Page 156 of His Ruthless Match

“Eva,” he said, shaking his head with a small, rueful smile. “I know better than anyone that we can’t control who we love. Youthink I wanted to fall for Vivian? I fought it tooth and nail, but look at me now.” He flashed his wedding ring before his smile faded. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll get this figured out. And soon, you’ll be back to your normal life.”

My stomach turned at the thought. My “normal life” had been an endless cycle of meetings, court dates, paperwork, and sleepless nights digging into casework. It was dull, suffocating, and lonely. The idea of returning to that—of living without Jareth, of never seeing him again—made me feel physically ill.

I shook my head. “I don’t want my normal life. Not anymore. I want him. I need to apologize to him for lying, Raffy. For pushing him too far even though I knew it was dangerous. I need him to forgive me.”

Raffaele looked down at me, his dark eyes filled with sympathy. He didn’t argue, didn’t tell me I was wrong or foolish. He just pulled me back into his arms and held me as I cried.

I didn’t know how to fix this. I didn’t know if itcouldbe fixed. But I knew one thing with absolute certainty: I couldn’t lose Jareth. Not like this. Not forever.

When Raffaele left, I sat in stunned silence. Had I pushed Jareth away without realizing it?

I’d always been a loner. The kid whose father had murdered her mother. What kind of fucked-up history was that? Certainly not the kind that I could ever outrun, or the kind that I intended to share with a significant other.

My whole life, I’d tried to escape The Below, to escape the fact that my father was Lord Thorne. Yet here I sat, in Raffaele’s mansion, crying over a magical being who’d somehow stolen my heart. When had it happened? I wasn’t certain.

The knock on my bedroom door startled me, though I was too lost in my thoughts to react. I barely noticed Grelth pushing the door open. He carried two large boxes stacked precariously in his arms, his expression as gruff and annoyed as ever. Butthere was something softer in his eyes this time, something that made me sit up straighter.

“Uh, hi?” I managed, though my voice came out flat.

Grelth grunted as he set the boxes down near the edge of the room, muttering something under his breath. When he turned to face me, he paused, and I thought I saw the faintest flicker of concern in his gaze.

“He’s not angry at you, you know,” Grelth said, his tone rough but lacking its usual bite.

I blinked rapidly. “What?”

“Master Jareth,” Grelth clarified, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. “He’s not angry. Master Grelth thought you should know.”

The mention of Jareth’s name was enough to make my chest tighten painfully. “Then why did he leave?” My voice cracked on the last word, and I hated how small I sounded.

Grelth’s long, drawn-out sigh was more irritation than pity. “Because you’re his fated mate.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. My stomach churned, and I stared at him, my mind racing. “What… what did you just say?”

But Grelth wasn’t looking at me anymore. He’d turned back to the boxes, busying himself by pulling items out and setting them on the desk in the corner of the room. His movements were deliberate, as if he was avoiding the weight of my gaze.

“What a hassle,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “Fate picks a mate for you, and suddenly you can’t even function without thinking about them. Ridiculous. Master Jareth’s acting like a damn fool, if you ask me. Like a scaredy cat. All worried about losing his fated mate. Give me a break.”

“What the hell did you just say, Grelth?”

Grelth startled at the sound, glancing over his shoulder with a sheepish grin. “Oops.”

“Grelth, what are you talking about? What do you mean byfated mate?”

He scratched the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at me. “Well,” he started, dragging the word out. “Master Grelth probably shouldn’t have said anything, but Master Jareth told me. He said you’re his fated mate. You know, like… fate’s perfect match for him or whatever.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and suffocating. I felt my knees weaken, and I gripped the edge of the bed to steady myself. “Perfect match?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. “What does that even fucking mean?”

Grelth gave a half-hearted shrug, though his tone was almost conversational as he unpacked more of my belongings. “It means the fates, or whatever forces are out there, decided you’re the one person who’s meant for him. Like,the one.The only one who can complete him. It’s all very electric, irresistible, blah blah blah.”

I stared at him, my mind spinning. “Electric and irresistible?” I echoed, my voice shaking.

“Yeah,” Grelth said, waving a hand as if it were the most mundane thing in the world. “Supposedly, it’s the purest, strongest form of love there is. You feel this bond that pulls you together, makes you crave each other in a way that’s impossible to ignore. Big hassle, if you ask Master Grelth.”

I sank into the chair by the desk, my heart pounding in my chest. The words echoed in my mind—electric, irresistible, impossible to ignore.It explained so much. Why I’d felt this pull to Jareth from the start, why being near him had always felt both thrilling and terrifying. Why his absence now felt like a piece of me had been ripped away, leaving me raw and vulnerable.

I buried my face in my hands, the weight of it all crashing down on me. “I really screwed up,” I muttered, more to myself than to Grelth.

He glanced at me, his expression softening. “Miss Eva, Master Jareth isn’t upset with you. He’s doing what he feels is best to protect you.”