Page 14 of Death Game: Supernatural Battle

I didn’t take the bait, but my knuckles whitened where they throttled the wheel instead of his neck.

“I had minutes to come up with a plan, Kyros.Minutes.If I’d had longer, I likely would have thought of a way to involve you without risking Tommy’s life. Iwantedto involve you because I was so afraid. But in hindsight, I’m glad that never happened. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if harm came to your family. In my mind, that’s how the matter lies.”

“Your death would have been my end, Basilia,” he said, defeat hanging heavy around him.

I shot him a frown, swinging us back around again. “Like, killed you?”

Shit, I hadn’t known that.

Kyros shook his head. “Others. I would have lost control. Safina would have paid the debt of my crimes once my father managed to kill me. When a vampire goes berserk, there’s no coming back. Ever. The death of a true mate is a sure way to trigger it.”

… Oh.

I bit my lip. “I never knew that.”

He closed his eyes. “Because I didn’t wish you to carry the burden. When you enteredGingers,I nearly lost control. After I extracted your promise not to enter Fyrlia territory again, I thought it a non-issue.”

That there was a massive problem. “So you deemed that as your burden to carry, your issue, and made the choice not to include me?”

Green eyes cut to me. “It is not the same thing as walking to your death to save your friend.”

I disagreed. “Both proved life-threatening. You’re used to working by yourself. I’m used to working by myself. Double standards, Kyros. And I can tell you’re deflecting. Tell me what the real issue is.”

Were we going to do anything other than loop in circles? Not that I was going to mention that now Kyros was talking.

“You—” He started. “You killed that Fyrlia scum. As ahuman. Through sheer intelligence and bravery and loyalty to your friend, you defeated him. I’m inadequate to call you mate.”

There it is.

My heart squeezed tight as his emotions barraged my mind. “You’re treating me like shit to push me away.Thatbehaviour, nothing else, is what makes me doubt the blood bond. Why are you acting this way?”

There was something more.

I could feel it. And hey, I could flatten this grass all day while he put his anguish into words.

Kyros growled, avoiding my gaze. “You know why.”

“I can’t read your mind, so no, I don’t know why.”

Glass poured into the car as he smashed the passenger window. “I’m your fucking mate—yourtrue mate—and you don’t have faith in my strength or my power or my ability to keep you from harm. You don’t want to be in my company, on my property, or in my territory. You don’tbelievein the blood bond or see us as a single entity. How the fuck am I meant to change your mind? How do I show you when killing more of my enemies means losing my family? What gives me the right to show you when you’re just sountouchable?”

Understanding trickled to me slowly.

Really,fundamentally, Kyros’s torment had the same roots as many of my childhood demons. He felt trapped and incapable of taking action.

I may not completely grasp his inherent Vissimo need to protect me as the male, but I could understand the emotion making him feel helpless. And I knew from clawing my way back to self-worth that I couldn’t make him feel better.

He had to do that himself.

But maybe he needed a kick-starter.

Guiding the vehicle around again, I said, “You think I don’t trust you to protect me? That’s the issue?”

That was just so… moronic. Who else was better equipped to do soandhad more motive to save my butt?

“I can feel your uncertainty around me,” he answered after a beat.

I hit the steering wheel, pushing down on the accelerator. “I only feel that way because you’re acting like a caveman who didn’t spear a pig for dinner!”

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