followed closely by anger. The severity of my rage took me by surprise. My throat vibrated, and a roar erupted that I had no intention of stifling. I charged Noah with all the strength and speed I possessed.
He grunted as I tackled him to the ground, but he didn’t cry out. The feel of flesh pounding flesh was fulfilling, and my body needed to be sated. If not by sex, then by violence.
“Dammit, Rena. I promise I’ll tell you everything I can once I find out what the hell is going on. You have every right to be upset, but you have to trust me.”
He captured my arms in an ironclad grasp, so I butted him in the chin with my head and felt satisfaction at the crunch. He didn’t retaliate against me. He only held me closer. In the back of my mind I knew he had every opportunity to fight back, and he was strong enough to injure me. But he didn’t.
“Trust you?” I yelled. “You’ve done nothing but play with my emotions and evade my questions since I met you.” We were tangled in a heap on the ground, arms and legs entwined. All my speed and strength was useless against him. Definitely not human. I kicked at the back of his leg, and he rolled with me until I was underneath him.
“Stop it, Rena. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. Please listen to me.”
I stopped struggling, not because I wanted to, but because we were at an impasse. We were evenly matched. Our faces were within inches of each other, and our breaths mingled as we gasped for air.
“Will you listen?” Noah whispered.
I nodded yes, but broke eye contact. I stared at his mouth instead.
“There are things you don’t know that you should have been told before we moved to the physical part of our relationship. Things that will affect your future. And mine. When I sought you out this morning, I fully expected for us to meet each other on a level playing field, but we can’t when there’s so much you don’t know. It’s not fair to you.”
“What don’t I know? Tell me.”
There was regret in his eyes, and I knew it was hopeless for me to ask. He lowered his forehead to mine, and my breath caught in my chest at the sweetness of the gesture.
“I give you an oath on my life that I will tell you everything, but I must find out all I can first. I’ll be betraying my people if I tell you this information, and I need to get permission. I need to find out why it was kept from you, and what will happen once you do know. There are those I can ask these questions and get the answers. And then I will come for you, Rena. There’s nothing that could keep me away now that I’ve tasted you.”
I didn’t acknowledge his explanation one way or another. “Just take me home,” I said.
He nodded and let me up. I got in the car with what was left of my dignity, and stared out the window the entire way, not bothering to reply to Noah’s attempts at conversation.
It was late when we finally turned into the long drive that would bring me home. Noah slowed the Jeep before we got to the front of the house.
“Rena, look at me.”
My pride wouldn’t let me do anything but meet him eye to eye.
“No matter what you’re feeling right now or what happens in the future I want you to know how much I want you. I’ve dreamed of you,” he said, running his finger down the slope of my cheek. “And from now on you’re mine.”
“Excuse me?” I said, ire raised at his presumptuousness. “I don’t belong to anyone but myself.”
“Not anymore. And just as you belong to me, I belong to you as well. Your body burns for me just as mine burns for you. I know it goes against every part of your nature, but I want nothing more than to protect you. And to love you.”
A fierce yearning rushed through my body at the mention of love, but I tamped it down. It was a human emotion, and I couldn’t afford to let my humanness get in the way. “Why?” I asked.
“Because you need to be loved.”
I leaned forward until the gearshift pressed against my hip bone and
He grunted as I tackled him to the ground, but he didn’t cry out. The feel of flesh pounding flesh was fulfilling, and my body needed to be sated. If not by sex, then by violence.
“Dammit, Rena. I promise I’ll tell you everything I can once I find out what the hell is going on. You have every right to be upset, but you have to trust me.”
He captured my arms in an ironclad grasp, so I butted him in the chin with my head and felt satisfaction at the crunch. He didn’t retaliate against me. He only held me closer. In the back of my mind I knew he had every opportunity to fight back, and he was strong enough to injure me. But he didn’t.
“Trust you?” I yelled. “You’ve done nothing but play with my emotions and evade my questions since I met you.” We were tangled in a heap on the ground, arms and legs entwined. All my speed and strength was useless against him. Definitely not human. I kicked at the back of his leg, and he rolled with me until I was underneath him.
“Stop it, Rena. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. Please listen to me.”
I stopped struggling, not because I wanted to, but because we were at an impasse. We were evenly matched. Our faces were within inches of each other, and our breaths mingled as we gasped for air.
“Will you listen?” Noah whispered.
I nodded yes, but broke eye contact. I stared at his mouth instead.
“There are things you don’t know that you should have been told before we moved to the physical part of our relationship. Things that will affect your future. And mine. When I sought you out this morning, I fully expected for us to meet each other on a level playing field, but we can’t when there’s so much you don’t know. It’s not fair to you.”
“What don’t I know? Tell me.”
There was regret in his eyes, and I knew it was hopeless for me to ask. He lowered his forehead to mine, and my breath caught in my chest at the sweetness of the gesture.
“I give you an oath on my life that I will tell you everything, but I must find out all I can first. I’ll be betraying my people if I tell you this information, and I need to get permission. I need to find out why it was kept from you, and what will happen once you do know. There are those I can ask these questions and get the answers. And then I will come for you, Rena. There’s nothing that could keep me away now that I’ve tasted you.”
I didn’t acknowledge his explanation one way or another. “Just take me home,” I said.
He nodded and let me up. I got in the car with what was left of my dignity, and stared out the window the entire way, not bothering to reply to Noah’s attempts at conversation.
It was late when we finally turned into the long drive that would bring me home. Noah slowed the Jeep before we got to the front of the house.
“Rena, look at me.”
My pride wouldn’t let me do anything but meet him eye to eye.
“No matter what you’re feeling right now or what happens in the future I want you to know how much I want you. I’ve dreamed of you,” he said, running his finger down the slope of my cheek. “And from now on you’re mine.”
“Excuse me?” I said, ire raised at his presumptuousness. “I don’t belong to anyone but myself.”
“Not anymore. And just as you belong to me, I belong to you as well. Your body burns for me just as mine burns for you. I know it goes against every part of your nature, but I want nothing more than to protect you. And to love you.”
A fierce yearning rushed through my body at the mention of love, but I tamped it down. It was a human emotion, and I couldn’t afford to let my humanness get in the way. “Why?” I asked.
“Because you need to be loved.”
I leaned forward until the gearshift pressed against my hip bone and
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