Page 18 of Bitten By Bloodmoon
He lied to you.
My eyes fly open, and I break the seal between us. “You’re a witch.”
His body tenses around me, but he doesn’t let me go.“I am.”
I frown as I push out of his arms.
He reluctantly lets me go, and I get a better look at him. Dark circles have formed under his eyes, and there’s a heaviness to his body that I’ve never seen before. Like, for once, being an alpha weighs on him. But damn, is he as beautiful as ever. The gold in his eyes and hair shines as brightly as ever.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because—”
“No, not in my head. I need to hear the words out loud.”
He frowns.“I don’t want Nyx or anyone else to hear.”
I shake my head. “I need to hear the words.”
He sighs and then nods. “At first, it was because I couldn’t trust you with a secret that big. Other packs wouldn’t trust me if they knew what I was.”
“Just like they don’t trust Nyx because of what he is.”
He nods.
“But why didn’t you eventually tell me? After everything we’ve been through?”
“Because I couldn’t. When I became a witch, the pack made me vow to keep it a secret from anyone who wasn’t initiated into the pack. I couldn’t tell you. I wanted to so many times, but I couldn’t.”
“But I initiated. I became part of the Moonlight pack.” The memories of that night swirl in a tornado of darkness threatening to overtake this conversation and feelings if I let them. But I slam that mental door quickly, refusing to let them in.
He takes my hand in his and gently kisses my palm. “I planned on telling you the second you were initiated, but then I was afraid. I’m afraid of sharing something so vulnerable with you. I’m worried you might not want me. But mostly, I’m scared that you’ll accept me for who I am, and that would cause me to fall in love with you. I couldn’t let myself love you. I refused to let my curse kill you.”
I suck in a breath.His damned curse.The one only he and I know. The one that Nyx seems desperate to find out. The secret I will guard with my life. Because the curse could kill me if he doesn’t keep his feelings for me in check at all times.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry that I failed to protect you against Nyx. I’m sorry that you had to find out from him. I’m so fucking sorry, my queen.”
My eyes water when I hear how authentic his words are. I can feel the pain with every word. And as he stares back at me, I know he’s one step away from loving me with everything in his being. We’re walking a fine line, and possibly the only thing keeping me breathing right now is that he hasn’t said the words out loud.
He’s terrified. I should be, too, but seeing him and knowing he’s my mate—knowing we are destined to break the curse makes me feel the complete opposite.
“I forgive you.”
“Don’t—don’t do that.” He looks away, like it pains him that I forgave him so quickly.
I caress the side of his face, turning him back to look at me before I gently kiss the corner of his lip. I don’t say anything else. There is nothing else to say.
“How is the pack? How is Emeric? Kael?”
“They’re safe. Although everyone will feel better once you are back home.”
My heart does a little flip when he says that. He still wants me, still considers his home my home.
“And Rowena? Is she really…?” I can’t finish the words.
“Yes.” He blinks back tears. “She’s gone. I did everything I could. Tried every healer I could, but she was already gone before they started working. Their powers are immense, but theycan’t bring people back from the dead. I’m sorry, just another way I failed you and the pack.”
“You didn’t fail me or her. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know that Nyx was going to kill her.”
