Page 31

Forcing out a long exhalation, I said, “It’s not you, Emme.

The goddess fated you to be mine, and she chose very well.

There’s no one else in the world I would want other than you, but despite our deepening bond, I haven’t changed, and neither has my dragon.

He’s never to be fully trusted, and for that reason, I can’t be trusted with you.

You’re too precious to risk. Do you understand? ”

The blue of her eyes was piercing as she stared up at me, and though her expression remained neutral, her lower lip trembled. “What if it’s a risk I’m willing to take?” she replied harshly, and I had to acknowledge the logic in that response.

“To some degree, it is your risk,” I agreed, “but I’m the one who has to live with the consequences. You’re my responsibility to protect. A responsibility I’ve failed at more than once.”

She shook her head, her laughter bitter and broken.

“I’m only here because of you. You’ve fulfilled your responsibility to me plus more.

If you weren’t beating yourself up so hard, you’d see that.

You saved me when Blaine took us to Silver City, and then again in Texas when you were strong enough to knock Talon out and fly off with him before Fletcher returned. You’re my fucking savior.”

When she stepped into me, my dragon rumbled loud in my chest, and my dick kicked in my pants. The dragon’s rage wasn’t new, but the arousal was, and only ever around Emme. Calm the fuck down, both of you .

“Are you no longer afraid of what bonding to all of us would mean?”

Reminding her of why she’d avoided us for years was a low blow, but my resolve was crumbling under her scent, earnest expression, and those perfect freckles drawing my gaze. She was the drug I craved, and I’d probably have to kill myself to stay away from her for eternity.

Which I’d do if it kept her safe.

Emme gave my question great consideration.

“I think I’m more afraid now of what it would mean to not be fully bonded in our pack.

We’re weaker this way, which is allowing Fletcher to take advantage of us.

I won’t stand for that any longer, even if it means I have to share my power between the five of you to defeat him. ”

The very thought was enough for the fires in my gut to flare, and I barely toned them down before Emme was scorched by the blowback of heat. I know she caught the flash of dragon in my eyes, her gaze drawn to my face as she gasped.

But she didn’t back away.

My brave little omega took another step closer until she only had to breathe deeply for her chest to touch mine. I wasn’t sure what would happen if she initiated the touch, and with that in mind, I released her hand and swung away, heading into the training facility.

Her exhalation of annoyance was audible from behind, but she followed without another word, as if she knew we were at an impasse. An impossible impasse. Unless something changed between me and my beast.

“Talon has the same instability,” she piped up when we were almost to the training field, as if she’d been thinking it over on the walk.

I continued toward the middle which had already been cleared of snow. “Even more reason for me not to bond with you too,” I bit out. “I’m the only who can stop him from hurting you, so I need to keep a level head.”

I paused at the scent of sorrow lacing her sweetness, but a glance back showed her neutral expression. Neutral bothered me as much as her tears.

Emme, for all her past traumas, was generally open with her emotions.

She never hid the way she felt, and I’d been craving that refreshing honesty from the first moment I’d seen her snowy white wolf prancing through the forest.

“Don’t hide from me, Snow,” I growled, pausing to stare at her.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re a moody bastard. You know that, right?”

I couldn’t even fucking argue that point. Lately my moods had swung on a pendulum large enough to hit the fucking moon. Which was what she did to me… turned my life into one of turmoil and beauty. My dragon wasn’t equipped to handle it, and neither was the man.

“And how am I hiding?” she continued, hands on her slim hips. “I’m here, pushing you out of your comfort zone, where it’s safe and perfect.”

Leaning down, I let my lips linger near hers, reminded of that taste I’d had back in the containment room. “There’s nothing safe and perfect around me, Snow. And I don’t want you to hide your emotions from me. They’re mine. Your desires are mine. Your tears are mine. I want them all.”

She swallowed roughly and managed to say, “Even when you offer nothing in return?”

Ah, my poor Snow. “Yes. I’m a selfish bastard, but you already knew that. Now let’s get you trained up.”

