Chapter 44
Sterling
Atangle of sinew strangles my heart. I clench my chest and command it to stop.
This is exactly why I didn’t want her to come to England.
Zion is a fool. The king is a fool, and yet I’m the biggest fool of all—I let this happen.
My fingers ring around Blair’s wrist, and I pull her away from the swarm of British officers.
Having credentials from our new ambassador to the human governments makes this a hell of a lot easier to deal with.
That and Blair didn’t freeze up, acting like a trafficking victim.
As we walk away, Zion is still talking to the police, but Delmar is three steps behind us.
My free hand clenches into a fist. This could’ve ended so much worse.
“Sterling, stop; you’re walking too fast.” Delmar grabs my shoulder.
My glare makes him drop his hand. “We can stop when we’re away from here,” I say. I lengthen my steps before I realize that Blair is lagging behind. I’m practically dragging her.
“You need to stop. Blair, are you okay? Do you want some water?” Delmar glances at the kiosk shop next to us.
“I’m okay. Let’s get back to the hotel.” Blair’s blue eyes hold mine. Her face is red, sweat dripping down the sides.
“No, Delmar is right. You’re overheating. Get her some water,” I command him. Can she do without the water? Probably. But sending him on a mission will get them off my tail and give me a moment to speak to Blair alone. Delmar gives an affirmative nod and strides away.
“Has he ever bought anything by himself? I mean, with human money?” Blair asks.
“Doubtful. But as much as I don’t trust him to pilot the Voyager, he’s not dumb. He’ll figure it out. It’s just money; money is money everywhere.”
There’s a little alcove behind us, a doorway to a shop that has been closed for a long time. I tuck Blair there, out of sight. Knowing I have her positioned where I can protect her calms my inner beast. But can I? Can I keep her safe?
Blair cranes her neck around me, trying to see where Delmar has gone. “Are you sure?”
I shrug. Who am I? I don’t even recognize this male who shrugs his shoulders.
It’s the human. My emotions are interfering with what I know and how I act.
I fucking hate it. How long can I fight this?
My pod wants her. My cock wants her. How long can I protect her from pods that aren’t worthy of her and still not let my own unworthy pod claim her?
I’m fighting a useless battle, one not worthy of my time.
Not worthy of her time. I’m fighting the other pods and my own.
I look at the filthy alcove I’ve backed Blair into. It’s not great, but it will have to do.
“Bite me, Blair.” I hold her by the sides of her arms while crouching down and tilting my neck.
“What?” Her voice rises.
“Bite. Mate me. And I’ll mate you back. I fucking don’t want to do it this way, but—” I don’t want to do it any way, but I’m not going to tell her that. Not now. “There will be no reason to come after you if you’re mated. You’ll be safe.”
“You don’t want another mate.” Her blue eyes glow up at me.
“It doesn’t matter what I want.” It’s never mattered what I wanted.
She grabs my earlobe and yanks me up. “It does too. I’ve been in a marriage for the wrong reasons before.
I’ll never do that again. And you shouldn’t either.
You deserve better, Sterling Mason. You deserve to have everything you want and nothing you don’t.
So no, I won’t mate you. Not here, not like this, maybe never, but that’s up to you.
I deserve better too, and right now you’re not good enough.
Excuse me, I think Delmar is back with my water.
” Her little hand comes up to my forearm and pushes.
My body moves on its own, stepping out of the way. She strides over to Delmar and puts her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. I can’t hear what she says over the din of the city streets, but Delmar turns and glares at me. His amber eyes are dark pools of animosity.
You've just left Sterling in the most vulnerable moment of his life. Blair walked away. Delmar is furious. And the other pods? Still circling.
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Thank you for diving into the depths with Blair, Sterling, and Delmar.
Writing this duet has been an absolute journey, and I'm so grateful you trusted me enough to take the plunge into this world of complicated mermen, second chances, and a woman who refuses to settle for anything less than she deserves.
Your support means everything to me—every review, every message, every recommendation to a fellow romance reader keeps me writing the stories I love.
I hope Sterling's grumpy resistance, Delmar's fierce devotion and the rest of the guys .
. . have captured your heart as much as they've captured mine.
You're the reason I get to do this every day, and I don't take that for granted.