The part of me that thought Kole might have been telling the truth when he said he cared about me has long since died. If he really cared, he would’ve at least visited me. He’s obviously known where I live this whole time, and yet he’s never once come to check on me. After our last conversation, I thoughthe might at least do that, or even come to say goodbye. But he didn’t.
He takes a step toward me, but I retreat with one of my own. “Come on, Grey. Don’t be like this. Just come back with me.”
“Hmm, let me think. No.” I turn on my heel and head in the opposite direction.
“It’s not safe!” he calls out after me.
“I’ll be fine on my own, like I always am!” I shout over my shoulder, not bothering to look back.
A second later, he cuts me off. “It looks like we’re doing this the hard way then.”
He tosses me over his shoulder, and I scream as he takes off through the forest. His grip is so tight that I don’t even bother trying to fight my way loose. Before I know it, he’s got me strapped into an oversized SUV with the doors locked.
“Let me out!” I demand, pulling on the handle as we take off.
“I’ll take you back tomorrow,” he offers, turning to look at me. I ignore him, keeping my attention on the road. When I don’t say anything, he stops the vehicle, throwing it in park. “Fine. Let’s have it out then. Whatever you want to say, just say it.”
“I have nothing to say to you,” I dismiss, turning my head to look out the window.
“I thought it would be better if I stayed away,” he finally says in a voice so quiet, I wonder if he meant to say it out loud.
“Yeah, I got that.”
“No, I don’t think you do,” he continues while I keep my gaze fixed out the window. “Thane letting you go was a damn miracle. He’s like a ticking time bomb when it comes to you. One wrong move, and who’s to say he wouldn’t change his mind?” I don’t say anything because he’s just telling me whatI already know. “He watches you,” he eventually adds in a whisper.
“What?” My head whips around so fast, I think I might have pulled a muscle.
“That’s why I’ve stayed away. You still mean something to him, and I was worried that if I went to you, it would trigger something primal in him. I couldn’t take that risk.”
“Why has he been watching me if he decided to let me go?”
Kole turns away, leaning back into his seat. “Because you’re not the kind of girl a guy just walks away from.”
“No,” I scoff. “I’m just the girl a guy tortures and then stalks apparently.”
“It’s not like that,” he mutters, still looking away from me.
“Then what is it like?”
I sit up, trying to draw his attention, but he whirls around suddenly, slamming his palm against my window.
“You wanna know what it’s like, Grey? It’s like being in a desert without water. Like waking up from a nightmare, only to find you’re still in it. It’s like clawing at your skin to scratch an itch you can never reach.” His eyes fall to my lips as his voice drops an octave. “And it’s like gasping for air as you’re being buried alive.” He pulls his hand away from the window, resting it against my cheek. “Thatis what it feels like to let you go.”
“Because of the mark?”
Kole pulls away with an exhausted sigh. “Yeah, sure. Because of the mark.”
He clutches the steering wheel and takes off down the road at a much faster speed, looking a hell of a lot like his brother despite their opposing physical features. I’m not sure what’s got him brewing with silent rage, but I don’t press him for answers. Instead, I just focus on processing the information I do have.
Even though Thane has agreed to set me free, the bond of the bite is still drawing him to me. Tonight, he showed up because of the eclipse, but what if next time it’s to take me as his pet again?
Sticking around here was stupid. Once Kole brings me back tomorrow, it’s time to get the hell out of here before the bond is too much for Thane to resist, and I end up right back where I started.
Kole
Of course the only thing she got out of that was how Thane had been affected by her absence. It’s like she can’t possibly fathom that someone might actually miss her without some supernatural bite. How am I supposed to get her to see that this isn’t some act I’m putting on when she’s hellbent on believing it is?
I guess it doesn’t really matter since she’ll be back in the woods by tomorrow, and I’ll be forced to stay away from her again. I just hope Thane doesn’t change his mind about letting her go. Even if it pains me not to have her around, I know it’s for the best.
