Page 28 of Masked Fate

“I don’t kiss any of those women. And I don’t go down on them. I’m saving my mouth for my mate,” I say, gripping her chin between my thumb and finger. I don’t know why I tell her this. Maybe to shut up her judgment of my very healthy sex life.

Violet eyes flicker with something that looks like possessiveness before she shields them. “Those women let you fuck them without so much as a kiss? You sure you don’t use your persuasion on them?”

“I’ve never had to,” I growl out the words, her comment pissing me the fuck off. “And you even insinuating that offends me. You don’t know me, witch. But I’ve never forced a female to fuck me.”

“How many women have you fucked? I finally get an orgasm from the second male who’s ever touched me, and you drag me out of there. For no reason—”

“Oh, there’s a fucking reason,” I snap, reaching down to touch the black diamond that sits around her neck.

She steps back from me, her hands going to her hips. “What is it? Other than you being a controlling, hateful, motherfucking—”

“What’s going on here?” Rave asks, stepping into the room, his eyes darting between us.

“Soren dragged me back here for no reason,” Pandora pouts, snitching to my best friend.

Like he’s going to fucking save her from me.

Rave’s ice-blue eyes return to me, his brow arched. “I told you to make sure she’s safe, not kidnap her.”

“She wasn’t fucking safe,” I say in a clipped tone, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Yes, I was,” she replies, scowling. “And I was meant to check on Laurel for Astrid, and I didn’t get to do that because ofhim.”

My jaw drops slightly. “Really? Because from where I was standing, it didn’t look like you were looking for the seer. It looked like you were—”

“Oh, my fates, Soren! It’s not a crime for me to want to have a big, strong male worshiping me on his knees every now and again.”

“Ask her who that big, strong male was, Rave!” I snap, reliving the image in my head.

That fucking shifter.

Rave scrubs a hand down his face, and then shadows are suddenly winding around us in warning. “Soren, since when do you care who Pandora is seeing?”

“When it’s Salem, the fucker you told me to save her from at the last party.”

Rave studies Pandora for a moment and sighs. “Soren, Pandora is a grown-ass witch. A queen. She can make her own choices. I wanted you there to protect her if she was in danger.”

I know he must be wondering where my head is at right now.

The problem is, I’m just as clueless as he is.

I had no real reason to bring her back here if she didn’t wantto be.

And all three of us know it.

“She was,” I bite back, jaw tense. “From her own stupid decisions.”

Rave is now looking at me like I’ve lost my damn mind, and maybe I fucking have.

“See what I’ve been dealing with.” Pandora sighs, toying with the split in her dress. I know she’s not wearing any panties because I saw them on the floor before I zipped her out of there. “You need to call your warrior off, Rave. Maybe next time, send someone else to check on me?”

“You think I want to be following you around?” I bark, running a hand through the longer part of my hair. “I need a fucking drink. Feel free to go home, witch, where you belong.”

She goes silent, looking down at her heel-clad feet. “Well, I sure as hell don’t belong here, do I, Soren?”

She zips away.

And it better not be back into Salem’s tree-trunk arms.

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