Page 19 of Love in the Forest
He huffed a sigh.I don’t know what to do with this.
The question was coming, but she didn’t want it asked, so she said simply,Don’t.
Don’t?
Can we just go to bed? Sleep, I mean and pretend there isn’t something difficult, possibly even painful that needs to be done?
She could feel the tension drain out of him.That’s a brilliant idea.
With what felt like great effort on his part, he began to pull out of her. She almost tightened the muscles of her sex to keep him inside but instead she let him go. She had to.
And it would be the first step, no doubt, in a very painful process.
~ ~ ~
The following evening, after one of the best day’s sleep he’d had since coming to Savage Territory, Braden leaned over the granite island countertop a coffee mug between his palms.
He knew what he had to do which was why he still wore his robe and nothing underneath it. He had to break the bond. It was the only way for his pack to survive. His people were already in an almost constant state of war and he couldn’t let a relationship with a vampire jeopardize any of them.
So, he had two problems. How to talk Abby out of taking the blood chalice and how to break the bond without losing his mind. He felt like he carried a boulder in his chest.
When she arrived in the kitchen, her eyes were red-rimmed from weeping. The boulder sank into his stomach. He’d never been so unhappy in his fucked-up,alterlife.
He didn’t look at her as he asked, “Do you want coffee?”
“No. Thank you.” She caught his arm. “No more talking or offers of food. Let’s just get this done. Please.”
She hooked his arm and tugged him in the direction of the bedroom. He followed because she was right. They were way past words.
Once inside, he saw that she’d made the bed. Everything looked damn tidy.
She took off her shirt and tears tracked down her cheeks. “Just ignore me.” She sniffed.
“Okay.” He shed his robe.
He pulled her quickly into his arms and squeezed his eyes shut as a sob shook her entire body.
It had to be done.
He reached for their shared cord and felt the exact moment when she joined him. He took a few seconds to savor the connection.
Her sobs had stopped but her breathing was shaky.
I love you,escaped his mind before he could hold back the words.
She gasped, then said,I feel the same way. Braden, in a different place and time, you would have been my choice.
He hugged her harder.
It’s time,she said.
He could feel her letting go and he did the same. Better to rip the damn band-aid off.
He felt the cord snap and just like that the partial-bond was gone.
What returned to him was a sensation of such emptiness he had to pull away. His throat constricted. He felt like he was being strangled.
She didn’t meet his gaze. “Would you give me some privacy until I’m ready to fly home?”
