Page 138 of The Book Reader
My chest heaves from my frustration. Maybe I can’t kill her right now, but I can hurt the bitch.
My powers lift Macy up into the air, her arms stretched out to the side. She laughs and looks down at me. “You are far more powerful this time, Reader, I can feel it. Daddy is going to want to know about you,” she grins. “Iwillbe back.” Her red eyes flash brighter as she shimmers from my hold. I drop to the floor as soon as she is gone and burst into tears.
I shimmer back tothe castle, tears still running down my cheeks. I don’t want to believe what Macy said. Part of me knew she was going to say anything to hurt me, but something profound in my heart just doesn’t feel right. Fear that she is going to kill me again, fear of losing Gaelan, and losing all that I have runs over my body and makes me shake.
Lexus is still growling in my head. She can feel my anger, and I can feel hers. My mating senses tell me Gaelan is in his office. Not bothering to knock, I push the door open, and it bangs against the wall.
Mark, Leah, and a couple of others turn to look at me. Gaelan lifts his eyes to mine and grins for a second until he sees the devastation on my face.
“Did you have sex with her?” My voice is cold and harsh; I’m not even waiting for the others to leave the room.
Gaelan frowns. “With whom?” he says, sounding confused.
“Macy.” I spit out.
He exhales harshly, anger radiating from him, feeling the mood in the room shift. Everyone starts to excuse themselves and either shimmers out or rushes past me out of the door. Gaelan stands slowly.
“My Rose, what are you talking about?” he sounds outraged. He moves around the desk to come over to me and tries to take my hand.
I pull it back and shake my head. “Answer my question, Gaelan. Have you had sex with Macy?” My eyes lock with his, and the anguish I see looking back at me tells me everything I need to know.
Hedidhave sex with her.
“You lied to me? I can’t believe you lied to me!” I yell at him, pulling in a shaky breath, turning and walking fast out of the office with Gaelan rushing after me.
“Rose, let me explain!” He sounds pained. I just shake my head, not wanting to talk to him right now. I asked him when I first found out about her, and he lied to me; he told me it was never like that—that he loved me so much that he would never sleep with the daemon that killed me. The daemon that caused me so much pain in each of my lives.
Coming to a stop, I turn and face him, tears running even faster down my cheeks. “I saw her today at Westrey. She tried to kill me again, Gaelan. She told me about all the deals you had made with her, all of the orgasms you gave her.” My voice is raised, but I don’t care who hears me. “I fought for you, forus! When I got my powers back, I felt it all, Gaelan—each of my past lives—the love we have and the pain each time I was taken from you. Each rape, each assault, each dagger or knife that slit mythroat or cut into my heart,” my words come out in broken sobs, “That woman took everything from me, andyou had sex with her?”
Unable to even think about anything else he has lied about, I turn and make my way toward the main doors. He shimmers in front of me and reaches for me again. “Rose—Ari—let me explain, please.” He sounds broken as he gazes into my eyes. I see so much pain and heartbreak, but it’s too late for that.
Why are people only sorry if they get caught?
I shake my head.
“No,” is all I say as I shimmer away.
Chapter 49
GAELAN
“Fuck!” I yell as Ari vanishes from sight. I use my senses to try and find her, but all I get is a wall of nothing. Her powers are growing in many good ways, blocking me isn’t one of them.
I have no idea what Macy said to her, but I never willingly had sex with her.
My body shakes with anger. I fist my hands before turning and punching one through the wall. A crack runs up toward the ceiling, and then everything shakes.
I want to kill that fucking bitch.
I should have told Ari when she asked me. I shouldn’t have lied, but how do I tell the woman who is my everything that the daemon who killed her has also gotten to me?
She wouldn’t have believed that I could protect her; she would have worried about me too much—I didn’t need that for her.
Turning, I pace back into my office and sit down at my desk, closing my eyes, as the memory of that day flashes in my mind.
Sobbing, I hold my Rose’s dead body close and slowly rock her. Each time my heart beats, pain pierces through me. Eachbreath I take, I wish were my last. I can’t live without her, not again. “I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry.”
She went missing about a week ago, and I’ve been looking for her ever since. It was the news that told me where she was—they reported a dead body found in a lake. As soon as I saw her arm, adorned with a tattoo of a dragon, I knew it was my Rose. I shimmered straight to the lake to collect her body and bring her back to my castle—back to our home. She was covered in blood, and her head had almost been cut off.
