Chapter 26 #2
Torin clicked and swiped on his phone while I silently freaked out. I crossed and uncrossed my legs, trying to stretch them in the confined space.
My mind carried me away from thoughts about The Book of Thoradis and instead focused on more pressing matters. Like meeting Dad.
I would have to call Dad and explain why his Alpha couldn’t deliver me to him within the time frame set by the King. The outcome of that conversation was sure—the King would dislike Torin even more. Or worse, punish the Alpha for endangering his daughter’s life.
And there was also Hayden.
My pulse sped as I remembered Hayden’s threat. He would get involved if I was in danger because of Torin again.
Torin placed his phone in the cup holder and looked at me. “No way we can hide this from the King, Princess.”
I dropped my head back on the headrest and sighed. “It’ll be a disaster.”
“We’re calling your father to send more warriors to escort us to the kingdom. The vampire Queen can try again. It’d be much easier to catch us on the road than to attack the werewolf kingdom.”
I flinched. “But you can’t fight the vampire Queen yourself because she’ll order you to stand down since she’s your master.”
Torin turned the wheel and made a U-turn. “I know, Anna.”
“And you can’t always be on the defensive side, waiting for the day of her attack.”
He gripped the wheel tighter. “I know.”
“So what will we do about the crazy woman, Torin?”
His crimson eyes snapped to mine. “We,” he emphasized, “won’t be doing anything. I’ll handle the situation.”
I let out a heavy sigh. There it was—the invisible fort he’d built around him.
The longer we drove, the thicker the tension grew between us. Torin simmered in his guilt and remorse while I seethed with anger about the no-resolution situation.
I didn’t know how much time had passed when Torin broke the silence while keeping his eyes on the road.
“I’m sorry, Anna. I underestimated the threat and didn’t take enough people with us,” he said in a low voice.
“You couldn’t afford to take more warriors because they also had to protect the pack members. What if another scary creature shows up again?”
“That’s an excuse.”
I let out a sigh—something I’d been doing a lot lately. Torin’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Something bothers me about the hunters. They seemed on our side, didn’t they?” I asked.
What did the hunter leader plan next, and why did he help us? He was the enemy.
Torin nodded. “The hunters helped us in a tight situation. I knew of their previous leader well but not this man. I’d like to meet him.”
I stifled the scoff that wanted to escape my mouth. “He’s half werewolf, and I don’t think he likes you very much. But promise me you won’t hurt him?”
He glanced at me and rolled his eyes. “You know you have the habit of constantly moving and fidgeting, Princess.” He let out a low chuckle. “You move your legs all the time.”
Torin grabbed my thigh and slid his hand to my center. A jolt of electricity ran through my core, and I froze. Aroused, I squeezed my thighs together.
I crooked an eyebrow. “You have something against my habits, Alpha?”
He withdrew his hand and placed it on the steering wheel. “I like everything about you. I love discovering every side of you, Anna.”
Once we arrived on his territory, Torin disappeared to find his Councilmen, and I placed the two books safely in Torin’s secret room.
I took a shower and dressed, impatient to get out of my dirty clothes.
I paced around the apartment for who knew how long.
By the time Torin returned to the apartment, the day had shifted into night.
After his shower, Torin walked into the living room, where I waited for him while fidgeting on the couch. Had he calmed enough to make the call to the King?
Torin scooped me up before I could speak and carried me to his bedroom.
I didn’t protest, choosing Torin’s mate touch over the King’s wrath. I needed a distraction. He tossed me on his mattress, and my body bounced a few times.
“I’m not going to be gentle,” he said, and I smiled. “I want you so much that I’m about to lose myself buried inside you.”
I scooted up to the pillows, lay down, and placed my hands on my stomach. I hoped I looked nonchalant, but on the inside, my stomach twisted. Would going all the way with Torin deepen our relationship or end up building taller walls? I wanted to believe that intimacy could bring us closer together.
The creeping doubts in my mind were like tiny specks of embers, threatening to turn into raging flames. Why did it feel like it was my last chance to bridge the emotional gap between Torin and me?
Am I enough?
The question hung around me like a heavy mist in the air, filling every corner of my mind.
Enough for Torin to open up his heart to me. Enough to soothe his soul. Enough to stay by his side.
But amidst my inner turmoil, just one glance at the man offered a sense of reassurance. Warmth washed over me, and I let his strong yet gentle presence engulf me.
I summoned my courage with a deep breath to steady my racing heart. I could do this, and I would savor every second, every touch, every smoldering glance. I let the flicker of hope ignite in my chest that love could weave magic even in the most broken hearts.
“Well, Alpha Torin, I acknowledge your desire, but you haven’t asked me what I want.”
I met his heated gaze and held it captive. He chuckled darkly and let out a low growl that sent shivers running down my spine as he straddled my body.
“Do you want me as much as I want you?” he asked, and the look he gave me left me breathless.
Glinting in his eyes were promises of devouring me and ravishing my body.
“Will you let me show you how much I want you?” he asked again.
My center throbbed with a raw need for this man.
“Yes, on one condition,” I said.
His brows made a deep wrinkle above his nose. He didn’t like my answer, and I wasn’t sure if I would push him too far.
“I want you to let me be in control.”
The words hung heavy between us—a challenge. His need for control was a shield he wore to protect himself from vulnerability. I hoped surrendering that control would reveal a side of him I longed to see—his vulnerability.
A mixture of excitement and trepidation swirled in me as I yearned to close the emotional gap that separated me from Torin.
He craved me physically as our mate bond pulled us together, but the mate bond couldn’t make him share the burdens that weighed upon his heart.
Torin could do so only if he felt vulnerable.
Intimacy was beyond physicality. Was he ready to share himself with me intimately?
Torin adjusted his position and knelt next to me on the bed. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll tie your hands to the bed with your cable ties. But if you feel too overwhelmed, you can break through them.”
My plan might not have been perfect, but it was a step in what I hoped was the right direction. Torin might feel a moment of weakness as he would be tied up to the bedpost, and at that very moment, I wanted him to turn to me, embrace me as his strength, and trust me.
“Then why do you still want to use them?” he asked.
“Because you can trust that I’ll only touch you as much as you want me to. I'll stop immediately if you let me know it’s too much.”
I wanted Torin to let go of his vampire caution. Of course, my trust exercise could lead to a disaster if Torin’s vampire side couldn’t handle it. It was as if we walked a tightrope blindfolded.
But I couldn’t show or say to Torin that a small part of me was still afraid of getting eaten by him. My fear was a constant reminder of the precarious balance we would have to maintain in our relationship.
“Look at me, Torin. I believe you won’t hurt me.”
But this was about more than getting hurt or eaten by the vampire who thirsted after his mate’s delicious blood.
“We can never be sure.” Torin stood and walked away, and I sagged against the mattress.
Watching his tall figure disappear made my heart lurch painfully. Ever since my arrival here, I’d pushed his limits over and over again. What if he’d reached his snapping point?
Bitter resentment surged through me. My hatred toward the vampire Queen who’d left Torin with emotional wounds of distrust and a burning need to be in control during intimacy grew tenfold.
I sat up as footsteps echoed on the other side of the bedroom door. Torin returned with cable ties in his hands.
He was willing to try this with me.
I smiled at him, but my insides twisted with anxiety.
I never imagined that having an intimate moment with my mate could turn into a disaster and leave me hurt and sorry.