Page 21 of Tortured Soul (Soulless #1)

“This,” I said, going over the last patch of stubble. “You, reappearing out of nowhere after a century. Me, caving in. Us, having mindless angry sex for days, until it’s not enough to temper our mutual anger anymore and you leave again for another decade or more.”

He grabbed the blade from me and wiped it on his dark jeans, his eyes boring into mine.

“What’s bothering you in all that?”

I frowned. “What do you think? Us, fighting. You, leaving me behind. Me…”

He grinned, dropping the dagger on the ground like it was nothing, leaning forward and pulling me closer to him, grinding his trapped length against my core.

“I don’t want to fight,” he rasped against my temple, hands sliding to grab my backside, rocking me against him with a satisfied groan. “I miss you. Constantly. Your absence is like an itch I can’t scratch. Stay with me for a little while,” he pleaded, a desperate edge to his voice.

Pulling me up against him, his lips met the skin of my throat and I panted, holding on to his wide shoulders for support.

“You didn’t trust me!” he yelled, grabbing at his silver hair, falling to the ground on his knees. “I said I was going to fix it, why didn’t you listen?”

I straightened on the bed, my fingers tightening on the sheet covering my naked body. Tears streamed down my face.

“Dimitri,” I sobbed. “I’m — we’ve been over this. Time and time again, you said you were fine! You said — ”

“How could I be?” he hissed, turning his face toward me. The red swirling angrily in his eyes.

The damn madness. The one I failed to stop.

I choked on another sob.

“You sold your soul , Ania. You’ve ripped that piece of you my soul needed to bind to. The piece of you that connected us!”

“He never said that would happen!” I countered, full on crying now. “He said he could save him if I made a deal. He said if I became the first specimen of their new demon race, he’d bring him back! He didn’t say that he’d rip my soul from me! ”

Dimitri stood up and searched for his clothes angrily around the hotel room.

“You ruined it,” he said through his teeth.

“Our souls were meant to be binded to each other. To others. And you fucking gave it away. All this for what? You might have saved your father, but he died barely a few years later anyway. It was all for nothing. And now what?” He leaned over me, his eyes filled with hate.

With grief. With confusion and insanity.

“Now you’re miserable, I’m cursed beyond repair, and the link connecting me to you?

I’m the only one feeling it. Because your fucking soul is probably in Hell, owned by someone else. ”

He grabbed my throat and I allowed him, closing my eyes, letting the tears fall free.

“Now, tell me how is that fair ? Why is it that my soul belongs to you, and yours is in someone else’s hand when it should be mine ?” he growled in my face before pushing me against the mattress and backing away from me.

I let myself fall on my back on the bed. The bed we were sleeping in one hour ago. The bed we’ve been making love in for the last two days.

I stayed there for twenty-four hours. Alone.

Unmoving. Surrounded by our combined scent.

Trying to remember the ghost feeling of the link binding us.

The link that I almost instantly felt when we met.

The link that synchronized our heartbeats, our feelings.

I remembered how it was the best feeling in the world.

A feeling that disappeared with the loss of my soul.

A feeling that disappeared when that link was snapped shut, preventing Dimitri from binding his soul to mine and breaking his curse.

It felt empty to live without a soul.

But it was worse for the ones whose soul was supposed to bind with mine.

My spine jolted at the memory and I pushed him away, eyes wide.

Dimitri’s gaze was hazy, lips parted.

“You can stay,” I said, placing my hand between us when he tried to lean forward to catch my lips. “But I can’t go through all this anymore.” I shook my head, closing my eyes. “You, suddenly freaking out. Leaving. Again and again. I can’t—I can’t do this anymore.”

“I’m in control of the madness,” he said, searching my eyes. “I’m not saying I’m always in control, but I am right now. I can feel it taking the reins when it happens. If it does, I’ll—I’ll make sure to isolate myself. ”

“No sex,” I added, stopping him again when his eyes dropped to my lips. “Platonic. Friends .”

His hands on my ass slowly let go and slid to my waist. With a frown and a pout on his face, he lifted me to sit me back on the gas tank, putting more distance between us.

“I’m sorry. I…didn’t think you might be with someone. That explains the vibrant glow.” He forced a smile, gesturing at my face. “Not a human glow.”

I arched my brow. Did he think I was rejecting him because I was seeing someone?

“I’m—”

“ Not supposed to be here,” another voice groaned just behind me.

I turned around abruptly, nearly falling off the bike, only caught by Dimitri’s hand holding my waist.

Fuck .

Arc was here. With Carter and Carrie.

And about a dozen guards.

They didn’t look happy.