Theo
Theo stood looking at Gemma in shock. He had purposely been coming in extremely late, trying to avoid her. He couldn’t stand to be around her, but it wasn’t because of anything she had said or done. It was him and his reactions to her.
When he spent time with Gemma, he tended to forget about Savannah. He didn’t forget that she existed, but he forgot the pain he felt from her death. This was an absolute and complete betrayal to Savannah.
Gemma’s presence was making him happier. For the first time in two hundred years, he was smiling, laughing, relaxing, and enjoying himself.
He didn’t want to be happy with another woman. He didn’t deserve to be happy with another woman. He should be doing what he had been doing for a long time: transform into his dragon form, curl up in a ball, and wait for death.
Theo had to admit he has been doing more living in the last couple of days than he had in centuries.
There was another problem too. Gemma has invoked feelings in him he thought were long dead and buried. It wasn’t just that she made him horny. Hell, there were a lot of girls that could make his dick hard.
His reaction to Gemma went way beyond the physical need to have sex. It was a spiritual reaction. Her body, her mind, and her very being attracted him, and he wanted more than anything to make love to Gemma and truly make her his.
This reaction to Gemma scared him more than he had ever been frightened before. He shouldn’t be having these feelings. Gemma was not his mate. Savannah had been his mate. Savannah was dead.
He wanted to tell her the truth, but he didn’t know how. The answers to her questions were stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t force them out.
Gemma took a couple steps toward him, looking him straight in the eyes. Her gaze captured his, and he couldn’t move.
He saw the raw emotion in her eyes, the questions, and her vulnerability. Theo couldn’t stop himself.
He wrapped his arms around Gemma and devoured her mouth, passionately, painfully.
Gemma wrapped her arms around him, pressed her body against his, and responded with equal passion.
Theo suddenly forgot all his conflicts and worries. The only thing that existed was Gemma. Her scent, the feel of her body, and even more, the feelings that being close to her created inside his body.
He kicked the door shut with his foot, his mouth never leaving Gemma’s. He cupped her face in his hands as she threaded her fingers through his hair.
“Gemma, I…” he started to say.
“What is it, Theo?” she asked, looking into his eyes.
“It’s too much,” he said.
“I don’t understand,” she responded. “I don’t know what I did wrong. I don’t know why you don’t want to be around me anymore.”
He grabbed her hand and took her upstairs to her bedroom, and sat her next to him. He couldn’t tell her anything if she was on his lap because he couldn’t think. He couldn’t formulate a single coherent thought.
“You haven’t done anything wrong, Gemma. The problem is me,” Theo started to say.
Tears pooled in Gemma’s eyes which made Theo’s heart feel as though someone had stabbed him.
“Is this one of those lame break up lines when we aren’t even officially dating?” she asked, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. “Is pretending to be my mate getting to be too hard for you, and you want to stop? Do I need to leave? If so, I understand.”
Theo winced at how close she was in her guess. How could he tell her that she was making him forget about all the pain of losing Savannah, and he couldn’t lose the pain because that was all he had for the last two hundred years. He didn’t know anything else, and he didn’t want anything else.
Gemma took his silence as an assent, and she stood. Silently, she grabbed the single bag she had come with and started putting only the things she had brought with her into the bag.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Clearly, this is too much for you. I release you from your vow. It is not you breaking it. It is me. I have to hide out only for a couple more months. I don’t wish to cause you any more harm or any other problems,” she said, her voice very low and formal as though she was afraid of revealing too much emotion.
“I don’t wish to be released from my vow. I made a promise to your great-grandfather, and I intend to keep it. I promise that you have done nothing wrong. You amaze me with how brave and incredible you have been your entire life, and you haven’t let your hardships ruin you or your outlook on your future. I admire you,” Theo said.
“You are confusing me,” she said, stuffing the last of her things into the bag. “I don’t know what you want from me. First, you are all about helping me, getting your scent on me, training me to act like your mate. Then, out of the blue, you act like you can’t stand the very sight of me, as though I disgust you.”
Theo ran his hand through his hair. The misery and confusion he heard in her voice matched what he felt in his heart. He had no idea how to explain his thoughts and feelings to her.
He walked to her and lifted her face to his.
“Gemma, I’m sorry if I’ve stressed you. I don’t know what to say or how to explain anything,” Theo said.
She just stared into his eyes. The silver misted with tears.
Unable to control himself, he once again lowered his head to hers and consumed her mouth with his in a passionate kiss.
