“Did you give him your blood willingly?” he asked between clenched teeth.
“Well, no. Not really. He gave me a choice that wasn’t really a choice.”
“And for that, I am going to kill him.”
“When you’ve bitten me …matedme … do you think that killing urge will evaporate?”
“Why would it?”
“Because then you’d have tasted my blood, too,” she whispered.
“Jesus, Lilliane.” He stood, carefully depositing her into the chair before he started to pace.
“Well, it’s a fair question. When you bite me, there’s blood, right?”
“Is that why you want to be mated? Because you think it’ll make this better?”
She paused, now uncertain. “Wouldn’t it?”
His eyes were dark pools as he shook his head. His jaw was clenched so hard that she feared for his teeth. Didn’t a wolf need all his teeth? He should stop clenching his jaw so much, poor wolf man. “No.” He snapped out the word like she shouldn’t question it, but she wasn’t great at taking instructions. Not when she was on a mission.
“Why not?”
“Because when we’re mates…” He stopped short and sighed. “It’s not a reason to get mated, Lilliane. It won’t erase what he did to you or how insane it makes me feel. This fucker hurt you. Continuously. You see him when you close your eyes and when you sleep. I hate thatnow. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’ll be like when we’re bonded. Mated.”
He laughed dryly. “You think I’m this good man. Doing this to help you. Save you. Truth? You want the truth, Lilliane? I’m a selfish fucker. I want to erase him from existence for daring to breathe the same air as you. For tasting what keeps you alive. Because you’remine, Lilliane. Mine. And I hate the idea he got to you first. Got to hurt you before I knew you existed. Before I got the chance to protect you. I don’t want to kill him to keep you safe. I want to erase him from the world. Maybe then, it can be like I never let you down.”
She heaved a heavy sigh, coming to her feet. She rushed to him and hugged him from behind. “That was the bestI-love-youspeech I ever heard,” she whispered. “Seriously, it’s alpha, but,” she shrugged, “that’s who you are. I’m kinda into it. It’s nice to know I’m not alone anymore.”
He pressed his hands to hers and laughed dryly. “Not sure you heard me right.”
“I heard every word, Atlas. You think that wanting those things makes you bad?” She snorted. “I want them too. Does that makemebad?”
He pushed her hair back. “Not in the least, darling. Not in the least. There isn’t a bad thing about you.”
“Atlas, I want to let you take care of all of this for me. I’m so tired of running or trying to be strong, even when I’m scared. But it’s too much to ask. I know that. I also know you need to do it for me. Isn’t it funny how that works? It’s a mess. All tangled in what I want and what you want and what people looking in might think. My sisters…”
“I don’t give a fuck what other people think. Even your sisters. I care whatyouthink, trouble.”
“Then let me think you’re a good man. Because you are, Atlas. You’re the best man I know. And what I am about to ask you is gonna shock you. Honestly, I know that, but I want you to consider it. Do that for me?”
He nodded, but his eyes were still dark with uncertainty. “What is it, trouble?”
“Tonight, like, basically right now, we are going to go upstairs, and we are going to have sex.” He spun her around his body to face her. His eyes were hard, but she wasn’t done. She ran her hands over his shoulders, his chest, landing on his face. “And just as I’m about to come, you will bite me. Mate me. Make me yours forever so that nothing can come between us. Not even ourselves.”
TWENTY-ONE
ATLAS
Make me yours forever so that nothing can come between us. Not even ourselves.
Lilliane’s words echoed in his mind as he stared into her eyes.
She was serious. Dead serious. There was a determined glint in her gaze, and he didn’t have to be a mind reader to know she wasn’t going to change her mind. She had made the decision, and there would be no way out of this.
He still had to try.
“It’s a bad idea.”
