Page 94 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“Bloody hell,” she snapped and pulled back to look at him. Her lips were swollen from his kiss, and something primal inside of him wanted to beat his chest at having left his mark onher.

“How could you doubtme?”

The desire that had just filled her eyes was suddenly gone, replaced with the fire he loved so much. “What do you mean, how could I doubt you? I barely knowyou!”

Elias pressed his forehead to hers and, despite the anger he could feel raging inside of her, she didn’t push him away from her. “You know I would never hurt you. Your soul knows I couldn’t hurt you without destroying myown.”

“What does my soul have to do with this? I don’t even know if I believe in souls,” she said. Elias had managed to distract her when she’d first walked into the cell but now he could see everything that had happened was coming back to the surface. He could practically see the wheels spinning. He stroked his finger across her cheek one last time before he stepped back and gave her somespace.

Tara pushed away from the wall and walked around the small square cell. Elias stood in the center and simply watched her. He couldn’t take his eyes off ofher.

It had been nearly a month since he’d last seen her, and he was so hungry for just the sight ofher.

After several passes around the tiny space, she finally spoke. “Tuckersaid—”

Elias growled like a rabid wolf, because when she spoke his name he felt likeone.

Tara paused for a moment but then kept going. “He said you and Jax are bad people. That you’re team dark elemental and you want to kidnap me—to be fair, Zuri did kidnap me, and that you want to teach me to kill team light elementals. He said he was there to save me fromyou.”

“Team what?” Elias asked as his lips turned up, showing a grin, which was something he had not done since he left Tara. Now that she was here where he could see her and keep her safe, he was becoming rational again. Sort of. Okay, probably not at all, especially where it applied to her. But at least he wasn’t trying to figure out how to bring down the entire Terra Academy without killing anyone so that he could get to his soul bonded. See, totallyrational.

“He said there were dark and lightelementals-—

“That’s true,” heinterrupted.

“Well, there you go, then. Team dark and team light,” she said, sounding irritated he didn’t understand herreference.

“Let me explain, Tara. Therearelight and dark elementals. Kind of like there are people who live with the light shining in their lives and through their actions. And then there are those who hide in the darkness and let the shadows cover up their wicked deeds. But…” He walked away from the middle of the room and leaned against the wall, his eyes following her every move. “He didn’t tell the truth about what team he played for. Tucker is an acolyte for a dark water elemental. He has nothing to do with light elementals, and he sure as hell doesn’t care about savinganyone.”

She stopped her pacing and looked at him. She was practically shaking, and Elias felt a sharp pain pierce hisheart.

“He said your kind killed myparents.”

Elias could feel how desperately she wanted it to beuntrue.

“Luv, come here,” he said as he held his hand out toher.

She shook her head. “Tell me,Elias.”

“I’m going to tell you,” he assured her, “but I want to show you something aswell.”

She stared at him for several heartbeats before she took a step forward and placed her hand in his. Elias pulled her to him and wrapped an arm around her waist. He took her hand in his and pressed their palms flushtogether.

“I’m not completely sure what I’m doing here,” he saidhonestly.

“That’s not reassuring or endearing to me in anyway,” she said and narrowed her eyes on him. “I’m not in the mood to be turned on by a guy who’s willing to show how vulnerable he is. Be vulnerable on your own time, Creed. What I need from you right now ishonesty.”

“You can feel what I’m feeling, Tara. I told you I could feel your fear and feel your doubt. You can do the same thing withme.”

“No, I can’t. I don’t have any magicalpowers.”

“You do,” he countered, “but they’re just being awakened in you. Though that has nothing to do with this. That’s not what makes you able to feel me. It’s your soul. We are soul bonded. I guess maybe a term you’d better understand is soulmates.”

Tara shook her head. “What does this have to do with myparents?”

“I’m going to tell you the truth, and you’re going to be able to feel that it’s the truth. I’m telling you that I cannot lie to you, luv. It’s not possible between soul bondedelementalists.”

She started to open her mouth, no doubt to argue with him again, but he spoke before shecould.

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