Page 91 of A Storm in Every Heart
“It could,” I comment, moving backwards away from him. “So unless you want to end up stuck with me forever, we need to stay away from each other for a while.”
I grit my teeth, and I’m grateful for the darkness because I’m sure if he saw my face he’d know how much those words cost me to say. He’d know how painful it is to pretend I don’t want this more than anything.
“No, it couldn’t happen.” Kastian breathes a long sigh. “I already found my bond and lost her, so it definitely couldn’t happen again now.”
I freeze, and for what feels like several long seconds my heart forgets how to beat.
He already found his soul-bond?When? Who?
Some long-repressed roar, like crashing waves, rises in my chest. My vision tunnels in on itself, and for a moment all I can think isdrown, drown, drown…
“I’m sorry,” Kastian says.
His comment snaps me back to reality, and I blink quickly to clear my darkening vision. I force myself to laugh. “Sorry? Why are you sorry?”
“I should have told you that before…everything.”
I laugh again, and it sounds slightly hysterical to my own ears, but I hope that’s only because I know how my mind is reeling. “You didn’t have to tell me anything, and you don’t need to be sorry. This is good, actually. This means there’s no risk of accidentally triggering anything that neither of us wants.”
“Fine,” he says, tone unreadable. “If that’s how you feel, then come back over here.”
“No,” I say shortly, the forced calm in my voice growing more and more shrill by the second. “No, this was a bad idea to begin with, and I’m just glad we came to our senses.”
“Is that what happened?” he asks, the water shifting as he trails after me toward the dry bank.
“That’s exactly what happened,” I snap. “I said only once, remember? And I meant it, so this was a perfect reminder. I’m going to get dressed and go back to the campsite. Hopefully Jett has that fire going by now.”
I march toward my pile of clothes and tug my ruined dress firmly over my head, ignoring any of the underclothes in favor of speed.
He has a soul-bond already.
A soul-bond he lost years ago.
A soul-bond who isn’t me.
Kastian is conspicuously silent, and I get the impression he’s building up to say something. My heartbeat quickens, and I lace my boots up at top speed, terrified to hear whatever he wants to say.
I grab the rest of my things and speed-walk toward the camp, not even bothering to be afraid of the swamp animals in my haste to get away from Kastian.
“You know, I never said ‘once,’” he says finally.
I glance over my shoulder, heart pounding with anxiety. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He stops a few feet behind me, and I can practically hear the smirk in his voice when he answers. “It means that once was your rule, so you’re the one who will have to break it.”
“Why the hell would I do that?” I hiss, voice coming out a little breathless.
“I don’t know, Princess, maybe because you want to?”
“You’re delusional,” I bite out. “And you have a bond.”
“Ihadone,” he corrects. “Not anymore.”
I bark a humorless laugh. “That’s not how it works, and you know it. Bonds are forever.”
“Maybe you’re right,” he says, definitely smiling now. “But I’ll bet it’ll be less than three days before you’re begging me to touch you again, and when you do, I’ll be more than happy to test it.”
KASTIAN, PRESENT
