Page 8 of Entwined
Would she?
I’ve always been a possessive male, fixated on ensuring the things that belong to me stay mine.Like Connor.
He became mine the moment I saved his life by meldingour souls, ensuring there’d never be one without the other. Neither of us could have ever predicted the far-reaching consequences my choices would have that day, but I’ve never regretted my decision.
And I wouldn’t regret doing anything that bound Felicity to me, either.
“Vaelor,” Connor suddenly says, his voice calmer, edged with wariness. “Whatever you’re thinking?—”
“She’s ours,” I cut him off. “And she responded to both of us today, right?” He stares at me mutinously. I don’t blink and, after a moment, he jerks his chin down, and my lips curl up. “That’s what I thought.”
He lets out a rough sigh, combing an agitated hand through his hair. “So what’s the plan?”
I crack my neck, acting like we haven’t already discussed this in-depth more than once. My magic throbs under my skin, a barely restrained pulse. “We’ve got a week until the party. That’s our deadline. We use the time between now and then to ensure she doesn’t get a chance to rebuild her defenses against us. No time or distance.”
Connor scowls, his eyes narrowing on me. “And you actually think this will work? She might hate us even more.”
He’s talking about the party now, and theMireveilhidden in the trunk under my bed—the purple draught that will ease Felicity into sleep and leave her drowning, trapped in a haze of her own want.
And we’ll be right there to satisfy it.
But I keep that to myself. “I told you,” I say succinctly, lifting my brows, “it’s not me she’s angry at. But you scented her earlier. Tell me, did she really seem furious to you? Did shesmellof hatred?”
His nostrils flare, eyes going ravenous as he breathes out, “She smelled intoxicating.” His teeth snap together like he’s imagining taking a bite out of her.
I eye him, seeing the shimmer just under his skin, the wolf prowling close to the surface. The last two years of restraint have steadily eroded his control, leaving his beast angry and violent, clawing closer and closer to the surface—knowing his mate is so close, but unable to claim her. Even if we hadn’t made this deal with his family, I know we’re out of time.
It would’ve been different if he and I weren’t connected. If I weren’t involved, Connor wouldn’t have hesitated to claim Felicity as his, but I can’t bring myself to feel guilty about that. Not when I know that if I weren’t soul-bound to Connor,shewould never have been mine…Only his.
“I need to purge.” I lift a hand as if he might be able to see the electrical current of magic pulsing under my skin.
He nods once. “Fine. I’ll go find some food and head back to our room.” Our shared dorm isn’t in the same building as Felicity’s, but it’s still closer than where we currently are. Just with less of a view.
He turns to leave, but something else occurs to me. “Connor.” He pauses, throwing me a look over his shoulder. “Is Selena going to be a problem?”
He blinks, mouth pressing into a confused frown. “Who?”
I roll my eyes. “The one who accosted you in the hallway.” His frown deepens. “Broke into our room. Naked. Burned your bed.”
“Oh.” Understanding finally crashes through his eyes. “What about her?”
“Is she going to be a problem?” I repeat.
He lifts a shoulder, shaking his head. “I don’t see why she would be. I don’t even fucking know her.” With that, he stalks out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving me to analyze the sinking feeling of premonition settling in my gut like a stone.
CHAPTER FIVE
felicity
My heart still hasn’t eased back into a normal rhythm by the time I’m safely back in my dorm room, my back pressed up against the closed door.
What the hell just happened?
I feel like there are thousands of insects crawling over my body, every inch of skin tingling and itching withneed. I can still feel the phantom touch—frost and ice—tracing over my skin. Under my clothing, my nipples throb in remembrance of his ruthless caress, a low thrum pulsing between my legs. My fingers twitch with the urge to delve under the waistband of my pants and shove myself off the edge of the cliff he left me hanging onto, but I clench my hands into fists, pressing them forcefully into the muscles of my thighs. Each breath hitches in my throat, a low, keening sound of need escaping me, sweat dampening my skin as I try to bury the ache.
I won’t give in.
This feeling he’s left me with, thisdesire, is just a figment of my imagination. It’s part of his power, tricking my mind into thinking I want him when I don’t.