Page 47 of Conflicted

“Nope.”

He didn’t push me yet. I stewed a bit longer, the itch under my skin getting harder to ignore. “I mean, what’s his problem? He turns up, lets me fuck him, then disappears until the next time he fancies some. How come he’s the one who gets to decide when we next see each other? Why does he get the control? Does he think he’s better than me?”

I shook my head as Jeremiah eyed me in bemusement. “Don’t answer that, he definitely thinks that. He might be the almighty leader over there at angel headquarters, but that doesn’t mean he’s in charge of me. He can’t control what happens between us.”

“No. Fate can though.”

“This isn’t about fate anymore,” I muttered. “This is about Micah and his stupid pigheadedness. You know he accused me of being cruel? And selfish.Anduncaring. What gives him the right, huh? He doesn’t even know me.”

Jeremiah’s lips twitched. “I know you. You can definitely be cruel, selfish, and uncaring.”

The heat in the room rose as my demon fought for control, wanting to remind Jeremiah just how cruel I could be. He wasn’t fazed by it, dismissing me with a wave.

“Simmer down, Nox. Youcanbe those things. But you’re also loyal, fiercely protective, and considerate.”

Mollified, my demon retreated. “Micah doesn’t think that.”

“Because he doesn’t know you.” Jeremiah loved to point out the obvious. “The real question is, do youwanthim to know you?”

“I don’t know.” I rubbed my hand over my jaw. “There’s this incessant need pulling at me constantly. Like my soul knows he’s close but doesn’t understand how complicated everything is.”

“Because he’s an angel?”

“That’s part of it,” I said slowly. “Not just any angel either, but the leader of the Seraphim. Heaven wouldn’t ever accept him being with a demon.”

“Hmm. You have a point.”

“Plus, he’s so uptight. All this stiff upper lip bollocks. Can you really see him slumming it with someone like me?”

Jeremiah tilted his head. “You said he doesn’t know you…can you really say you know him well enough to judge?”

My mouth opened then closed. Okay, he had me there.

“There is one thing I do know though, and that’s what’s driving me crazy most of all.”

“What?”

I grimaced. “He’s in love with someone else.”

Jeremiah shrugged. “Meh. If you want him, you’ll be able to win him over.”

“Did I mention the guy he’s in love with is almost a carbon copy of me?”

Jeremiah winced. “Well, fuck.”

“Exactly.” I tapped my fingers against the cup. “Even if Ididwant to be with him, if I thought we could overcome all the other obstacles, I’d never be able to trust that it’s me he truly wants. Or, even worse, that he wouldn’t wake up one day and realise I’m not Dimitri and walk away.”

“You think he’ll break your heart?”

I snorted. “Fuck no. Come on, you know as well as I do that we can’t fall in love.”

Jeremiah rocked back in his chair. “Actually, I’m not so sure about that. But continue.”

I rolled my eyes. Of all of us, Jeremiah was the optimist. He claimed he didn’t want a mate, yet he was the only one who believed in love.

“It’s not about being heartbroken, but about Micahbeingmine. If he committed to me, if we had a mating bond and then he tried to leave me, my demon wouldn’t allow it.”

“Ah. You’re worried about how you’d react.”

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