“I never wanted to fight with humans.”
His head snaps to mine, fury radiating from him. His clenched jaw and narrowed eyes make me want to retreat, but I don’t.
“You’re the one who insisted,” he says through gritted teeth. “I asked if you were sure.”
“Well, I wasn’t,” I yell. “My life was just flipped upside down, and then that human girl practically challenged me.”
He groans. “Leave Maeve out of this.”
“Now you’re defending her?” My hands fly up in awhat the actual fuckexpression. “You know what? You should go,” I say, turning away from him and heading inside.
I’m halfway up the stairs when he comes bounding up behind me.
“Stop it, Tori. Don’t even think about pulling this bullshit. I won’t let you push me away. Not after what just happened.”
“What happened was me taking care of business, Zeke. What I was born to do,” I throw over my shoulder, stepping into my room and plopping down on my bed.
“Never in front of humans. You know better.”
“I know nothing,” I scream. “I’m damned to this place, and the only thing I can cling to is hunting. Now you want me to give that up to fight with some pathetic humans?” I blow out a harsh breath, preparing to send him packing. I’m wiped out from the hunt, and this conversation isn’t going to go well tonight.
“You’re going to give us away, Tori. You have to be smarter.”
“You know what, you’re right. You should run away from this,” I snap. “You have no idea what trouble I’ll bring you. Do us both a favor, Ezekiel, and forget I exist.”
He bends down, grabbing me by both elbows and pulling me to my knees so that we’re face to face. His chest heaves as he attempts to control his mounting anger.
“That’s never gonna happen, Tori. I don’t scare so easily. You of all people should know that once I’ve got something in my sights, I’ll move Heaven and Earth to have it.”
“I don’t know that,” I bite. “How would I? I barely know you.”
“Do you believe all of the lies you tell, Tori? For two damn years I’ve pursued you.”
“And I’ve told you to go away,” I shriek, growing more annoyed by the second.
He lowers his mouth to my ear. “Except when you don’t. You play games, Victoria, and you know it. As much as you try to pretend it never happened, I see you wanting to fall back on that time we shared. You want this as much as I do.”
The truth in those words is frustrating. I try to do right by him, but he won’t let me. I allow him in, and he tries to change me. It’s a no-win situation for both of us, when neither wants to give in fully.
“You can’t do this, Zeke. It’s not fair. I’ve done everything to keep you at arm’s length, for your own good. But you never listen.” I shove him away from me. “You break down my walls and I give in, only for you to try to change me. This is me. I’m not altering who I am for anyone. Especially not for some ragtag group of humans.”
“I don’t need your protection, Tori. And I sure as hell never asked you to change. I just want you to be safe,” he yells. “I just want you.”
The room is shrouded in darkness, save for the sliver of light filtering in through the window. The vulnerability displayed by Zeke has me breathing heavily and my eyes dropping to the floor. This is so unlike him, and it’s not fair that he feels this way without knowing everything about me.
Can you really start a relationship based on half-truths and unforgivable circumstances?
“If you knew why I fell, you wouldn’t think so damn highly of me,” I admit, keeping my gaze lowered to the ground.
Zeke’s fingers tip my chin up so that he can look directly into my eyes. “I don’t care about your past, Tori. I want your future.”
“Don’t say things like that,” I whisper, our mouths mere inches apart.
Zeke forges on with his declarations. “Eternity’s a long time to be alone. I want to know everything about you. I want you by my side every day and in my bed every night.”
My breath hitches, the power of his words instigating shivers under his touch and leaving me wordless.
“Let go of whatever’s holding you back. Let me make you feel good.”
