Page 123 of Our Deceptive Heat

He growls, sharp and violent, and stalks me. He cups my cheeks and kisses me so deeply and so thoroughly that I can’t even remember my own name.

I cling to him as my mind reels. Everything screams that this is right. Except the pain, it rips me clean out of the lust haze. I bite his bottom lip so hard I draw blood. Rage fuels me. I claw at his shoulders, trying to make him hurt like he hurt me! I tear my mouth away from his and shove at him.

“Let go of me!” I shout.

“No!”

“Let me go now!”

“Never,” Digs snarls back. “There is no going. No more running. No more hiding.”

I whimper, and he cups my ass and drags me up against his body. I react instantly, my hand cracking across his face.

“I’m not stupid. You have an omega, and you betrayed me. When I needed you most, you betrayed me!” Those ridiculous tears fall, blurring my vision. I hate them!

“I’m done with being apart from you. I’ve known since we met that you were supposed to be with us. We did what we needed to in order to keep you safe!”

“Lies!” I hiss and break free of his hold.

“No! Scent matches!” Digs shoots back.

I’m stunned that he’s said it. That he knows what we are.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” I mutter and try to shove myself free.

My protests fall on deaf ears. Digs is determined, so I prepare to fight him. The hotel door rips open, and before I can think, Mako is here. His chest heaving, his dark eyes finding and locking on me.

I feel like I’ve been hit again. My whole body reacts to him. How much stronger are bonds if this is how I feel without them?

“Fish!”

I blink at him as he almost sobs my name. He pulls me into his arms and hugs me so tight my ribs ache. I try to push him off, but it’s like trying to hold back the tides.

“Why did you run?”

I’ve barely gotten my feet under me when Tyr grips my throat and tows me into him. Instinctively, I go still, my eyes wide, staring up at the alpha as he slowly looks me up and down before refocusing on my face.

“Try and run again,” Tyr growls. “Just try it.”

I shudder, staring up at him. I’ve never seen him so angry before. Well, I’m angry, too. I grab his wrist and try to drag it away from me, but I have no hope.

His eyes spit lightning, and he slowly closes the distance, his lips touching mine. Deceptively soft.

I whine.

Pathetically.

Desperate and scared. I don’t want to hurt anymore. I don’t want to be alone but better alone than hurt.

“No more running, Omega.”

My mind goes blank. He didn’t bark at me. There’s no command in his words, but the absolute demand doesn’t give me any room to evade his intentions.

“You found me here,” I whisper stupidly. “How?”

“I’d always find you. You can hide on a million islands, but a million isn’t enough. You run, we’ll chase you, until the end of time, Auryn. There is nowhere that you can go where we won’t find you.”

A single tear slips down my cheek. “What am I supposed to do, then? What if you hurt me?”

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