Page 21 of Never Feed a Dragon

“WHAT?” The word came out nearly a screech.

“You’ll hear some of mine too. Only the loudest ones,” he added.

I bit back my response and turned the shower on, hoping it would drown out both Eli and my thoughts.

It didn’t.

four

ELI

I paced the hallway, hands clenched into fists as I fought the urge to knock again.

Or break the damn door down.

Every instinct I possessed told me I needed her in my arms.

But she was pissed with me, and for a good reason.

I was kind of pissed at me too.

I’d known the woman was mine since the first moment I saw her. Something about her had felt familiar. Comfortable, too. I loved her fire, and the way she loved arguing with me.

But a mate bond hadn’t ignited.

I kept waiting for it to happen every time we ran into each other. Every brush of the hand, every time I teased her, every time she argued with me. I’d started trying to goad her by talking to other women, and that shit hadn’t even worked.

It had been two years of waiting.

Wanting.

Needing.

And my inability to let her go home with another guy was what had finally set off the bond.

I’d assumed she would change her mind about having sex when we got to her place.

I’d figured she hated me too much.

But she hadn’t.

And I wasn’t going to turn down the woman I’d been obsessed with for so damn long. Even if I couldn’t have her as my mate, I still wanted her.

If I’d known it was finally going to set off the bond, I would’ve done things differently.

Much differently.

Or… maybe I wouldn’t have.

I didn’t have a damn clue.

All I knew was that Vi was my mate, for better or worse.

And I was obviously aiming for better.

Her thoughts crossed through my mind every minute or so, which gave me enough control of myself to stay firmly on my side of the bathroom door.

“There’s no way out.”

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