Page 16 of Not a Gift

“And I want to know what the fuck my father did to you.”

Chapter Ten

Caught in a Storm

Malichai

She acts like I’m not even here.It’s been three of the longest, most tense hours of my life.Being in war is less stressful than trying to figure out this woman.I want nothing more than to go to her and wrap her in my arms, but I’m not exactly sure she would reciprocate.My dragon has fallen silent, irritated by the fact that she is ignoring us but content to be around her for the foreseeable future.

The cold is also making my leg act up.It hurts like a motherfucker, and I should be sitting.But I grit my teeth and push through the pain, never looking away from her for a second.

She is pissed off that my father told me what he did, even if I don’t know the full story.She is pissed that I confronted her about it.I want to apologize for leaving her alone with a monster all those years ago.I want to beg her forgiveness, but I have no idea where to start.I want to take this time we have alone together and tell her the truth, tell her I want to be with her, and I don’t care what anyone says or thinks.

I know how I feel.I know what my beast craves.What scares me, and I don’t scare easily, is the fact that she may not feel the same.She may see me as an extension of the monster that hurt her, and the thought is slowly tearing me apart.

I watch her from my spot at the kitchen table.She is curled up on the couch, a thick fluffy blanket covering her knees as she works on her laptop.She frowns, and I know the time has come.Her battery is running low.She won’t be able to ignore me forever.

Laying the device on the coffee table beside her, she rises and stomps into the kitchen, not once looking in my direction.The yoga pants she is wearing draw my gaze to her perfect ass and thick thighs, driving me crazy with need.

My dragon perks up, pushing me to go to her, to mount and claim her, but he needs to back the fuck off.This situation calls for some finesse, not his brand of bullheadedness.

“Are you hungry?”she asks, opening one cupboard after another.

It takes me a moment to reply.“Sure.But I would really like to talk to you.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she says, not looking at me.“What happened, happened.I’ve moved on and I don’t want to relive it.Why can’t you just leave it alone?”

“Because he hurt you!”My anger at the situation makes me snap at her.My dragon huffs in irritation that she won’t allow us to help her heal.

“That was a long time ago,” she says, turning to face me with tears streaming down her face.“I don’t ...I can’t relive it.”

Moving to her, I cup her face in my hands.Using the pad of my thumb, I swipe away her tears.

“He’ll never hurt you or anyone else again,” I say with finality.

“You can’t say that.You don’t know that.”She shakes her head, stepping away from me once more.

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