Page 87 of Inflamed By an Incubus

“I guess your memories really are gone then,” he muttered, a trace of softness in his tone as he lowered his gaze to the grass she was furiously picking at. “If you remembered me, you’d know I would never do that to you. I feel terrible if I have to kiss another woman to—”

She punched him again.

“Oh God!” She winced and reached for him, drew her hand back when he scowled at her. “I’m sorry. I can’t… I don’t seem to be able to stop myself. It’s like an instinct.”

He rubbed the red spot on his jaw, still frowning at her. “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t. None of this was fine.

She breathed deeply, fighting to calm herself and clear the red haze from her mind. As the urge to lash out at him fell away and she thought about what he had been saying before she had punched him, something dawned on her.

He was telling the truth.

She had seen in the CCTV footage she had watched that he resisted other women. He had fought so hard against what Archangel had wanted him to do, and had only kissed a few of them. She figured he had only done it to keep his energy up, because he had looked disgusted and ashamed whenever he had broken away from the woman’s lips. As if he was angry with himself.

Fenix shifted, drawing her focus back to him, and he pulled his hand from his pocket. He uncurled his fingers, revealing a small box.

“What is it?” She took it from him when he offered it to her, eased it open and stared at the pills it contained. She glanced up into Fenix’s eyes. “What are they?”

“A witch… Hella… makes them for me. They take the edge off my hunger. It means I can go longer between needing to find a hit of sexual energy. It’s not a great solution, but it’s the best one I have.”

Evelyn studied the pills and remembered something else. Fenix had taken them in front of her soon after he had brought her here. He had taken quite a few of them in fact. How many pills did he have to take each day in order to stop himself from having to find a host? She nudged one of the pills, moving it around in the box as she considered how desperately he didn’t want to feed on a woman other than his mate, how he was denying his instincts as an incubus—his very nature—to remain faithful to her.

A feeling built inside her.

It was really rather noble of him.

Beautiful even.

His expression sobered as she lifted her head and her gaze locked with his, all of the light leaving his eyes.

“You can’t fall for me, Evelyn. Remember that.”

“I’m not,” she snapped, the need to defend herself swiftly rising to the fore to tear those words from her as she closed the doors to her heart, protecting it from the hurt that wanted to well inside her. She snapped the pillbox closed and tossed it at him as she shoved to her feet. Held his gaze. Steeled her heart. “I’m not.”

She walked away from him.

Breath trembling.

Heart racing.

Limbs shaking.

Because she was.

She was foolishly falling for him.

And some part of her felt it wasn’t the first time this feeling had blossomed inside her.

She cast a glance back at Fenix as he picked himself up off the ground, warmth spreading through her to clash with the cold that trickled down her spine.

She felt sure she had already fallen for him once.

And she had died because of it.

And Archer had brought her back.

Chapter 26

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