Chapter 38 #2
I scream as I see the other men all lunge for us at once.
While keeping one arm around the front of my shoulders, which keeps his chest pressed to my back, he kicks and slashes a path through the clearing until we’re at the edge of the water.
He quickly pushes my back to a tree, telling me to “stay.” Before he whips back around and pulls out a sword.
Holy shit, where was he hiding that thing?
I watch with wide eyes as he dances around the ten remaining men, no, make that eight…
and cuts them down with ease. I swear the whole thing happens within just a couple of minutes.
Until finally, he stands with his back to me in a fighting stance, his head looking everywhere.
“There were twelve,” I tell him. He lowers his arm a bit and I watch as he checks every body on the ground for signs of life.
When he seems satisfied that they’re all dead, he spins on his heels and storms over to me, pressing his palms against the tree on either side of my head as his gaze searches my eyes.
“Who are you?” I ask him the same question I asked all those weeks ago, but never got an answer to.
He uses one hand to pull back the hood of his cloak, revealing beautiful jet black hair.
He then grips his mask and pulls it over his head, dropping it to the ground.
Because he was always masked, I expected to recognize him, but I know I’ve never seen this face before, I would have remembered him.
His jaw is strong with a couple days’ worth of beard growth and his eyes are so intense, I feel as if he can see into my soul.
“I’ve caught you, Little Mouse. Now I can finally claim you as mine.”
“I… I… I… What?” I stutter out eloquently.
“That’s the rules, you know? The first to find you gets to claim you as theirs.” He traces a finger down my cheek, making me shiver. “But I’ll only touch you if you want it, Love.” His finger grazes across my lips. “And you do, don’t you?”
“I don’t understand, who are you?”
“Love,” he whispers, stepping closer so his body is pressing into mine.
His hand cups my cheek and my breath catches in my throat.
What is he doing to me? Why am I so drawn to him?
Well, I knew why… he was one of my fated mates, is that what he was talking about?
“Don’t you see? I won the mating hunt, I found you. ”
“The mating hunt?” I ask in confusion. Wasn’t that the stupid game I had been stuck participating in when I first arrived in this realm? My eyes widen in realization. “Wait—have you been following me since then? I never willingly entered it, I think it’s a stupid way to find mates.”
A smile crosses his lips, making him look devilishly handsome.
“Aye, Love. The moment I saw you walking through the throngs of men, I knew you didn’t belong there, and I knew you were mine.
I wasn’t sure what to do with you at first, I wasn’t there to find a mate, I was just there meeting another man for a job.
But when I saw you, I knew I had to stay close, keep you safe.
And when you jumped on that damn bird, I nearly lost it.
Thankfully, your first mate jumped on after you.
It took me a while to find you after that.
I keep finding you and losing you. But not following you across the desert was the worst mistake I made. ”
“I almost died out there.” I don’t know why I tell him that.
“I won’t leave you again. You’re safest with all your mates.”
“You won’t?” For some reason, I expect him to don his mask and run back into the forest without me at any moment.
“No.” He shakes his head.
“Why do you wear the mask?”
“I’m not a good man, Love. I kill men for a living, I don’t want people to see my face and know who I am.”
“Do you only kill bad men?”
“Aye.”
“Are you ever going to tell me your name?”
“Drake Devoney.”
“Drake,” I whisper his name, wanting to feel it on my lips. His tongue peeks out, slowly trailing along his lower lip as he watches mine.
“So, what do we do now?” I ask, trying not to reach out and grab him like I want to.
“Now, Love, you agree to be mine and tell me you’ll marry me. Then, I’m going to take you somewhere where there aren’t a dozen bodies littering the ground, and I’m going to make love to you while telling you how beautiful you are and feeding you bacon.”
My eyes widen in surprise before I start laughing. I can’t remember when I said that. It must have been months ago when I said all I wanted was for a man to tell me I’m pretty and feed me bacon.
“Even your laugh is sexy,” he says, his lips moving closer to mine. I feel his breath on mine as he whispers, “Say it.”
“Say what?” I ask, playing dumb.
“Love,” he growls out. “Don’t toy with me, I’ve been watching you for a long time, I ache to have you, to take care of you. Now, tell me you're mine.”
“I’m yours.” The second the words are out of my mouth, he presses into me.
His kiss is strong and demanding. He forces his tongue in, taking control and I gladly let him.
I have no idea how he’s so good at this, but I can’t stop from moaning into him as my hands come up to feel the hard muscles on his chest.
When he finally pulls back, he cups my face in his hands, searching my eyes. He must find what he’s looking for because he nods, then bends and scoops me up in his arms. “Let’s find somewhere a little more romantic, shall we? A place you deserve.”
“You should know that I’m also extremely filthy from traveling through the desert.”
“Okay, the inn then.”
“What about the others? My other mates?”
“I think I heard someone say they were a few days behind?”
“Probably a day, depending how fast they move.”
“Okay, let’s get you cleaned up and claimed. Then we will wait near the edge of the forest for them, okay?”
“Wow, you really know how to take care of a girl’s needs, don’t you?” I say, my arms looped around his neck as I stare up at him.
“Just you, Little Mouse, only you.” I rest my head against him and close my eyes, knowing that Drake will take care of me.