Chapter 51 Slater
slater
. . .
As we left the simulator, I caught Dimitri’s arm and pulled him to the side as everyone else headed back to the house. Zuko had Rune distracted enough that she didn’t notice us missing…yet.
It was easy enough to tell Zuko I wanted words with Dimitri. Especially when he found out Dimitri didn’t follow through after biting her.
Our squad just passed Galeclaw’s Peace Craft final with little help from Dimitri and Rune because they were so fucking distracted avoiding each other. Dimitri loomed beside Rune for most of that mission, but he refused to look her way.
My stomach twisted at the way Rune had kept glancing at him, then looked away like she had done something wrong.
He should never have bitten her if he was just going to avoid her after.
Dimitri’s voice slid in as smooth as polished stone. “Why are you pulling me away from the group right now?”
My demon form rippled out of me, and my skull cracked from how fast my horns came out. “Are you fucking kidding me, Dimitri? You have no idea why?”
He tightened his jaw and looked away. “I don’t need you to lecture me.”
“Clearly, you fucking do!” I roared, slamming his vampiric ass against the academy wall.
He let me.
“You fucking bit my mate!” I shoved him again, my claws cutting against his chest.
He was lucky he had the suit on; otherwise, I’d have done serious damage.
“You injected her with your pleasure-laced venom, dry-fucked her until you both came, then ran and left me to clean up the mess you left behind!”
Dimitri’s expression shattered for a split second.
My heart twisted, because, yeah, I said what I needed to, and it was the truth, but it hurt him. He obviously knew he was wrong.
“Mess?” He let out a dry laugh, but it sounded painful. “I know. I shouldn’t have fucking bitten her. I apologized!”
“Why regret it now?” I snarled in his face. “Why give her an intimate moment like that and flake? I fucked her, eased her desire, but you know what, you clueless fucking vampire?”
He went slack in my hold, but his red eyes met mine. “What?”
“She didn’t need me that night,” I admitted, though the truth broke me a little. “She needed you.”
He flinched as if I’d hit him—and, Fates, I wanted to. “Me? I thought she’d hate me for biting her.”
“You asked permission,” I reminded him. “You knew she wanted you, but you left her wanting.”
“She wanted me?” His voice cracked. “I lost control, Slater. I have a problem with bloodlust. Her blood makes me worse than usual. I thought she’d be disgusted with me for giving in.”
“Disgusted?” I laughed hollowly, pushing off him. “She wants you, Dimitri, and you want her, too.”
“I can’t want anyone.” He squeezed his eyes shut and slammed his head against the side of the academy. Blood slipped down the stone behind his head. “I’m not meant for anyone. Not someone as good as Rune. I’m fucking ruined.”
“I have a suspicion you’re her mate,” I told him simply. “And I’m her mate, too. So if you have a shred of decency in you—”
“Mate?” he cut me off, staring at me like I was delusional. “Just because you want her as a mate doesn’t mean the Fates will oblige. I learned that the hard way.”
“The siren scar on your throat?” I guessed.
His gaze narrowed, and he stood stiff as a rod. “Don’t talk about shit you know nothing about.”
I held my hands up in defense. “I’m not pretending to understand what you went through, but Rune’s my girl. If you want her, then fucking commit. If you have second thoughts, leave her the fuck alone until you get over your shit. Understand me?”
“Yeah,” he bit out.
“I like you, Dimitri.” I slapped him on his back as we started walking back. “But I love her, and she will come first every fucking time. Got me?”
“Got you,” he whispered.
Anger boiled in my blood, and my tail flicked wildly behind me as Snakey glared at Dimitri from around my neck.
The Fates needed to intervene soon. Zuko and I knew she was our mate, but some of the others needed solid proof.
Come on, matebonds.