Page 29 of Upon Shattered Bonds

On the heels of her assault, her bright inner fire had smoldered to a mere spark. To his own discredit, he’d snuffed out the flicker that’d remained, reminding her of how close she’d come to true death—and how close it still lingered.

Before him was the mate he’d vowed to himself to protect, a woman who was wounded and discouraged, and yet would never be weak. She was the only thing that mattered.

The need to comfort her was overwhelming, and his feet were moving before his mind caught up. Drawn to her as if pulled by an invisible chain, he’d climbed onto the bedspread and pulled Nina into his arms before she could resist.

Time stood still as both parties recognized their predicament. And where Zeke would have instantly released her had she requested it, his mate did no such thing.

Preoccupied with the woman in his arms, Zeke barely registered the fact that Kaien and Aidan had left them alone.

Chapter Thirteen

At his words, the anger that’d burned so brightly within her had been swept away in a flood of despair. The bed dipped beside her under Zeke’s weight, careful not to jostle her. And when his strong arms enveloped her, Nina didn’t resist.

Yearning for any form of comfort, she closed her eyes to savor what she’d rarely allowed herself before. She wanted him with a brutality she’d been loath to acknowledge. The hollowness that’d taken up residence in her soul had left her parched for his contact, and in the bleak millennia that followed their initial confrontation, she’d remained thirsty.

Like any woman worth her salt, she’d attempted to move on, and dispel what feelings she’d harbored for him. Those who’d attempted to fill the void had fallen woefully short. Or, in Luther’s case, he’d used her for his own gain.

Zeke was their polar opposite.

Moving cautiously, Zeke tenderly drew her into the defined panes of his chest, her head resting underneath his chin. His thumb gently drew circles across her bicep, the light contact sending an unexpected flurry of warmth through her core.

Sighing into his chest, she stilled before speaking the two words that needed to be spoken. “Thank you.”

Though he gave no outward signs of surprise, the bond between them didn’t lie. Clearing his throat, he responded, “There’s nothing to thank me for, Nina.”

She let the lie stand, choosing instead to nestle further into the unfamiliar nook beneath his jaw. The weight of his hand came to rest upon her shoulder, the heat of his palm sinking into her skin and warming the chill that’d settled over her bones.

With the other, he delicately brushed over her wavy hair. The contact, fleeting but entirely too calming, suddenly made her want to cry.

An eternity had passed since they’d realized the truth between them. Eleven hundred years, each one of them spent apart.

From the moment they’d met, she’d known he would be different. She’d been barely more than an adolescent, but had stood equal among the five sovereigns that reigned over the largest Raeth clans. She’d defeated the former sovereign of her clan, Rhasos, who’d stolen the title from her father in a vicious attack that’d left both of her parents dead.

Zeke, four centuries old at the time, had won the sovereignty from Hassan. When she’d reached out, he’d agreed to meet regarding the Quint Treaty between the largest Raeth clans.

Nina could remember being awestruck by Zeke’s impressive psychic signature, the subtle promise of power that laced the space around him. His voice, deep and rich, had been a subtle caress to her ears, igniting within her a burning need to hear more of it. A strange pull had bloomed in her core, a foreign sensation that had her inner predator sitting up and taking notice.

The other sovereigns had been wary of Zeke, unwilling to go toe to toe with the younger man after hearing reports of his abilities. It spoke volumes.

From the moment Zeke said he’d honor the treaty, their truce had been secured. If he had refused, war would have been inevitable. Territory lines would have been drawn, then redrawn, and ultimately would lead to bloodshed when one party or the other refused to back down.

The world simply wasn’t big enough for power such as theirs. Sovereigns may have been benevolent toward their own clansmen, but even the most docile of Raeths had claws.

The two of them had stayed behind after the first meeting of the new Treaty members. Zeke had asked her to his territory, and she’d happily accepted. Regardless of her brothers’ hesitation, she hadn’t let anything stop her—not even her own reservations.

What followed was the beginning of their courtship. That night, under the moon, they’d talked for hours. It was so many centuries ago, and Nina could still remember the feeling of rightness she had experienced. When they kissed, they’d discovered the truth. Neither of them had expected the mating bond between them to develop so suddenly, and while she’d brightened into a smile, Zeke had grown alarmed straight away. The bleakness of her situation had sharpened with heartbreaking clarity: her fated mate didn’t want her.

Afterward, their argument had quickly escalated. He’d been unable to hide his deep-seated revulsion, because the mating bond gave away his emotions. Zeke had denied it, claiming that he needed to think about it, that their relationship had to wait.

Then he’d spoken the poisonous words: You are a child.

Nina had snapped. She’d seen her parents die in front of her eyes, had taken vengeance on their murderer, and ran a clan of hundreds of Raeths—but this man, her fated mate, claimed she was nothing more than a youngling to cover the fact he didn’t want her.

For years, Nina had lived in resentment. Though Zeke had begrudgingly agreed to the separation without fatally severing the link, the bond between them was incessant in its wishes. Every moment in his company, every time she heard his voice, every brief second of physical contact drummed up a desire that never abated.

Denying herself when it came to him had become second nature. If she wasn’t actively despising him, she was actively lusting for him. Eventually, the constant shift between hatred and desire had turned to poison. To offset the exhausting nature of her own reaction, she rejected anything but the most professional interactions with him.

Her pride wouldn’t allow her to fall victim to his charms again. Not when he’d so recklessly thrown her to the side when she’d been young and impressionable. Her mind reeled with possibility.

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