Page 20 of Forbid Me

My hands fidgeted on the steering wheel as I recalled my last sight of Dion as I left the House of Blood and Beryl. He'd helped me procure the portal potion from a witch. It was clear that payment for her services would be handled in his bedroom. He'd waved me off with a salute as the witch had tugged him down the hall.

But that was likely his last time with another woman. When he caught the scent of his mate, saw her for real and not just in a vision, he would be devoted to her. I was sure.

And when he did, Stella would see that he was the best man for her. He was dedicated to his kingdom, to his people, and to his duties. He would dedicate himself to her. And so would I as chief of security. It would be my duty to ensure my queen was protected.

"I'm not worthy of a beautiful princess like you. But I vow to protect you with my life until my last breath."

It was a promise I intended to keep, no matter the cost. It was the only vow I could make her.

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" She turned to me with eyes seeking affirmation, seeking something honest and real.

I met her gaze, letting her see the truth in my eyes. "I will always tell you the truth. I might not be able to tell you everything, but a lie will never leave my lips. You have my complete loyalty."

The words were a balm to the turmoil within me, a bridge between the man and the beast. From the smile that spread across her face, I knew they pleased her. Inside my chest, I felt something unlock. Which was odd because that space had been hollow for more than half my life.

The road stretched out before us, a ribbon of possibilities and uncertainties. I drove on, the sound of the engine a steady heartbeatin the quiet of the night. Stella sat beside me, a presence that both soothed and tormented me.

"I know I'm weak," Stella said into the quiet of the night. "But I'll try to be better. I'll be what you need."

Her words were a slash at my chest. The thing that had unlocked moments ago made a groaning sound. I scratched at my chest instead of reaching for her. I wanted to growl. Not at her, but at the circumstances that had made her doubt her own worth. I glanced at her, taking in her downcast eyes and the determined set of her jaw.

"You're not weak, Stella. You don't need to be anything other than who you are."

She didn't look at me. Her gaze was on the moon. Her teeth worried her bottom lip, begging for me to steal it from her and kiss it into believing me.

"What I need," I continued, "is for you to let me protect you."

It was the truth, but not the whole truth. I’d omitted the part that screamed inside me—that she was my future queen, that she was the one my beast yearned for. It was a truth too dangerous, too volatile to acknowledge right now.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Stella

Ihadn't seen this part. The moment the car sputtered to a final, jarring stop. When it did, a sense of foreboding washed over me. We were stranded. In the middle of the night. Outside of civilization.

The Mississippi River was just a stone's throw away. I could smell the swampy funk of the waters. Somehow, the moonlight shimmered on the surface of the murky depths. In the air was the unmistakable smell of death and decay.

As I stepped out of the car, my foot immediately sank into the soft, mucky ground. Panic fluttered in my chest as the rank water seeped into my shoes. Aside from my expensive pumps, the cold, unpleasant sensation on the ball of my foot made me shiver. The riverbed was a treacherous place. Its beauty was deceptive, hiding dangers beneath its serene surface.

Oz was beside me in an instant, his expression as unreadable as it had been on the drive here. The only time I had a hint of what he might be feeling was when I was in his arms and my cheek was pressed against his chest.

His heartbeat had accelerated. His breathing went shallow. I felt the pinpricks of claws dig past the fabric of my outfit and meet my skin.

Had it been anyone else, I would've been pissed off. But this was my fated mate. He could've ripped my clothes off and I would've been all in.

Why hadn't he ripped my clothes off yet? We'd been together for a few hours now, and I was still fully clothed and unmolested. That's when he reached for me.

But his aim was off because he reached southward. A grin spread across my face, thinking my man was going for the honey pot. Instead, he reached for my shoe.

Okay. Okay, I could get with a foot fetish if?—

"Hey!"

He snatched off one shoe and then snapped the heel. Then he reached down to do the same with the other. Outrage filled me at the destruction of my beloved heels.

"How could you?"

"It's your heels or your life."

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