Page 71 of Reign

“Good,” I hear Emma mumble as her footsteps near the front door. “It’s about time you two figure your shit out.”

I don’t respond, instead licking my lips as I wait for the apartment door to shut.

My lips part. “I—”

Chase rounds on me, cutting off anything I was about to say—what was I about to say? I can’t think clearly when he’s this close. Can’t form enough obstinance to rip my forearm out of his hand when he lifts my arm and brings my cut into the light.

Chase’s nostrils, still flaring, don’t compare to the utter, vengeful twist to his lips. “You let him brand you.”

I test my strength against his, yanking my arm. It doesn’t budge from his grip.

Fine. Plan B. “What did you expect me to do?” I hiss, “after you publicly disavowed me to the entire society?”

His eyes slide from my inner wrist to my face, the action seeming to pain him. “I expected you to walk out of the temple and never look back, like I’ve asked you to do repeatedly.”

“Then you should invest in a better crystal ball,” I retort, “if you can’t even predict I’d throw your commands back in your face.”

My back presses against the wall when he steps forward, his forehead almost touching mine as his exhale billows out, spearmint mixing with rage.

“I only wish I’d had a trashcan to toss at you, too,” I risk continuing. “And maybe a used tampon or two.”

He snarls, slamming my wounded arm back into the wall. “When are you going to figure out what you’re dealing with?”

“Depends what you’re referring to.” I press forward, the front of my body molding to his so well, I can feel his heartbeats against my own. “Are you talking about your egotistical, possessive self, or the Nobles and Virtues?”

His voice lowers to a growl. “All of it. You won’t get what you want if you continue to walk your insolent ass onto their turf, thinking you have the upper hand. Binding yourself to Tempest hasn’t given you any advantages. It only deepens your obligations to them and enters you into a contract you have no hope of escaping.”

“I’m not alone,” I reply, deeply affected by the flare to his eyes but refusing to show it. “I have Eden helping me. And your sister.”

Again, he winces.

“What is that?” I ask. “Your reaction to Emma’s name. I noticed it before, too.”

Chase lowers his head, and against my better judgment, I lift my free hand and risk tracing a finger along his jaw. “Chase? Talk to me.”

His shoulders rise and fall. Chase fixes his gaze to the floor, and I swear, despite the death grip his has on my wrist, he’s about to confide in me.

Until his eyes flick up and his snarl reaches my lips, his mouth brushing over mine while his eyes bore fire into my gaze.

“You’re mine,” he breathes into my mouth. “Do you understand me?”

“I’m not anybody’s—”

He smothers my urge to rebel by yanking my arm forward and forcing my wrist between us. “This means nothing. Tempest may cut into you, you may have recited overdone, emotionless, and bloody vows, but this skin is mine. Your body is mine. Your soul?” He angles his head. “Mine.”

“Fuck you,” I spit, trying to wrestle out of his hold. “What makes you think you can come in here and lay a claim on me when you’ve spent the last few weeks doing everything in your power to push me away? I’m not yours. I’ll never be yours. You lost that chance.”

“Everything I do is to protect you.”

I roll my eyes, until I’m jerked to a stop with his fingers digging into my cheeks. His fervent stare captures mine, fearless yet exposed, drilling into me with a depth that’s almost crazed.

“I kept my distance to prevent Sabine and my father taking further interest in you. I’ve kept secrets for them involving you not for their benefit, but for yours. You can’t know how much they’ve fucked with you, and how much more they will. I’m acting like your buffer, keeping you away from the worst. Yet how can I do that when you claim my best friend as your soulmate? Your Noble protector? How can I push at my parents and push at you, thinking I won’t fucking snap in two? No. It ends here.” He shakes his head. “You aren’t anyone else’s. I’m staying with you, and I refuse to let you do more stupid things.”

“Stupid?” I guffaw, uselessly shoving at his chest again. “I’ve gotten myself this far, no thanks to you. Learned about my mom, kept my promise to Ivy, and I will avenge them both, whether or not you decide to be my Fairweather boyfriend. So go on, come in here and piss on my furniture all you want, but my mind will always belong to me.”

I expect him to snarl, bark, maybe even spit and swipe, considering he’s acting like an animal. What I don’t expect is for him to pull my inner wrist up to his lips and bite down hard around my wound.

“Geez—what? Ow! Ow!” I scream.

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