Page 79 of Midnight Moon
Just before my knees hit the ground, Asher grabbed my biceps and hoisted me onto two feet. Once I was stable, he pulled away. For someone who’d been clinging to me like white on rice just moments ago, it seemed like he wanted absolutely nothing to do with me, now.
I whirled on the shifter, surprised to see he’d resumed his earlier distance of twenty feet.
“What has gotten into you?” I shouted, uncaring if someone heard us and came to investigate. In fact, that was exactly what I wanted. I could use another set of eyes to help me make sense of this ridiculous situation.
Asher remained silent.
“Well?” I shouted again.
Still, he didn’t answer.
I opened my mouth, prepared to give Asher the tongue-lashing of his life, when Chase interrupted, “Asher’s protective instincts are riding him hard, Blair. Try to give him a break.”
I pressed my lips together. The explanation let me excuse some of his behavior, but not all of it. “I know I almost died, Asher, but that’s no excuse for you to manhandle me like a barbarian.”
Upon hearing the word “died," Asher gritted his teeth and dug his hands into his hair. Every muscle in his body looked taunt as a bowstring, ready to be released.
I watched him struggle to control himself, wondering if there was a way to alleviate the lingering instincts driving his behavior.
I couldn’t think of anything. I’d never seen a male shifter behave so protectively over another.
Well, except for the few fated mates in our pack. Those males practically lost their minds anytime their mate was in—
I gasped.
Understanding dawned like the morning sun on the day of a prisoner’s execution.
No!
No, no, no!
I stumbled back.
Chase put a hand out to keep me from running into him. Asher growled, and I leapt to the side before Chase could touch me.
Oh, Mother save me.This couldn’t be happening.
Asher’s protectiveness…
His jealousy…
We couldn’t be fated mates!
We just couldn’t be.
“No,” I whispered, staring at the dark-haired shifter in horror. Then, more firmly, I said, “No.”
Asher’s hands dropped to his sides. Once again, they balled into fists. He knew what I was denying, even without me saying it. “Yes.”
I backed away again. This time, Chase was no longer in my way.
“It’s impossible. The sorcerers must’ve done something to us. We’ve interacted with one another for days. The bond would’ve snapped into place long before now if we were truly fated mates.” I clung desperately to the small hope that I was right.
“We’ve had minimal physical contact,” Asher stated, sounding way too calm for a guy who’d just growled at his friend for almost touching me, “and we had never kissed before tonight.”
“We still haven’t kissed!”
Asher gave me a look.
