Page 21 of Courting the King of Cliffs

His shoulders relaxed, and his massive, beautiful body slowly sagged with relief.

If my magic was doing for him what his had done for me, on a much more intense level, it would be taking his pain away.

It would be peeling down layer, after layer, after layer of agony.

Of scars.

Of aching.

Of hell.

It would be healing him—at least temporarily.

Water began to drip from his eyes with every wave of my power that washed over him.

Granite’s power finally swelled up to meet mine. It wasn’t in gusts; it was a thick, heavy wave of power. It collided with me all at once, and every tiny pressure in my mind, every slight noise that bothered me, every grain of sand on my feet and arms and skin that would’ve driven me mad, meant nothing.

They weren’t even annoyances; they were just there.

My body was calm.

My mind was, too, despite the sun glaring down at us and the sand shifting around us.

His magic didn’t hurt me; it helped me.

We were both silent for a long moment, but my anger didn’t vanish. It just simmered.

I finally said, “I survived an explosion of magic that would’ve killed anyone weaker, at seven years old. I survived a magical insanity that took hold of men centuries older than me. I broke through that insanity, without a mate to snap me out of it or anyone to pull me through. When the earth chose me, instead of the wind that was already buried deep in my bones after the explosion, I learned how to control its fierce magic, even as it raged against my mind and soul.”

I took a step toward Granite, and he stood up, taller and stronger than I’d seen him before. Though he had already been massive, without his pain, he was an absolute giant of a man.

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice low and rich.

“Mates are supposed to be equals. Even if our magic wasn’t compatible, it wasn’t your decision to make for me. Now, you don’t get to make it at all.”

His forehead creased.

“I don’t want you,” I said.

He let out a harsh breath.

“I don’t want to be your mate. I’ll be staying in your room on the first floor until I find a male who actually respects me. Stay out of my way, Granite.”

“Tremaine,” he growled. “And not a fucking chance.”

I transported back to his room, still simmering with rage.

He appeared in front of me, and I threw more of my power at him.

He threw his right back.

The cliffs trembled.

I heard some earth fae yell, around us.

Neither of us backed off.

“You are mine,” he said. “Nothing will change that.”

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