and the only need pumping through me was torun.
I tore through the Keep, heading to the back of the property where the densest part of the forest was. Blood roared through my veins as I ran faster and faster, Moira’s words pounding through my head.
I will be yours for the rest of my immortal existence.
The promise had rung through the air, her eyes glowing with intensity. She’d meant every word she said to me.
And what did I do? I ran. Branches scraped my skin and pulled my fur. I ran for miles and miles and only stopped when I was close to collapsing.
Pulling on my magic, I shifted back to human form and went to my knees.
Sarah’s face swam through my mind. She couldn’t be more different than Moira in looks. Her hair was long and golden, and she was short and curvy with bright blue eyes. Her smile felt like the sun had come out, and the way she looked at me…
I will be yours for the rest of my immortal existence.
Sarah didn’t have immortality. She didn’t even have her full human lifespan. I’d lost her far too soon and had never been able to move on.
I never wanted to until Moira had broken into my godsdamned house and left her scent all over the place.
“FUCK!” The scream echoed through the valley, years of pain in the sound.
Moira had been in the periphery of my life for a couple of years now. I’d noticed her as a male noticed a beautiful woman, but we’d never really spoken until after she broke into my house. As soon as we had, I’d become obsessed, and that was unlike me.
Moira was gorgeous and funny and wicked and occasionally violent, and I adored everything about her. While I saw instances of Sarah in Moira sometimes, Sarah had been sunshine, and Moira was velvet wrapped darkness.
I treated Sarah with kid gloves, handled her like an injured rabbit. She was human and I was a monster, and how could someone lovely like her want someone like me?
