Page 54 of Hunted
I didn’t answer.Damn him.I wasn’t scared.Much.
The silence stretched, soft but charged with unsaid things.
When Cicelyfinallyleft the room, the shards of ice in my chest had retreated.Just slightly.Enough for me to promise myself that I wasn’t the unseen, emotionless puppet O’Dell had made me.This time there was purpose to my actions.Greater good, ends justifies the means, and all that crap.
“Damn it all!”I muttered, running my hands over my face and through my hair.Things were so much easier when I wasn’t allowed to feel things or show emotion.
And damn the faun for being so...so...Damn it!I didn’t get involved with people lightly.But right now I couldn’t tell if I wanted to punch the man or kiss him senseless.And wasn’t that justgreat?I couldn’t even trust my own icyheartto behave the way it should.
This was all Ruya’s fault.Disrupting our court.Dragging in strays off the street.Changing usallin some fundamental way.Sighing, I got up to put my sword away and headed toward the kitchen so I could berate the omega for the curse she had inflicted upon us all...or reward her with her favorite dessert, because who was I kidding here?
Chapter 18
Robin
Ruya’s laugh echoedsoftly through my sanctuary.She wasn’t being overly loud or boisterous, just teasing Yukio while he flitted around the kitchen stress baking his emotions away.But the sound was enough to reach me as I entered the private wing of The Fox.I was more attuned to her than ever.I could probably hear her whisper from a mile away.Or at least that’s how it felt.
No one had mentioned my stupid slip up with Ruya in the days following the incident.But I knew at least one other person knew what had happened between us.That I’d almost bound her, then sent her away in a vulnerable state because I wasn’t worthy of her.She had been covered inhisscent for days.Even now, I knew the naga was lingering near the kitchen with Ruya and Yuki—he was never far away these days.
I ran a hand over my face and drew in a deep breath, the beast inside me insisting we could evensmellher from here.Our delicious omega treasure, powerful and alluring—just waiting for us to do our duty as alpha of this court and claim her.
Of course she had gone to the naga for solace.I was a terrible alpha.I should never have tuned her away.
I squared my shoulders and pushed the thought aside.Ruya valued her free will.It would be cruel to infringe upon that when she had only just begun to live her own life without the influence of the cult hanging over her head.And besides...it wouldn’t do her any good to be tied to an unstable alpha who was hardly worth the title, one who was lacking her full power, who was likely to die soon trying to get it back.
I had foolishly thought I could love her but keep some sort of distance between us—appease both our natures by giving her everythingexceptthe true mate bond.I saw now how stupid that was.I couldn’t keep beingless thanto her.She deserved more than that.So much more.She needed someone solid and dependable, a powerful alpha willing and able to devote every ounce of their being to her happiness every moment of every day.I couldn’t be that for her.And the knowledge was like a thorn in my side, needling me every day.
Even now, I only managed to make a brief stop by my rooms to tidy up before I found myself drawn to where she was.She had moved from the kitchen to hold court in the living room now.She sat beside Sadavir on the plush loveseat near the fireplace.Her head rested on his shoulder.His hand moved in a slow, steady rhythm as he stroked her hair, offering comfort and the solid presence of a strong alpha.His face was solemn, but his eyes softened when she leaned into him, the expression filled with utter love and devotion .I might hate the arrogant naga prince who had been foisted upon my court...but I couldn’t deny he was just what Ruya needed.Everything I couldn’t give her.
They looked so comfortable there, soaking in each other’s auras, each taking comfort and finding safety in the other.It sickened me.Twisted a sharp knife in my gut.But I didn’t have the right to interrupt.Not when I would only ruin Ruya’s peace with all my problems and contradictions.I felt like a disgrace as an alpha, and as a dragon.I needed to do a better job protecting and caring for my hoard.Even if that meant stepping back so they could be happy.
I hesitated by the doorway, curled my fingers around the edge of the doorframe, and exhaled slow, steady heat.They could probably sense me here, but I couldn’t make myself move.I was struggling to stay in human form.
My aura pressed hard against the edges of my skin, coiled and jittery.My dragon side pushed against my control, demanding to take over so she could right my wrongs and fix my failings.The beast was close enough that the fire behind my sternum felt like a searing inferno inside me, rather than a natural part of me.The flames wanted to be let loose.Just a little.The dragon whispered, sly and cajoling, separate from me in a way that was new and unsettling.Just enough to remind us that we were not built for softness and surrender.I shook it off.Fighting the fractured voice in my head.
My gaze slid back to Ruya.She smiled at something Sadavir whispered in her ear.