She huffed, but I didn’t give her a chance to respond. In the distance, Warrick and his enforcers were warming up, and my squad had just emerged from the obstacle course room dressed in their gear, with weapons strapped across their bodies.

As they approached us, they eyed Emme with curiosity but knew better than to get too close.

“This is Emmeline,” I said, meeting each of their stares.

Most of them looked away, unable to handle the dominance of my beast. “We protect her with our lives. If anything happens to her, I will destroy the fucking world. Understand?”

Emme spluttered and opened her mouth to object, but she didn’t get a chance over my squad slamming their fists to their chests in a loud thump. “Yes, Alpha Slade,” they shouted. “We have our orders.” And there would be no mercy for any who disobeyed.

When I turned to Emme, there was nothing neutral in her expression any longer, and I wanted to pin her to the icy ground and sink my dragon’s fangs into her throat. Her fire was addictive, and I was a desperate, depraved shifter.

“Come on, sweetheart,” I said, the endearment slipping out. “Let’s get your training started.”

Pink tinged her cheeks, and the fury in her gaze and obvious need to yell at me faded.

Not that I would have cared. Emmeline was the only shifter in the world who could speak to me in whatever tone she wanted and I’d just fucking take it. She had all the damn power here.

“Yes, sir,” she muttered, and when she acted like a brat, I wanted to tie her to my bed and take control of every part of her body until she shattered under my touch.

A rumble filled my chest as she let the slightest smile linger around the corners of her lush lips. We were both aware of exactly what game she played. A dangerous one. “Run, Snow,” I ordered gruffly, and with a wink she did precisely as ordered.

My enforcers fell in behind us, and I remained at her side, moving just above a quick walk. She was tall, but her fitness and running ability left a lot to be desired.

On the first trip around the stadium, we avoided Warrick’s squad, but on the second they’d finished their warmups and were waiting off to the side. Warrick waved at Emme as she passed, and she managed to smile and return the gesture, even though she could barely breathe.

Improving her fitness wouldn’t happen in a day, but I was pleased to see her pushing herself harder than she had last time. She was determined to strengthen herself, and the pride I felt didn’t take me by surprise. It just added another layer to my already complex feelings for her.

By the time warmups and stretches were done, we were ready for drills and sparring. My squad teamed up with their usual partners, and I chose Horton for Emme, unsure I could trust myself to touch her.

“If you initiate more bodily contact than absolutely necessary for each drill,” I warned the eagle shifter, “you will be permanently grounded.” He nodded, his expression relaxed—he’d been expecting the threat.

Emme inserted herself between us like the little brat she was. “Don’t listen to him. I will turn everything in his room to an odd angle if he hurts you even a little. And he knows it.”

Horton’s lips twitched but he saved his own life by managing not to smile. “That won’t be necessary, Omega Emmeline. I understand a mate protecting his female.”

Which was the exact reason he was one of my top enforcers. He understood the rules.

“Please call me Emme,” she corrected. “I hate being addressed so formally.”

Horton’s eyes shot up to meet mine, and even though she deserved the honorific of the title, I wouldn’t go against her wishes here. With my nod, he gave her a relieved smile. “Emme it is, then. You can call me?—”

“Nothing,” I growled. “She doesn’t need to know your name. Now let’s get to sparring drills. Emme has no skills to speak of, so we’re starting at the beginning.”

She glared at me while Horton chuckled. “We all started at the beginning, Emme. We’ll get you trained up in no time.”

With one last withering glare my way, Emme returned her focus to him, and I forced myself to walk away before I did something stupid like kill my top enforcer.

“What are you hoping to work up to?” I heard Horton ask as I strode off.

Her reply was exactly what I hoped and expected from her. “I want to be able to take them all by surprise,” she said in a harder than usual tone. “I want to be a concealed weapon they never see coming. I want to be their worst nightmares.”

Pride flared again as I acknowledged that Emme was, and always would be , my destruction. It was fitting that she might be Fletcher’s too.

I couldn’t wait to see it.