Page 24 of It's in His Bite

She quickly trailed off as she realized she couldn’t be the one to say it, that if this was truly what the symbol indicated, it would be the faux pas of the century to say it before I did. Her nails dug into my thigh, too.

That lump in my throat grew larger until I practically choked on the mess of emotions.

My gaze flashed to Landon, not daring to trust what I was seeing.

He hadn’t said a word to me since everyone arrived, hadn’t said anything after I confronted him and forced him to confess what he truly felt about being Fated. He… he left me bent over the kitchen island, my orgasm barely crested. Not a single flash of jealousy had marred the lines of his face over the last few days. No, it was Tessa who stepped in and made it clear to Miles that his flirting wasn’t wanted after he ignored my quiet redirections and cold shoulder.

My flame of hope was gone, and I didn’t trust myself to light it again, didn’twantto light it again for it only to get ruined anew.

Landon’s hands were shoved in his slacks, and his shoulders were tight with tension. His eyes were locked on me, flicking between bright red and forest green. He didn’t bother to look at the small box in my lap like everyone else. I supposed he didn’t need to see what was inside.

“Really?” My whisper cut through the room, more effective than a whip’s crack. The small conversations that had restarted stopped, everyone’s attention shifting to… to us.

Landon swallowed heavily, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He nodded once.

“Yes.”

“What is it?” Mom asked.

My gaze flashed to her. She leaned around Dad, her curiosity written across her face. She didn’t know? Had Landon not told my dad?

Not daring to breathe, I pulled out the jewelry box, twisting it so the etching caught the light. The silence of the group took on a new, charged edge as the rest of the room saw the single drop ofblood falling into an infinity symbol—the mark reserved by clans worldwide to designate a vampire’s chosen mate.

Mom’s face paled, her gaze cutting to Dad. Dad, who didn’t seem surprised, but rather only held a wary worry in the set of his jaw and the subtle bit of fang cutting into his lower lip.

“Joshua…” Mom whispered.

Dad squeezed her hand, his knuckles whitening. A muscle ticked in his jaw, but his shoulders relaxed before he said anything. “I know.”

I know.

And suddenly the last twenty-four hours rearranged themselves into a different narrative. My dad and Landon leaving, my dad coming back alone. Had he gone all the way back to the city, to the clan’s mansion? He would have had to run the entire way there and back. No, there was no way he had gone to the city for this. So how had he gotten a hold of one?

“This was where you went?” I asked, still not opening the box itself.

His jaw clenched, that muscle ticking in his neck.

“Yes,” he said, no louder than a whisper.

“I thought you’d gone for a host,” I admitted, tears suddenly lining my lashes. “You came back with everyone else, smelling like blood.”

“Yeah, well, the werewolf wanker had it coming to him,” he groused, his eyes bright red again. “He was miserably smug over the entire thing. I couldn’t let him leave with that damn smirk intact.”

“I…” I swallowed down the rising tide of emotions. “I thought you didn’t want me.”

Devastation flashed across his face, so strong it felt like a punch to my own sternum. Faster than I could track, he was kneeling before me, carefully pulling his hands into mine,spreading my fingers. I thought he was going to hold them, and hope sprang up without my bidding.

And then he set his palm against mine.

His voice flowed into my head, loud and strong and sure.

I’ve wanted you since I saw you last summer. I spent an entire year miserable with wanting you, knowing I shouldn’t. But knowing you’re my Fated? There’s no possible universe where I could stomach being separated from you.

My breath caught in my throat.

“Unless you don’t want me, which is entirely valid. I was a prick of the highest order.” His voice was gruff. His remorse flowed through my gift.

I’m sorry I left you there. You didn’t deserve that. I promise to never desert you from now until my last breath, Harlowe.