Page 92 of Reap the Night
You’ve been through a lot the past few days. Now that I know everything, I’ll do all I can to help you and support you, but I feel…I feel that I can do that best as a friend, not a lover.
Are you…are you breaking up with me?A look of torment crossed his features, but I forged on.I get it. I’m not sure I’d want to share either.
He dropped his gaze.This isn’t about sharing, it’s about the focus on your heart and mind. Loviator’s captivity depends on you falling in love with Ezekiel. I can’t be a distraction on that path.
You won’t be?—
Oh, but I will, because when I claim someone, I claim them wholly. Every part of them.
The pulse at my throat beat harder.
He dropped his gaze again.Now isn’t the time for us to be lovers, but Orina, I’m not abandoning you. I’m here with you all the way. This can still be your haven. We have two bedrooms, after all. Not much needs to change.
But no sex.I bit back a smile.
No sex and no falling in love with me.
No sex I was used to, but now that I was about to open my heart, it would be no easy feat to keep Kaster out of it.
Now, how about that cocoa…Kaster stood.And after that I’d like to hold you while you sleep one last time if…if that’s all right?
A sense of loss washed over me, but I pushed it down and fixed a smile on my face. “I’d like that.”
Yep, no easy feat.
Morning coffeeand catch-up at the office was filled with revelations, and not just mine.
“Edwin almost died, and you guys didn’t send a Raven to let me know?” I looked between them, unable to hide how much that hurt.
Padma glared at Edwin, who looked sheepish. “I made them swear not to,” he said. “I was fine. We were fine. You needed to focus on Ezekiel. And I don’t regret it. You got him out of his nightmare, after all.”
Silence followed because everyone knew that even though I’d saved him, the curse was still active. I hadn’t fallen in love yet, and now we couldn’t even be in the same room because when we were, I wanted to kill him.
“The vista thing will work,” Merry said cheerily. “I’m sure it will.”
We fell into silence once more and sipped our respective beverages.
We discussed the van and how an invisible force had wrecked it, almost killing Edwin, and how some force had saved him. The same force that had come out of the teapot, according to Padma. We had a clue in the form of a business card with a hidden logo on it which the team was investigating, with no leads so far, but it was something. All that coupled with everything that happened at Branwood had taken up most of our morning.
“What will you do about Ordell?” Padma asked. “You guys are not in a relationship, right?”
I hadn’t thought of it like that because relationship was too weak a word for what we had. I was mated to the primal beast he’d been cursed into becoming. It was a part of him, but when I lifted the curse, it would be gone, and so would our mate bond, right? But Ordell and I had a bond too. One we’d established early on, one that I’d fought hard against because of my blessing, but my blessing was gone now, and there was no barrier to exploring our bond so…
“Yes. I guess we’re in a relationship.” The thought brought a smile to my face. “He sent a Raven this morning. We’re having dinner tonight at the apartment Ezekiel bought for me.”
“You’re moving in?”
“I can’t be in Old Town, and staying with Kaster, now that he says we can’t be a thing, feels wrong.”
“I don’t get it,” Edwin said. “You can be with Ordell but not with Kaster? Surely Ordell would be more of a distraction to your heart than Kaster?”
I’d thought the same but, “It’s how Kaster feels and what he wants. I don’t want to argue with him, and…maybe it’s just an excuse.”
“You think he doesn’t want to share,” Holly said. “So he’s twisting it to make it seem like he’s doing you a favor.”
“Urgh, I don’t know. I guess…I guess I just don’t know him that well yet.”
“I think it’s a great idea to have some space,” Padma said. “I might come stay with you sometime.”
