next you’ve done it again. What was that sigh for? There was a look in your eyes that screamed you’d rather be miles away than do what we’re about to do.”
“Conflicting emotions.” He didn’t even bother to turn around when he answered her, he just kept his pace as they made their way between the trees.
“I know that feeling, but aren’t we supposed to be in this together?” She stopped dead in her tracks. “Damn it, Styx, this is hard for me too, and I’m getting a little tired of the mood swings coming from you. One minute you seem content with this mating and the next you’re pushing me away. It’s throwing me off balance and I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”
“I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse as the night progresses.” He stopped but didn’t turn back to look at her.
“You’re not unworthy.”
“What?” He spun around to look at her and even in the darkness she could see his body tighten.
“Theodore said you believe you’re unworthy of mating because of your past.” She crossed the space between them and came to stand just before him. “You’re not.”
“That bear talks too much.”
“He’s enlightening.” She smirked. “I’m being truthful. You’re not unworthy of this.”
“I’ve stolen the last breaths of more people than I care to count. I’ve left widowed mates in my wake and for what? The excuse that I thought I was delivering justice only goes so far, especially when you consider how most of the kills were based on lies. My former Alpha deceived me and many others, but I didn’t realize the lies until it was too late.”
“You know the number.”
“What?”
“Don’t stand there and tell me that you don’t know the number of people you killed because you do.” She reached out and placed her hand over his bicep. “Every single time you’ve killed, it’s stayed with you.”
“How do you know this?” His voice was rough but he didn’t pull away from her.
“This bond between us is overwhelming, and most of it I can’t make sense of yet because it’s so jumbled, but this I know with undying certainty. You have conflicting emotions because you haven’t accepted your past.” There was a sadness in his eyes that let her know that she was speaking the truth. “But there’s a part within you that wants this mating, and it’s not just the tiger urging you on. Focus on that.”
“Catnip, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into it.”
“I’m not going to be appalled by what the connection shows me. You’re more than the man of your past, and I’ll remember that. But have you considered the fact you might not be pleased with me, or what you see during the bonding?”
“There’s nothing that I could see that would change this.” He uncrossed his arms from his chest, and placed his hands on her hips.
“I’m not the strong woman you need by your side, but I’ll try.”
“You don’t see yourself in the same way I see you. It took courage to run, to keep Frank’s men off your trail, and to stay alive while you were waiting for us. That’s strength.” He stared down at her for a moment before he added, “You have no idea what you’re getting into—”
She interrupted him by shaking her head. “Not that again.”
“I’m not talking about mating with me. I mean by supporting Tabitha and coming back to Alaska with me. It’s dangerous, and we have many more battles before us.”
“With you on the frontlines.”
“It’s my duty, but more than that I do it because I know what the world will be like when Tabitha has completely claimed her place and everyone follows her.”
“How much opposition is there?” Talking about him being on the frontlines of their future sent a chill of fear through her. How much danger would her mate be in?
He glanced around the woods, and even as he did so, she let her beast come a little closer to the surface to get a better idea of their surroundings. Was there
“Conflicting emotions.” He didn’t even bother to turn around when he answered her, he just kept his pace as they made their way between the trees.
“I know that feeling, but aren’t we supposed to be in this together?” She stopped dead in her tracks. “Damn it, Styx, this is hard for me too, and I’m getting a little tired of the mood swings coming from you. One minute you seem content with this mating and the next you’re pushing me away. It’s throwing me off balance and I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”
“I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse as the night progresses.” He stopped but didn’t turn back to look at her.
“You’re not unworthy.”
“What?” He spun around to look at her and even in the darkness she could see his body tighten.
“Theodore said you believe you’re unworthy of mating because of your past.” She crossed the space between them and came to stand just before him. “You’re not.”
“That bear talks too much.”
“He’s enlightening.” She smirked. “I’m being truthful. You’re not unworthy of this.”
“I’ve stolen the last breaths of more people than I care to count. I’ve left widowed mates in my wake and for what? The excuse that I thought I was delivering justice only goes so far, especially when you consider how most of the kills were based on lies. My former Alpha deceived me and many others, but I didn’t realize the lies until it was too late.”
“You know the number.”
“What?”
“Don’t stand there and tell me that you don’t know the number of people you killed because you do.” She reached out and placed her hand over his bicep. “Every single time you’ve killed, it’s stayed with you.”
“How do you know this?” His voice was rough but he didn’t pull away from her.
“This bond between us is overwhelming, and most of it I can’t make sense of yet because it’s so jumbled, but this I know with undying certainty. You have conflicting emotions because you haven’t accepted your past.” There was a sadness in his eyes that let her know that she was speaking the truth. “But there’s a part within you that wants this mating, and it’s not just the tiger urging you on. Focus on that.”
“Catnip, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into it.”
“I’m not going to be appalled by what the connection shows me. You’re more than the man of your past, and I’ll remember that. But have you considered the fact you might not be pleased with me, or what you see during the bonding?”
“There’s nothing that I could see that would change this.” He uncrossed his arms from his chest, and placed his hands on her hips.
“I’m not the strong woman you need by your side, but I’ll try.”
“You don’t see yourself in the same way I see you. It took courage to run, to keep Frank’s men off your trail, and to stay alive while you were waiting for us. That’s strength.” He stared down at her for a moment before he added, “You have no idea what you’re getting into—”
She interrupted him by shaking her head. “Not that again.”
“I’m not talking about mating with me. I mean by supporting Tabitha and coming back to Alaska with me. It’s dangerous, and we have many more battles before us.”
“With you on the frontlines.”
“It’s my duty, but more than that I do it because I know what the world will be like when Tabitha has completely claimed her place and everyone follows her.”
“How much opposition is there?” Talking about him being on the frontlines of their future sent a chill of fear through her. How much danger would her mate be in?
He glanced around the woods, and even as he did so, she let her beast come a little closer to the surface to get a better idea of their surroundings. Was there
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