Page 75 of Crimson Born

A group of people walked past our small refuge, laughing and talking loudly. They didn’t seem to notice us, or if they did, they didn’t care.

But Reece obviously noticed them. He pulled back, breaking the kiss to stare down at me. I watched as the glazed pleasure-drunk look in his eyes was replaced by something close to terror.

His hands gripped my shoulders as if he were falling from a cliff and holding on for dear life.

Very deliberately he moved me away from him, creating some space between our bodies.

“I did it again.” His tone expressed disbelief. “I... I can’t be alone with you.”

“Youcouldbe with me all the time, if that’s what you want. It’s what I want. Reece... let’s go—right now. Everyone’s dancing and drinking and hooking up. They’ll never even notice us. We’ll leave together and never come back. Tonight—before it’s too late.”

I grabbed his hand and tugged. Our arms stretched between us and went taut as he stayed firmly in place.

“We can’t.”

I went back to him, pressing close again as I pleaded with him.

“Wecan.We’re not slaves. Not yet. You will be if you stay and become Bloodbound tomorrow night.”

His jaw clenched, and his eyes glistened in the dark. I was getting through to him. My words raced as I tried to capitalize on the moment.

“Do you remember what you said to me the night we met about not settling for ‘good enough?’ You said there was no such thing. That you preferred greatness. We canhavethat. I know we can. We can have it together, but not if you’re committed to the Bloodbound vows.”

Those glistening eyes squinted with emotion. “You don’t understand, Abbi. Iwantto take the vows.”

I reeled back as if I’d been slapped. White hot pain seared the space around my heart. His tone was so sure, so determined.

He meant what he was saying.

But howcouldhe say that after the incredible kisses we’d shared, after he’d just said I made him lose all self-control?

There was only one explanation—he didn’t feel about me the way I felt about him.

He didn’t love me.

It really was all physical with him. All the fight drained out of me like a well-bucket with a hole in the bottom.

“No... I think Idounderstand—finally. You told me last night at the maze, but apparently I’m a slow learner.”

Huffing a sad laugh at my own expense, I swiped at the moisture leaking from my eyes.

“You know, you could have saved us both a lot of trouble by just telling me when you realized you’d lost interest in me. You could have given me the, ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ line.”

Spotting my tears, Reece’s breath hitched, and he reached out as if to wipe one away. But he didn’t. He snatched his hand back and held it in a tight fist.

His words dripped with some unidentifiable emotion. Anger? Agony?

“Itisyou, Abbi. Do you not realize it by now? You’re a future queen. You’renevergoing to take just a single mate. I’ve got no other choice but to sit by and watch as you mate with a swarm of other drones. The best I can hope for is to wait my turn and be grateful when I get to be with you every once in a while.”

Shivers ran across my skin and lifted all the fine hairs on my body.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

There was no more pretense in Reece. He’d been pushed to his limits, and the stoic shield he usually held in front of his emotions had been shredded.

“That day when Imogen came to see me in the clinic... the day I decided to join the Bloodbound... she explained to me how things work.”

His eyelids closed, and he took a deep breath, letting it out in a shudder. “She swore me to secrecy—she’ll probably kill me if she finds out I told you. But you should know.”

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