Page 18 of Hunted to Be Mine

A line pulled tight between us. Not just the danger of his past, but something more immediate—the pull between us that neither acknowledged but both felt.

“Fine.” I changed tactics. “Close your eyes.”

His brow lifted. “Getting personal, Doctor?”

“Just do it.”

After a long moment, he complied, his lashes dark against his cheeks. Without his gaze pinning me, I could study the lines of his face—the scar at his temple, the tension in his jaw.

“Now, I want you to think about a smell or taste that feels familiar. Not from a mission. Something older.”

His breathing slowed. For several heartbeats, nothing happened. Then his fingers twitched.

“Snow.” The word came out as a breath. “Wind. And… something burning.”

“Good. Stay with that.”

“An old building. Night. Fire.” His voice grew distant. “Someone screaming.”

I watched his face change—softening around the edges. Whoever he’d been before Oblivion, that person was still in there.

“Can you see who was screaming?”

His forehead tightened. “A woman. Dark hair. She’s saying something about—” He jolted, eyes open. “No.”

“What happened?”

“Wall.” He pressed his palms against his temples. “Hit a fucking wall.”

“That’s normal. Memory recovery isn’t linear.”

“Nothing about this is normal.” His eyes locked on mine, pupils dilated. “They put walls in my head, Doctor. And when I try to climb them…” He swallowed hard. “It hurts.”

The use of my title didn’t escape me. Nor did the genuine pain in his expression.

“We’ll try again. Different approach.”

“No.” He stood abruptly, pacing to the wall and back. “This isn’t working.”

“We’ve barely started.”

“And already failing.” He stopped, towering over me. “You want to know what’s in my head? Let me show you.”

Before I could react, he took my hand and pressed it to his temple. His skin was warm against my palm.

“What are you doing?” I kept my voice steady despite the shock of contact.

“Making you feel it.” His other hand covered mine, holding it in place. “The walls. The gaps. Right here. Where they unmade me.”

His pulse hammered under my fingers. A raw note flashed, then was gone.

I should have pulled away. Maintained boundaries. Instead, I let my fingers curl just enough against his skin.

“Tell me what you need.”

His eyes hardened. “I need you to…”

The world exploded.