Page 91 of Mortal Shift
My anger turned to confusion, because I couldn’t keep up with this guy. With any of this. I tugged my arm free and put some space between us.
“I don’t understand,” I admitted.
Cole exhaled heavily and leaned back against the door. Whether he was blocking the exit or trying to give me space, I wasn’t sure. I searched his face and he grunted and looked away.
“You’re my mate. I’ll protect you.”
“I don’twantyou to protect me, Cole,” I said.
“You just said—”
I shook my head, a short, frustrated jerk. “I’m saying, but you’re not listening. Just like everyone else round here. I don’t know why I keep expecting you to be different.”
His forehead creased and something close to hurt flashed through his eyes. And then he nodded.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m listening.”
I paused, searching his face, and then sucked in a breath.
“I don’t want you to protect me,” I said again. “I want you to teach me how to protect myself.”
He opened his mouth, paused, closed it again. Then he dipped his chin.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” I repeated.
“Okay. I’ll teach you to protect yourself… Or I’ll try, at least. But Cali, I don’t know if any human can resist Davorin’s compulsion. He’s a fae prince of the Fall Court.”
I sagged. “I know. But he makes me feel so…powerless. I hate it. And I hate having to hide behind everyone else, like I’m weak.”
“You’re not weak, Cali,” Cole said, pushing himself off the door. He crossed the floor in two easy steps, tucked his thumb under my chin, and gently lifted my eyes to meet his. “I think you might be the strongest person I know.”
We gazed into each other’s eyes for a long moment.
“I heard Lincoln can throw a three-hundred-pound werewolf,” I said.
Cole’s lips quirked. My lips quirked. And then we were both laughing.
“Lucky for you, I can throw a three-hundred-pound werewolf, too.”
My hand trailed his powerful arms of its own accord, my fingertips tracing the outline of his muscles.
“I’m sure,” I said.
His lips crushed down onto mine and he backed me up until we crashed into the wall behind me. I kissed him back, every mistrust between us burned away by the heat of our connection. My body molded itself against his, a perfect fit, and my hands snaked behind his back to explore the vast planes of muscle under his shirt. His palm crashed into the wall to one side of my face, protecting me from his weight, caging and guarding me all at the same time, and his other hand wrapped round my waist, pulling me tight against him.
I moaned into his mouth at the sheer perfection of his touch, his hands that erased every touch that had gone before, his scent that drove all others from my mind, his mouth that was the only taste I could remember.
His tongue slipped between my lips to plunder me, and I gave all of myself over to him willingly. There was no part of me I wanted to hide, no part of him I didn’t want to discover. His strength wrapped around me, proving his worth, proving his ability to protect me…
…But that wasn’t what I wanted.
“Swear it,” I growled against his mouth.
He groaned and kissed me harder.
“Swear it,” I demanded.
