Page 116 of Cosmic Power

Zamorra didn’t think he would. But he waspissed.

“You’re never to do that again, do you understand me?” he said darkly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Zamorra licked her lips nervously. She knew what he was referring to, but because she couldn’t help testing him, pissing him off even more, she replied with a curt, “Whatever.”

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and snatched her head back, making her wince. “I’m serious, Zamorra. Never. Again. No one sees your body butme.”

She tapped into her werewolf’s power. Alpha energy hummed in her veins and she twisted, giving Luther no choice but to release his hold or risk seriously hurting her. She shoved him in the chest.

He stumbled back.

“What gives you that right?” she hissed. “We’re not mates. You’ve made that abundantly clear.”

“Argh, you drive me mad!” he yelled, pulling at his hair in frustration. “Just because I don’t want to be mates doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. I told you that before.”

Yes, he had. But honestly, what would be the point? Why start a relationship with someone when youknowit’s going to end badly? In heartbreak?

“Luther—”

“Void said the mating frenzy that hits your creatures can take hundreds of years to come on. So tell me why we can’t just keep going the way we are until that changes? Who knows, maybe after all that time I’ll change my mind about mating.”

Zamorra gave him a level stare. “Will you?”

Luther stared back, his chest rising and falling with deep, ragged breaths. His jaw clenched, teeth grinding against each other. “No,” he gritted out.

Her face softened at the distressed look on his face. “That’s okay, Luther. Honestly. The last thing I would ever want is to force you into something you don’t want.”

He stepped forward and gripped her hips, lowering his forehead to hers. “Iwantyou.”

She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent.God.He smelt so fucking good. Like dark spices, blackberries and sandalwood, all rolled into one.

His touch burned her, making her skin heat and her pulse skyrocket. Her heart pounded in her chest at his closeness, the way his body felt pressed against hers.

Her hands drifted up his muscular chest, wrapping around his neck. “I want you, too,” she breathed, opening her eyes. He stared down at her with burning intensity. “But I need you to understand where I’m coming from.Iunderstand your side, why you don’t want to form a mate bond. But it’s like you don’t understand mine.”

“Because I don’t.”

Zamorra pulled back, frustrated. “How can you not? Tell me, what’s the point of getting into a relationship just for it to end badly? Why put us both through that pain when we can end on a good note?”

“You don’t know it’s going to end that way, Zamorra. You don’t. You’re just assuming. Overreacting.”

“No, I’m not,” she said through clenched teeth, having to refrain from kicking him in the shin like she wanted to. “You’re never going to change your mind about forming a mate bond. My werewolf is eventually going to demand one. You won’t give it. I’m attached to younow, Luther. I crave your touch. Your scent. Your presence. You literally make my heart pound so hard in my fucking chest I can’t breathe. What do you think is going to happen if we spendmoretime together? Can’t you see it’s just going to make things harder, more painful for me when I have no choice but to end it because my werewolf is screaming, clawing at me for a mate?”

Luther scowled and began to pace, tension riddling his body. Power blasted out of him with each step, shaking the room.

A knock sounded at the door, but they both ignored it.

“You’re basically giving me an ultimatum here. Agree to mate with you or it’s over before it even begins.”

Zamorra’s jaw dropped in outrage. “I am not! I just said Ineverwant to force you into something you don’t want.”

“Well, you’re doing it. Right now. I feel forced.”

Another knock.

“That’s not my fault! I’ve made it perfectly clear I don’t blame you for how you feel. It’s just a shitty situation.”

“Only because you’re not willing to compromise.”

---