Page 13 of Sinful Mates

Thirsty, she grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and flicked on the filtered water tap, pouring us each a drink. Glass slid across the marble counter at me. She was always thinking of our needs, and it made my chest clench.

Cool water soothed my dry, parched throat as I gathered the courage to tell her why I failed her.

Her gaze drifted through the door into the lounge room, where Zethan lay on the sofa. Division on our bond said she worried for him and wanted to go to him. Competing priorities demanded her attention and she couldn’t be there for all of us at once.

Stiff breathing indicated his restless and anxious sleep. Worry for tomorrow’s club vote. Worst situation to find himself in, but he brought it on himself by executing three cops and putting the club in danger. Idiot. Slade’s freedom balanced on the police finding him guilty for Aaliyah’s father’s murder. Mine rested on the evidence planted on my bike by four corrupt cops. If we went down, Zethan and Castor were supposed to be there for our mate. An uncertain future now, and I wanted to punch him for throwing that away.

What I couldn’t begrudge him for was going with Aaliyah to rescue her daughter. In fact, he was the man I’d choose for that sort of thing, and I was grateful he accompanied her in her darkest hour.

My mate’s attention swung back to me, demanding an answer. I hoped she heard me out long enough to get it all out.

“I represent the Sky god, and it’s my duty to protect the people, and when Horus calls, I can’t refuse an order.” Horus’ power throbbed in my golden eye as he peered through me to the depths of her being. “My grey eye represents the darkness and moon. My golden eye the sun and banishing the dark. Horus commanded me to bring light to the women. To save them because their darkness is a part of me, their broken souls calling to me for the peace you gave to me.”

Part of her anger fell away like a ship torn apart by a storm, the driftwood dispersed by raging currents. The mate bond stung with her rejection. Tears glistened in her eyes that I forsook her needs. Whispers of her bitterness crept into my jaded soul, refusing to let my reason make amends for my betrayal.

“It hurt that you abandoned me.” Her voice cracked down the center of my chest. “You should walk a mile for me as I did for you.”

“I know, angel.” My hand clasped hers, fingers softly brushing over her knuckles. To hell with her reluctance to touch me. I needed to feel her. “Believe me, I’ve never wanted to disobey my god before, and I almost did for you.”

The way I kissed her knuckles made her heart sigh along our link. Giving in, she sank into the warmth and hardness of my body, resting her cheek on my chest, listening to my heartbeat, my breath, relaxing as the tension in our bond eased.

“Just to be clear, angel, this might not be the last time when our gods come between us.” At my warning, an unpleasant weight pulled on my chest, drawing the bond taut.

Aaliyah once told me that Isis rarely intervened in her affairs, giving her free rein as her servant to perform the goddess’ will. The day Slade Vincent staggered into her hospital, wounded, bleeding, and weak, fate tempted her to claim his life. Her goddess forbade her to kill him, and she obeyed. As avatars, we couldn’t ignore the call of our patrons, and that made for messy relationship drama. My chest burned, rejecting the moment I might be called upon again to defy the woman who owned my heart.

My fingers combed her hair, relaxing her, stripping away her trauma and hurt. “I know you can take care of yourself. You’re formidable. Unbreakable. The strongest woman I’ve ever met. You didn’t need me. Those women needed me more.”

She groaned. “I suppose I should shove down the selfish bitch in me who expects her mate to stand by her no matter what, gods or no gods.”

Guilt scorched my throat, and I kissed her hair. “I knew Zethan wouldn’t leave you. I saw it in his eyes. In his heart.” I touched my golden eye that peered into a soul to read good or bad intentions. “He’ll go wherever you do. Keep you safe. Fight for you. Die for you. Because he loves you.” Exactly how I felt about her. “You breathed life into his dead heart and made it beat for you.”

Our bond stretched as she smiled inside, the first rays of warmth after a long winter, melting the frosted parts of her body affected by shock.

“Fuck. I didn’t know that.” How could she not know the bounds of Zethan’s love? The extent to which he would go for her. What we would all do for her. Languid heat traveled a lazy path across our bond, cracking the thin layer of ice surrounding her heart.

A hint of a smile pulled on my lips as she let me set my hand over her heart. “I could never get a read on you. I thought you were hiding vengeful motives.” I shook my head and smiled forlornly. “You weren’t. I wasn’t ready to peer into your heart and see the real you.”

My finger stroked over her collarbone, and she lost all chance of roping in the moan that broke out.

“I see you now,” I whispered, like our love story came to a tragic end. “The breadth of your love. How you heal us. Soothe the fire in Slade. Awaken the dead parts of Zethan. Teach Castor how to love again. Broke me free of my demons. I was broken by my past and the ghosts haunting it until you came along and healed me. You are the epitome of Isis… healer, mother, and magician.”

Flutters burst across the bond, chasing across my skin like silky wings fanning me, worshipping me. A mirror of how I felt about her.

I scrubbed my jaw as if I wanted to erase the entire situation. “Now your greatest challenge is putting the pieces of your broken daughter together like you did for me.”

“I’ll have one hell of a fight on my hands to protect my daughter from the darkness closing in on us,” my mate murmured, and I squeezed her tighter to show her that any threat had to get through me first.

Soft, sweet kisses brushed her forehead, and she fisted my shirt, holding me to her in our little warm nest. “I will be here, waiting, watching, protecting the both of you,my little birds.” Her breath stuttered to a stop at my promise to care for them. “Until you’re ready to trust and forgive me.”

Forgiveness. What Isis represented as the mother goddess for Egyptians, healing them of their maladies and obstacles. Bringing them inner peace. Forgiving them for their faults. And her mates had many, me the most.

I felt the fiery part of her that clashed with Slade tempted to roast my ass for what I did. But the rational side of my mate understood my motives. Nothing was simple when we served the gods.

My outsides were stone, but the instant my mate slid her other hand into my palm, the wary façade cracked. She was giving me another chance. One I didn’t deserve.

“I forgive you, my hawk.” She traced my clean jaw. “If I hold on to the bitterness in my soul, then we’ll all emerge from this scarred and defeated.”

Sorrow on our bond unwound, freeing me from my guilt. Honestly, I was surprised she gave in so easily. She had enough on her plate with Mia falling unexpectedly into her life. Add on all the bullshit and disappointment with the club and there were too many wars to battle on too many fronts.

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