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“That’s why you keep running from me?”

I nodded and bit my lower lip to stop myself from saying more.

Draven pressed his thumb on the stinging flesh, pulling my lip free. “Tell me.”

I closed my eyes, looking into his was too much. “Yes,” I rasped. “If I keep running, and if I keep pushing you to the limit of your control, then maybe you’ll snap. Maybe you’ll show yourself and all the darkness and hatred you really feel for me. It’ll be easier not to care, then.”

The sound of him swallowing was audible. “You don’t want to care for me?”

I shook my head. “If I let myself care for you, it will hurt so much worse when you finally betray me, just like Brody did.” My lips trembled. “I don’t want to care for anyone like that again.” I didn’t even know I felt like that way, not until the words were pulled from me.

He cupped my face gently, his fingers swiping over the markings on my cheek. “Look at me.”

I did, like I was a puppet on his string.

He looked into my eyes. “No matter how you feel about me, you won’t ever allow yourself to give in to it, will you? You won’t become my mate of your own free will?”

“You thought I was capable of murder a few minutes ago, why would you want that?”

“Answer me.”

My heart raced, and I felt sick to my stomach. This was too much. Still, the words were forced from my lips. “I will never give in to another male, not ever again.” It hurt, realizing that, but it was the truth.

“But you want me?”

“Yes.” I was shaking so hard now with anger that he was making me say these things and at myself for being so damn broken.

“And deep down, you want me to take the choice from you, don’t you, petal?” His voice was so low now, and husky.

I pressed my lips together, fighting the word trying to force its way past my lips. I blinked, and tears slid down my face. “Yes,” I whispered. “I hate you so much right now.”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You’ll get over it.”

I felt out of control, small, and I hated that most of all. “Whatever you’re planning, please, don’t do it. Walk away from me, forget I exist. We’re not good for each other.” That was the truth as well. I wanted him, but my fear was greater.

“I know you believe that, Iris. But I’ve waited for you, waited to find you for close to four hundred years.” He brushed my cheek with his thumb. “You’ve been honest with me…”

“I didn’t have a choice.”

He ignored that and carried on. “So I’m going to be honest with you. I didn’t want to want you, little witch, not at first. I believed I hated you. But only because I thought you were Selene. I don’t feel that way anymore. I want to make you mine. I want to protect you, possess you. I want to feed you and sleep beside you. I want to fuck you until neither of us can walk—”

“Stop.” I tried to shove him away, even as my body reacted to his words, as the craving I felt for him grew even stronger.

He ignored my struggles and carried on. “And if I ignore all that, what I want and need from you, and walk away like you’re asking me to…I will go insane. I will lose my mind, and my pack will either be forced to put me down or end your life to save me. Neither of those things work for me. There is only one option, and since I know you won’t give in to me on your own, I’ll do what I need to, to remove that choice from you. To make this easier on both of us.”

He took my face in his large hands and kissed me, soft brushes of his lips against mine, almost—sweet, and it didn’t matter how angry I was with him, I kissed him back, unable to stop myself.

Finally, he lifted his head and stood, putting me on my feet. “Go home, Iris.”

“What are you going to do?”

He was already walking away.

“Draven! What the hell are you going to do?”

Then he was gone.

CHAPTER 21