55. Raea #3
I growl, shoving at him again, attempting to break free, but his grip only tightens. “Dammit, Soraea, calm down.”
I glare up at him, ready to spew every hateful word I feel when I meet his sapphire pleading eyes.
“Stop, love.” He sees the moment I let my guard down, and he pulls me to his chest, cradling my head over his steady heartbeat. “I’m sorry I didn’t wake you.”
I want to keep fighting, but I can’t. I’m exhausted, and when the broody, annoying male in front of me sweeps a hand down my spine, I all but melt into him. “Why?”
Instead of answering me, he bends, lifting me into his arms. My thighs on either side of his stomach. I cross my arms over my chest. I’m confident he won’t drop me, but I’m not about to make his life easier if he refuses to answer.
When he catches me glaring at him, he only smirks. It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes. He marches us to the opposite side of the clearing from Vaeric and up the steps that lead to the suspended bridges.
A soft breeze cools my heated skin, and this time I do roll my eyes. I uncross my arms and drape them over his shoulders.
“Was it that hard?” he teases, repeating the same phrase from the first night he carried me back to the dorms.
“Painful.”
He pinches my ass, making me squeal before taking the suspension bridge deeper into the forest.
“Where are we going?”
Again, he doesn’t answer. When I’m about to argue with him, he pins me to a tree, holding my weight with his hips pressed into mine. “Stop.” He sighs. “I will tell you, but I needed some privacy, and in case you forgot, Fae warriors have exceptional hearing.”
I wait for him to explain. I can feel him fighting against the anger within.
Finally, he looks back at me, those little storms in his eyes swirling with unease. “The Fae males from last night.” His jaw ticks as he pauses. “Riven and I—”
“What did you do, Anders Rykerson?”
“Honestly, I don’t want to tell you because I don’t want you pissed and they deserved everything they got. They’re still alive. Fae are hard to kill.”
“Let me down.”
He studies me for a moment before setting me back down on my feet.
I don’t even know what to say right now.
I’m pissed and hurt and scared. He went behind my back.
The last time he did this was back at school.
I hadn’t asked him not to do it again. I knew what kind of man he was—the kind of man he is.
He’s loyal and protective. Deep down, I know he felt like he needed to do this. Not for himself, but to protect my honor, to make sure I felt safe, to prove a point to the rest of the Fae males that he won’t stand idle while his mate is almost raped within the walls of the palace.
Everything I know about Fae males is that they’re short tempered and possessive. I have never asked him to change, and I don’t even want him to, but there is a line that I’m not willing to cross and I’d appreciate if he didn’t either.
If we’re to rule someday over our people, once this war is over, I want to be kind rulers, fair rulers. I don’t want to have a male at my side that punishes everyone who even glances my way. So I need to set some ground rules.
I spin on my heel, exhaling a long breath.
“Okay. I will overlook this once,” I say, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and relief.
“But you must understand, Ry, we are a team.
If you act without telling me, you break our trust. I don't want a male who punishes the world for me. I want the male who stands beside me while we change it. Promise me that next time, we will decide together.”
He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. “Fists are efficient and they make me feel better,” he grumbles.
I have to tuck my lips between my teeth to keep from smiling. “Once our Mating Bond is fully in place, Ry, this—” I gesture between us. “—is going to get a lot stronger.”
I wait in silence while he stands there brooding. This time when the breeze blows through the trees, I know it’s not him. Goosebumps flood my skin now that my sweat has dried.
“I can make no promises that I won’t respond, but I can promise to at least wake you next time and tell you where I’m going.”
My eyelids fall closed as I sigh. “Fine.” I give in, knowing that we have thousands of years to work on his temper. His responding grin forces a smile to my face. “You’re insufferable,” I tease, brushing past him.
An arm hooks around my waist dragging me back to him. He clucks his tongue. “I don’t at least get a thank you kiss?” he asks, burying his nose into the crook of my neck. I can’t help but snort as I pretend to fight him off. We both know I’m not actually trying.
“A thank you kiss? Really?” I spin, stepping out of his arms, letting my gaze roam over him, taking in the corded muscles of his arms and the way the shirt fits too snug across his chest. The gods definitely blessed me when they created him.
I bite down on my bottom lip, attempting to hide my smile. “Fine, a kiss. But you have to catch me first.” I spin on my heel and bolt, leaping off the bridge.