Page 18 of All the Chaos of Constellations
She inhaled a shaky breath, her gaze sliding to him. “Until you.”
Asher couldn’t tell her she nearly broke him. That seeing her fracture left him undone. It was something he could hardly admit to himself. “You looked terrified.”
“I was…” She startled, jolting up from the bench. She stared at him, wide-eyed. “Oh gods, what if that’s why?”
Asher stood, a line of concern furrowing across his brow. “I don’t follow.”
“I wasn’t strong enough to accept my fate. I’m not worthy of being the next Reader of Stars.” She pointed a finger at him, bottom lip trembling. “You knew it. You told me so yourself.”
The reminder of his insult was a punch to the gut. “Novalise…”
“The stars knew it, too. That’s why my destiny changed. That’s why I’m standing in a garden, soaked to the bone, with no shoes, crying to the one male who doesn’t want me.” Pure heartbreak was etched into the smooth planes of her face. “I’m not good enough.”
The tears started falling. Hard and fast.
Shit.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, hauling her close. He hated the way she shook in his arms. Hated himself for caring. “Listen to me. Youarethe stars.”
Cupping her cheeks with his hands, he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers.
Her nearness set his soul on fire.
Again, the beating of her heart belonged solely to him. Her breath, every inhale, every exhale, was an extension of his own. His magic strained for her, pined for her. The longer he held her in his arms, the more difficult it would be to walk away.
With one finger, he traced the constellation of stars on her skin. The flesh right above her heart was soft, like velvet. “You bear Estrela’s crown. You were born with the constellation of it tattooed upon your flesh. The magic of the stars courses through your veins.”
Her palms came to rest on his chest, her fingers curling into the dampened fabric of his shirt. The bond drew her closer to him, reeling her in. Magic pulsed around them, causing the air to thicken with undercurrents of desire. But the attraction was superficial, forged by the unfortunate connection between them.
Such a clever reminder wasn’t enough to keep his arms from sliding from her shoulders to her waist, dragging her against him. She was warm and pliant in his arms, melting into him. He wanted to peel off every layer of damp clothing, to feel her move against him like silk, to hear her gasps and moans of pleasure.
She rose up on her toes, leaning into him.
Gods, he wanted to kiss her.
“What do I do, my lord?” Her whisper floated between them.
Steeling his reserve, Asher bent forward. He pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth, breathing in the intoxicating scent of her. Faint rose, dark berries, and lush vanilla. Then he pulled back and brushed his thumb along the line of her full bottom lip.
“Prove your worth,” he murmured, releasing her completely. The space between them was suddenly cold. Empty and desolate.
Asher forced himself to step back. “Defy the stars.”
Novalise stared at him, bewildered. He turned around, away from her, and headed back up the path toward House Celestine. She watched him go, he could feel her eyes boring into his back. But it was nothing compared to the frenzied desperation of the invisible thread binding them together. Each step was a knife to the heart, a painful agony that caused his chest to ache.
She deserved to be with someone who could love her, with someone who actually accepted mating bonds. And definitely not with someone who would rather be chained in iron for the rest of his days than be shackled to a female who believed in the very thing responsible for his mother’s death.
The stars had claimed his mother would only have one love for the whole of her life. She’d loved Asher’s father unconditionally, and his father…well, he loved wine, doling out vicious punishments, and the company of other females. When his father died, it ruined his mother, and she followed his demise shortly after.
Love for her children, for Asher and Cyra, was obviously not enough for her.
Asher shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and ducked his head, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Novalise. It didn’t matter if every time he closed his eyes he saw a world of midnight flames and glittering stars. There was only one logical thing to do.
He had to find a way to break the bond.
CHAPTERSEVEN
The stars lied.
