Images flip through my mind—of her, my mate. Then I see flickers of the time between my torturous death and now.
I pry open my eyes. I’m no longer in the warehouse.
“Jade?” my voice cracks, hoping she isn’t gone. That she isn’t an enchanting hallucination.
“I’m here,” she whispers.
My eyes dart across the small space to see her beautiful, expressive face lit by the glow of my skin that simmers with flame.
Maxum and Flint are here as well, standing like giant guards at her side. Their gaze is wary and protective, as if they expect me to lunge at her. Hurt her.
“Are you okay?” she asks. “Do you remember what happened?”
The answer formulates as memories merge in my mind.
My soul was fractured, left to rot. But now my phoenix form is back.
I’m whole.
“Yeah. The warehouse. You put me back together.” I wipe my brow and frown at the sweat I find on my forearm. “Why is it so uncomfortable in here?” I glance around at the strange room. “Did something else happen? Where are we?”
“We’re in Raithe’s regeneration cellar,” Jade says, then glances at Maxum as if she’s questioning if she should say more.
“Please, just tell me.” I sigh, rubbing my face and scooting back to the wall to lean against it. “I’m horribly fatigued, and I don’t have patience for anyone skirting around the truth.” I stare into her eyes, like she’s the only one I’m willing to hear it from. “Am I dying the final death?”
She bites her plump, crimson lip. “It depends.”
Blood drains from my face. I don’t know if it’s from the dread or from how much I want to suck her lip into my mouth. Probably both.
“Your flames.” She pauses, then goes on. “You dove at me when you were in full phoenix mode.”
“Goddess!” My whole body goes on alert and my eyes search her for injury. “Did I hurt you?” Not seeing anything obvious, I quickly look at Maxum and Flint, wondering why they let me live if I did. Or maybe they’ve already killed me a few times to get it out of their system and I don’t remember.
“You didn’t hurt me. But that’s part of the problem. Your fire engulfed me, and I didn’t burn.”
“And… that confirms… you are…” The pieces all fall into place. My feverish skin, my urge to worship her body, and her worried expression. I have mating fever. “No. This can’t behappening.” I yank my hair. I already knew it, didn’t I? Ididtouch her with my fire during the first day of training. From the beginning, even when I thought she killed Osen, I felt the pull to mate just as much as my brothers did.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she murmurs, her voice full of regret and heartbreak. “Or put your life in danger because of a bond you don’t really want.”
“What?” I gasp, realizing she’s taking the blame. “No. I’m sorry that you feel burdened by my trauma.”
“But you might die now… because I came into your life.” Tears fall from her glowing green eyes.
“I’m the broken one.” I scoot closer, craving to reach out, but I fear the emotions swirling inside. “It’s you who shouldn’t even consider bringing me into your heart and into your bonds.”
She stills, eyes wide. “You’re pack. And I want to be with you.”
“No. I won’t have you pressured into a mating bond with me.” I shake my head vigorously and scramble backward until my back slams against the wall.
My heart screams in agony. It wants her more than it wants blood in my veins.
Then the broken, angry pieces stir in my mind. Confusion.
“Your soul is trying to reconcile these last years,” Maxum explains, like I can’t feel that slamming sensation in my thoughts, trying to jam everything together. “And Raithe said that the mating fever might be eased by being close to each other. Skin to skin, if possible. But if you use touch to defer the fever, andthenyou decide against mating, it will probably mean your death. No touching and furthering the bond, and you still have a chance to recover if you reject her.”
My hands itch with the need to caress her soft skin. “I’m terrified I’ll hurt you.”
“And I worry I might trigger your trauma,” she says.
