Page 86 of Shielded Heart

“Neveryou, Samantha,” he growled vehemently. “Anyone else, butneveryou.”

Samantha stared up at him, heart pounding. His eyes burned as intensely as hisqalmarkings.

Arcanthus leaned closer to her. “I will eliminateanythreat to you, Samantha. I will do so without hesitation or remorse. But I would sooner plunge a blade into my own heart than do you any harm.”

She swallowed thickly. The little voice inside her head that whispered doubts—he’s lying; words are cheap; don’t fall for the act; he’s just like James—fell silent beneath Arcanthus’s passionate gaze. Whatever lies he’d told, whatever truths he’d masked, whatever concerns she might’ve had couldn’t discount the honesty and desire ablaze in his eyes. He was as silver-tongued as his demonic appearance suggested, but even one as talented and charismatic as Arcanthus couldn’t fake the genuine emotion he was projecting.

His bared soul gleamed in his eyes, and it would’ve shown her the truth even without the aid of his words.

Samantha’s stomach knotted with shame. She lifted her hands to cup his face but stopped when she noticed the blood on her fingers; she grasped his metal arms instead.

“I’m sorry,” she said, eyes stinging with tears. “I shouldn’t have… Iknowyou’re not him. I saw the blood, and I just—”

“Just acted like a rational person would.” Arcanthus leaned his head down, closed his center eye, and tipped his forehead against hers. “You are new to this world. Tomyworld. It would be foolish for either of us to expect you to have adjusted so quickly.”

“I don’t know if I’ve adjusted at all. I’ve just felt so…lost.”

Through it all, Arc had been her one constant—he’d been the rock jutting from churning waters, and she’d clung to him desperately. Without him…she would’ve been hopelessly adrift.

“Come, little terran. Let’s clean up,” he said gently.

Samantha nodded.

They returned to his room quietly, and for the fourth time in what felt like a day—though she was fairly certain at least two days had passed since she was brought here—she bathed. Arcanthus joined her in the water, scrubbing the blood from his body and brushing his hands over her skin. His touch was soothing, and he kept their contact chaste; he seemed to understand that she wasn’t ready for intimacy just yet. She needed something more from him; she needed answers.

She needed to know everything.

He didn’t allow her to dress once they had left the water and dried; he said he wanted to feel her as he held her, that he wanted no obstacles between them.

Slipping his arms around Samantha, Arc lifted her off her feet and carried her into the bedroom. He pulled back the covers with his tail, laid her on the bed, and climbed in after her. She was in his arms again within a second. He drew her body against his and covered them with the blanket. His tail curled around her waist securely as he trailed a hand over her hair and down her spine.

Nestling against his chest, Samantha inhaled, taking in his scent. The mellow, spicy notes of sandalwood comforted her. Though she hadn’t known Arcanthus for long, it felt like right here, in his arms, with his scent surrounding her, was where she was meant to be. Like this was…home.

“Why me, Arcanthus?” she asked.

She’d asked the question already, but she still couldn’t wrap her mind around it; why would he chooseherwhen he could have almost any woman he wanted? Why her, when she was damaged, when she was broken, when she was timid and weak? Anyone else would’ve been a better choice.Anyone.

“I already told you, little terran. One look was all I needed to know you are mine. You’re my mate.”

Something about the way he said those last words gave Samantha pause. She leaned back and lifted her head to look him in the eyes. “What do you mean?”

“It means that my body, my instincts, and my…mysoulrecognize you as something more than anyone else could ever be to me. As my match. As the one person who can complete me, who can fill in what I’m missing.”

Samantha’s lips parted, her heart leapt, and something fluttered in her belly, spreading warmth outward. Joy unlike she’d ever known flooded her.

But on the heels of that joy crept her old friend, doubt.

He was just reacting to an instinctual drive. If not for that, he would never have paid her any attention. She would’ve been beneath his notice, and wasn’t that what she’d hoped to accomplish? To be beneatheveryone’snotice, to be invisible, to make sure she never burdened anyone with her inadequacy?

Arcanthus’s eyes narrowed. He swept her hair back and settled his palm on her cheek. “Iseeyou doing it to yourself, Samantha. You let yourself be happy for a moment, and now you’ve crushed it. Speak to me.”

“You…” She closed her eyes briefly and struggled to keep her voice steady as she said, “Youdidn’t choose me.”

His brows rose, and the corners of his mouth curved in a ghost of a smile. “I didn’t? No, I suppose I didn’t choose you, little terran. I feel I had scant choice in the matter. My body reacted to you immediately, told me I had to have you. But it was when we first spoke, it was during those first minutes we spent together, that I knew it was more than a need to have you. Iwantedto have you.

“The pull I feel toward you…it is powerful, yes. But I have considerable willpower at my disposal, if I choose to employ it, and such instincts can be ignored. Things very likely would’ve been far simpler for me if I’d ignored it. I would never have been targeted by the Syndicate. I wouldn’t have had to fight my way out of an apartment building. I wouldn’t have my thoughts consumed by you.”

Arcanthus brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. “And I do not for one instant regret following those instincts, Samantha. I’d have gladly blasted my way through a thousand apartment complexes to have you at my side. I cannot imagine how empty I would feel without you here, now that I know what I was missing.”

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