Page 19 of Midnight Deception

Atlas is here. Hearing his voice makes my bond flutter, and I stir in Luna’s arms, instinctively reaching for him, even though the disgust in his voice should make me want the opposite.

Slow, heavy footsteps get closer until he finally comes into my line of sight. He takes me in, his eyes roving over my pallid skin, pained expression, and rapid breathing. Looking down at my outstretched hand, he grimaces and turns away, unable to bear looking at me any longer.

Gritting his teeth, he meets my half-brother’s stare. “You know how I feel about werewolves.”

“She’s not just a werewolf though.” Kano crosses his arms over his chest, and from the way he’s looking at Atlas, I get the impression it’s to stop him from acting on his feelings. “She’s part witch, and more importantly, she’s your mate.” His disapproval is clear, and I can’t decide if it’s because mates are considered sacred or because he feels bound to defend me as my brother.

“I can’t be bound to a wolf!” Atlas shouts, making me jump and whimper at the sudden pain that tears through me. Luna’s arms tighten around me. I can feel her body vibrating with anger, and cousin or not, she’s not happy with him.

“That decision isn’t yours, I’m afraid,” Constance cuts in. “I’m not asking you to bond with her here and now. If you decide to do that later down the line, then that’s between the two of you,” she grumbles, rolling her eyes, not having the patience to deal with his hesitation.

“Are you really going to let your mate suffer when you know you can do something to help?” Luna asks, her voice deceptively even, dangerously so.

The tension is so thick in the air that you could cut it with a knife. Something about Luna’s words seems to have broken through his wall, and I see the moment he gives in.

Grumbling, he runs a hand through his hair and frowns at Madame Constance. “What do I need to do?”

“Hold her,” she says, clucking her tongue. “Don’t look at me like that. Take Luna’s place and hold your mate. Your bond is muted, but it should hold off the madness until I can remove the block.”

Luna gently unwraps her arms and shifts on the bed, cooing as I whimper at the loss of her touch. The mattress dips as someone sits next to me, a delicious smell breaking through the torment in my mind. As soon as he touches me, a gentle sigh escapes me, and I burrow against him. Of course he stiffens immediately, but right now my bond doesn’t care. He’s not one of the mates I want, but just having him this close, his body against mine, is settling the twisted, turbulent thoughts and helping to ground me. Closing my eyes, I inhale his scent as exhaustion pulls at me and I drift into a light sleep.

I’m not sure how long I doze for, but quiet voices catch my attention. I’m only half listening, soaking in the warmth of my mate.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Atlas comments quietly, his voice rumbling through his chest against my cheek where I lie. I wonder whom he’s talking to because the room doesn’t feel as full as it did earlier. In fact, I can only sense one other person in the room.

Someone utters a short laugh, but there’s no humour in it. “I’m just surprised how comfortable you look with her in your arms, considering you hate her.”

Luna. She must have stayed after I fell asleep. Given her comment, I can imagine the look she’s been giving him. She’s right though. Atlas has relaxed beneath me, his arm wrapped comfortably around my shoulders, holding me close against him.

He releases a long sigh, like he’s explained all of this before. “I don’t hate her.”

“Just what she is,” Luna points out. “You know she can’t help what she is any more than she can help that you guys are bound to be together. How long are you going to resist the bond?”

This is a question I’d like to know the answer to as well. I’ve not decided if Iwantto complete the bond. It will complicate things with my other mates, not to mention he’s been foul to me since we met. However, I also know that fighting the bond is next to impossible.

There’s a long pause as he considers her question, his hand absently stroking down the length of my arm. “I don’t know,” he finally admits.

I’m fully awake now. I shift in his arms and slowly tilt my head up to look at him. Our gazes meet, and my bond flips in my chest. Frowning, I take in his expression and make my decision. If that’s how he feels, I don’t want anything to do with him.

“I don’t need a man to help me, especially not you.” My intention had been to climb out of his arms, but my body decides to give out on me, and my bond takes over, pressing me closer against him.

“Says the werewolf snuggling deeper into my arms,” he says with grim amusement. He huffs and grumbles in the back of his throat as I start to struggle in his hold, anger fuelling my actions and giving me strength. I manage to sit up, but he’s already moving.

“Will you stop? You’re going to hurt yourself.” He pulls me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. I instantly feel better, and Ihatethat fact. Waiting for me to settle, he looks down at me with a frown, likeI’mthe one causing trouble here. “Look, like it or not, the goddess has decided to bond us for a reason. I can help you through this, so shut up and let me.”

Narrowing my eyes, I bare my teeth at him, hating that he’s telling me what to do, but I don’t say anything. I can’t, not when my bond is happily squirming in my chest. He is right about one thing—the goddess chose us to be together, so I need to trust in her that this is all going to work out and make sense at some point.

“We need you in one piece so you can help the queen and then get the hell out of here.”

Just as I think that maybe he isn’t the hateful jerk that I thought he was, he goes and ruins it with a comment like that. I knew he wasn’t helping me out of the goodness of his heart, but even so, my bond weeps a little at his callous words. I won’t put up with him treating me like a piece of shit, even though if I’m honest, I need him here more than I’m willing to admit.

“Well, I’m fine now,” I bite out through gritted teeth, struggling to sit up. “You’ve done your duty, so you can get the hell out of my room.”

“Madame Constance said I needed to stay close tonight, otherwise you could slide back into the sickness.” He sounds so fucking high and mighty about it that I automatically want to do the exact opposite and damn the consequences.

“I hate to agree with my cousin,” Luna calls out from the other side of the room, interrupting my toxic thoughts, “but he’s right. I don’t think you realise how sick you were. Laelia, you need this.”

Finally turning my attention to her, I find her sitting in an armchair on the other side of the room. She rests her chin on her hand, looking exhausted and more ruffled than I’ve seen her since I arrived here.

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