Page 96 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“Whoa.” Tara’s world was spinning. But in some ways, she felt like scales were being torn from her eyes. The two biggest questions she’d had over the past five years were being answered. Why her parents had died. And why she couldn’t be injured. “That’s why it felt like I recognized him. I’d seen him before. He Marked me after the accident. And that’s why I wasn’t able to beinjured. ”

“Yep.”

“But when? Why don’t I rememberit?”

“You were unconscious in the hospital. He came to visit you and performed thespell.”

“Oh.” She looked down at their clasped hands and was momentarily mesmerized by his thumb running across the top of herhand.

“But now I can be hurt. Zuri pinched me.Why?”

“The spell only lasts until you find out about the supernatural world. Now, the protection isgone.”

“I probably shouldn’t test that by trying to stab myself withscissors.”

“I would prefer you didn’t. I’m rather fond of your delectable body,” he said, his eyes running down her from head to toe and back upagain.

Tara took a step toward him without thinking about it. The desire in Elias’s eyes was like a beacon to her. She wanted to touch him. She needed another kiss like the one he’d given her when she entered the cell. She wanted him to… “What is wrong with me?” she blurted, forcing herself to break her train of thought. Elias’s breathing had increased, and he was looking at her like she was his last meal. “Elias?”

“I can feel your desire, your need,” he said through gritted teeth as if he was barely holding onto his control. “And considering my own desire and need for you is already off the charts, it’s making things ratherintense.”

“Why do I feel like a cat in heat?” Her hands were beginning to sweat, and there was an indescribable ache low in herstomach.

“It’s our bond. Our magic, our souls, and our bodies want tojoin.”

“Why are we soul bonded? What does it mean?” She needed the answers to those questions, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to hearthem.

“Tara.” He said her name as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Elias tugged her and she fell against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her so his hands rested on her lower back. She pressed her hands against his chest and held herself up so she could look at his face. “I need you to know I’ve been enamored with you from the moment I met you. Bond or not, I wanted you. Don’t think for a minute the soul bond is the only thing making me want to be withyou.”

Just as before, she could feel the truth in his words. She nodded and waited for him tocontinue.

“Sometimes, when a person goes through something tragic or traumatic, it causes damage to their soul. If the damage is bad enough, it can affect their life in a negative way. And if they lose some of their soul, then the darkness can claim that piece, and that person will be swayed to the darkness. When that happens to one that is Marked, the elementals create a soul bond for the torn soul. I don’t know if I’m explaining this well.” He sighed in frustration and then surprised her when he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. When he pulled back, he continued. “My soul is meant to complete yours. When your parents died, your soul wasn’t just damaged, luv. You lost some of it. I don’t know how much, and I don’t know who could tell us how much, other than maybe the elemental king andqueen.”

“Wait, king and queen? There’s a king andqueen?”

“There are four kings and queens. A pair for each of the elements. They are beings of pure elemental spirits. They aren’t seen very often, and they only usually meet with the headmaster andheadmistress.”

“Wow. So you’ve never seenthem?”

“No. Anyway, when you lost part of your soul, somehow, the elementals chose me to be your soul bonded. If a Mark doesn’t bond with their match, they will be lost to the darkness and become a powerful darkacolyte.”

She tried to push away from him, but he tightened his arms around her. “Don’t push me away,” he breathed out. “Let me help you bear this. I know it’s alot.”

“How do you feel about being stuck with me?” she said before she could stop herself. All she could think was that the elementals had forced Elias into this serious commitment without asking him what he wanted. She didn’t want a man with her because he had no choice or because he felt a sense ofduty.

“I have a choice,” he said, his voice sharp as his eyes narrowed on her. “I’m not a puppet, luv. I have my own mind. They haven’t taken my freewill.”

“Haven’t they?” she snapped. “You won’t leave me to the darkness. That’s not the kind of man you are, and I know that just from the short time we’ve been together. You’ll do this bond thing no matter what because of your honor. How is that not taking your free will?” Tears started to fill her eyes, and Tara silently cursed them. She didn’t want to cry in front of him. She didn’t want him to know she felt as though a knife had just been slid through her ribs and into her lungs, and now she couldn’tbreathe.

“Dammit, woman,” Elias growled as he released her but quickly grabbed her face in both of his hands. His face was an inch from hers as he spoke. “I want you to listen to me and listen good. When I met you, you knocked the wind out of me, and I’ve been trying to catch my breath since that day. I think about you constantly. When I’m with you, I can’t get close enough. And when I’m away from you, I count the seconds until I’ll be with you again. You’re interesting, passionate, funny, feisty, and beautiful inside and out. I would think those things of you without the damn bond. But you know what? I’m glad the bond isthere.”

“Why?” she asked, sounding breathless to her ownears.

“Because it ties you to me. I’m selfish enough not to care if it takes your choice away because I want you that bloody much. If you run from this, I will give chase. I am yours and you are mine, and I’ll be damned if I let another man haveyou.”

Tara’s mouth dropped as she looked into his fierce gaze. He was completely serious. He would come after her, and he wouldn’t stop until she was his. “I…” She stopped because she didn’t know what tosay.

“Do you want me? Would you be okay if I was with someoneelse?”

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