Page 91 of Dark Flame

“First, I want to try one of the rumoured abilities.”

“Which is?” She drags her tongue over her bottom lip, teasing me with the taste I haven’t had my fill of quite yet.

I stare at her, mentally verbalizing what I want to, urging her to hear me.

Harlow.

She gasps, her eyes blown wide and slaps my shoulder. “No, no, no! Not this again. I won’t fuckin’ deal, not again.” Her palms press into the sides of her head as she shakes it back and forth. “You knew, this whole time, why I’ve been hearing your voice! Did you know I’d be your Bride? Was this yet more fucking lies, another person deciding my future?”

Using the tree as leverage to keep her upright, I manacle my hands around her wrists and tug them away from her head. “No, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have bit you had I known.” Although she doesn’t visibly show it, her emotions flinch with hurt. “I’ve never heard of mated pairs being able to hear one another before bonding. I don’t know why you did, but perhaps it’s a result of being a witch. When I called your name before barging into the witch’s home, that was the first time I’ve ever consciously attempted to mentally contact you, so anytime before today wasn’t my doing.” Deliberately, anyway.

Her fight ceases, shoulders slumping. “Fuck. Wow. Okay. Wow.” She swallows her rambles, finally managing a few coherent words. “On one hand, cool, but on the other, I’m already trying to get away from you as is. I don’t need more ways for you to torment me.”

“Every hour since biting you has been torment, Hellion, so I don’t see how this is any different.”

Her eyes flash with something unspoken, and the bond reveals nothing. Whatever it is passes for determination as she narrows her eyes, looking intent enough to scour my soul.

After another moment, the expression breaks for a puffed breath and, “Nothing?”

Smirking, I reply in her head.If that was you attempting to speak to me, I heard nothing. Assuming for the same reason you won’t feel my emotions. Not until you drink my blood.

“So never.”

If that’s what you want.

“I want you to put me down.”

This time, I listen, allowing her body to slide against mine, feeling her soft curves against the hard planes of my body. I remain where I stand, and when she tries to cut to the side to regain space, my arm comes up, blocking her.

“We’re not finished.”

“Was me slamming you against the wall not a good enough hint?”

“My Bride is powerful. Why would I be upset?”

“Yeah, well, yourpowerful Brideis getting annoyed and has another hex ready if you don’t back the fuck up and let me go.”

“Why would I do that when we’re moments away from heading back to the castle?”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. Iranfrom you. If you forgot, you kidnapped me. You were going to use me and then kill me.”

There’s no denying the past, but there’s also no denying how the future is vastly different, and thatshe’smy future. She’ll be who I go through life for. She’llbemy life. While I don’t believe in fate, her kind does, and somewhere along the way, she became my fate. For that reason, I’ll protect her above anything—myself included.

“You’re my?—”

“No.” She shoves her hand over my mouth, cutting me off. Her skin is a bite away, but I limit myself to only a brief lick, pleased when her cheeks flush pink and she doesn’t pull away. “Without the title,” she continues, her voice a bit unstable, and lowers her hand. “I know what I am to you, but the fact remains that witches don’t have mates. Theonlyreason you want me at all is because of the bond. Otherwise, you hate me being your mate. Hell, you hateme, so why should I want to be around you? Give me one good reason.”

Battles and wars where so few survived to be victors were simpler than dealing with this woman.

“I’ve wanted you for a while, but my hate blinded me.”

She freezes, mouth parted. A squirrel nearby squeaks, and Harlow returns to the moment. “You’re lying.”

I wish I were.That I keep to myself.

“You’ve been my obsession longer than I realized you were.”

“That’s not the same. You were obsessed with using me, not getting to know me.”