Page 30 of Forbid Me

My voice was a low rumble, barely concealing the turmoil ofemotions that raged within me. Her eyes, wide and haunted, slowly focused on mine. I saw the terror that gripped her soul.

"Oz?"

"Yes, it's me. You're safe. You're safe with me."

Breathing in deeply, I inhaled her scent, a soothing balm to the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Stella placed her hands over my heart. It beat fiercely beneath her touch. Man and panther belonged to her, heart and soul. She owned every part of me, and I was willingly hers to command. She need only unleash me to dispatch whoever, whatever had upset her.

A gasp escaped her lips. Her gaze shifted from me to something over my shoulder. Instinctively, my body tensed, ready to confront whatever threat had caused that reaction in her. Turning swiftly, my eyes landed on the crumpled form of the fairy, lying in a heap on the deck. Her gaze was fixed on me, wide eyes filled with a fear that mirrored Stella's.

"Did she hurt you?" It came out as a growl.

"No, she…" Stella pressed her lips together, not letting the rest of the words out.

The fairy crab walked away from us. I corralled Stella into a corner of the boat. Everyone gave us a wide berth. Only the occasional spray of the water dared break into our privacy.

"What did you see?"

"She's going to die."

"Who? The fairy?" Relief flooded through me. I didn't care about the fairy. Call me callous, but that skinny frond wasn't my responsibility. She wasn't my world.

"And you…"

"Me?"

Had Stella seen my death? It wouldn't bother me as long as she was safe when I died.

"You turned your back on me."

"Never."

"I saw it," she insisted.

"Not possible."

"No? Is that why you've been avoiding me? Keeping your distance from me?"

I choked on my words and swallowed hard. I had the woman of the dreams I’d never dared to dream of in my arms—and I choked. I didn't tell her that I’d never taken my eyes off her the whole time we've been on this putrid river. I didn't tell her that I saw the changes she made to her eyeliner and how it brightened her eyes. I didn't tell her that her lip gloss had worn off and it made me want to kiss the rest away.

Avoiding? Distance? It was the furthest thing from the truth.

"I know how men are. They cheat. It’s just a fact of life." Stella's voice wavered, but her eyes were resolute. "I'm not like that. I'm loyal. I'm a one-man woman."

Even though her eyes were resolute, I saw the slight wince before she continued. I heard the hitch in her breath as she pushed the words out. I felt the curl of her fingertips as they tried not to clutch at the fabric covering my chest.

"I can share you with others as long as I have your heart. Deal?"

The words struck me like a physical blow. The idea of her settling for anything less than she deserved, of her sharing me with others because of some misplaced belief about men and loyalty, it was unbearable. And then I thought of Dion.

Dion and his voracious appetite. Dion and the women piled in his bed each night. Dion who sent me to fetch his fated mate while he went off to bed another.

"Deal?" Stella pressed.

"No!"

She closed her eyes. I felt the tears pricking at the corners like they were my own. I felt my throat constrict as she swallowed down the lump that had formed in hers. I placed my hands over hers, pressing them into my chest as my heart stopped beating for one, two beats.

"No," I said softly. "No," I said, pulling her closer. "You should never have to share your heart with anyone."

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