Page 73 of Mated to the Enemy
Jessica threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t just leave her there, Klaue! Who knows what they’re doing to her?”
“Nothing,” he said firmly. “If they were, they would tell us, to make you do exactly what you’re doing. No, they’re holding off on doing that, in the hopes that they can avoid having to make things formal. By using the mage to do their dirty work, they can pretend like it isn’t them, even though everyone knows it is. It’s politics,” he added when she went to question him. “I know it’s dumb, but that’s the way it is.”
“Great. Reduced to politics. Is that all I am?”
He didn’t bother responding to that. She was pouting and they both knew it, and this time, he just let her vent. Jessica was frustrated and worried sick over her sister, and that was perfectly natural.
“The only way we’re going to get her back, is to be smart about it.”
Jessica snorted. “That didn’t work too well for us the first time.”
He noted carefully the way she referred the group asus, including herself in it. That was good, she was starting to associate herself with House Ursa.
“That wasn’t smart,” he said, shaking his head. “That was me, acting rashly, charging into battle and trying to prove myself to you more than us being smart about it. This time around, I’m going to be smart. I’m going to think.”
Jessica stopped her pacing, biting at her lower lip. “What are you going to do?”
Klaue winced. “I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “But I’m going to figure it out. Whatever it takes, Iwillfind a way that doesn’t involve you sacrificing yourself.” The last words came out with more force than expected, startling both of them.
There was a long, drawn-out period of silence between them. He looked at her, searching her eyes, looking past the intensity for the softness, the caring, the laughter—for everything he’d come to like about her. In return, she gazed upon him. Klaue let his walls down as best he knew how, letting her in, so she could see just how determined he was.
“You do care about me, don’t you?” she asked, speaking so quietly he almost didn’t hear her.
“Yes. I do.”
“It’s not just an act.” It was a statement, not a question, but he felt the need to respond anyway, not understanding what she meant.
“Why would it be an act?”
Jessica shook her head. “I don’t know. The Canis, they never had good things to say about you. About Ursa, I mean. They were also saying how evil you all were, that you were a bunch of liars, cheats and never to believe one of you if you said you cared.”
“How pleasant,” he muttered. “But I do care, Jessica. Nothing was an act. I should have told you earlier that I knew about you, about us. But I didn’t want to force it on you. I didn’t want to scare you off. I…” he sighed. “I hoped you would come to care for me on your own, without that knowledge. I wanted you to like me for me.”
She looked at him, her expression and stance softening. “Oh, Klaue.”
Feeling more confident, he walked over to her, taking her hands in his. Just the touch of her sent a spark through him. “I don’t like arguing with you,” he said softly.
“Me neither. I’m sorry for what I said. I was lashing out because I’m scared, Klaue. I’m so scared. I never meant for any of this to happen. I was just walking past the door when I heard them talking. You have to believe me.”
“Shh,” he said, putting one arm around her, drawing her close. “I believe you. It’s not your fault.” He kissed the top of her head once, then again, stroking her hair, letting his size and strength comfort her.
“She’s going to be okay, right?”
“Yes. We’re going to get her back, Jess. I promise you that. I don’t know how, but we’ll figure out a way.”
Jessica shifted under him, so she could look up. Her eyes were rimmed with red from where she’d been crying, but no more tears fell now. Instead, he saw hope shining through the middle.
“I won’t let you down.”
She reached up as he spoke, caressing the side of his face. “I know, Klaue. I know. I believe you.”
He bent down to kiss her forehead, but Jessica surprised him, grabbing his face and pulling him all the way down to her. The dam burst the instant his lips brushed hers, all their pent-up feelings tumbling away, scorched clean by the physical contact that said so much more than their words.
It wasn’t desire that had them pawing at one another now, stripping off layer after layer. It was something more basic, more primal, that stirred in both of them as their emotions calmed.
It wasneed.
