Page 75 of Stealing the Star Stone
She gaped, then cleared her throat.“How did you know?”
“You are not the first,” he said.
She shifted on the cushion.“No, we’re enemies.”
“Were,” Eli said, meeting her gaze.“Or do you still hate me?”
She stared at him, memorizing that hope in his eyes and his signature smirk teasing the corner of his mouth.“Not anymore.”
Amenkar hummed.“It is as I expected.Bigeeli informed me of your markings bearing his name.”
At the shock twisting Eli’s face, ice burned like hot lava in Nova’s stomach.
“My name?As in Eli Thorne?”His brow knitted.“Why would you have my name on your ass and in Lethari?”His eyes clouded with confusion.
“Bigeeli must have read it wrong,” she hurried to say, looking everywhere but at him.“I got it a decade ago.I didn’t know the writing was Lethari.”
“Nova.”Eli set his goblet aside and grasped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze.“Why my name?”
“Youthful stupidity.You know this.”She tried to shrug free, but he held firm.Heat bathed her face with embarrassment, and a vise squeezed her throat shut.Breathing had become unimportant under his potent focus.“My name’s November, my maiden name was Rogers.My mother thought—”
“It funny to name you and your sisters after months of the year.”He sat there, his mouth opening and shutting without another word.“I…remember,” he finally whispered.
“We spent one night together.”She dropped her chin, hoping to hide any telltale emotions revealing how he’d broken her heart.A giggle escaped her, no doubt from sheer hysteria.“I was your biggest fan.Got the tattoo a few weeks beforethatnight.”
He crushed her in a hug, running his hand up and down her back.“I’m so sorry, Nova-honey.I was high or drunk but that doesn’t excuse my behavior.”He leaned back.“Wait, is that why you hated me?”
“Besides the fact that you’re egotistical, entitled, spoilt, too handsome for your own good, and a sex addict?Sure, let’s just say it’s because you took my virginity and had your manager kick me to the curb.”
He slumped, horror and sadness drooping his expression.“Fuck, that’s bad.”
“I see why the shol chose you.”Amenkar waved Bigeeli over.“I will admit to being disappointed.You are beautiful, Nova.”He caught a strand of Eli’s copper hair, letting it slide through his fingers.“Bigeeli will escort you to your chambers for the evening.If you do not mate, you will be killed.”
Silence settled over Nova, shock stealing her voice.
“What?”she squeaked.“Say that again.I think I heard you wrong.”
He bowed his head.“A mating will fuse your souls in what Letharis call a soul tie.Without its protection, the next shol will kill one of you and leave the other in this body.”
Eli grinned, rubbing his palms together.“At last,” he whispered, gripping her by the arm and dragging her off the rug to where Bigeeli waited.
“Fuck or die?”she muttered, trailing the old woman from the hall.“And we only have Amenkar’s word on it?No, no, I refuse to believe sex will save us.”
Eli was too happy, almost skipping along.“You’ve done me before—”
“Do not think to use that as a reason—”
He kissed her, making her stumble.“Has anyone told you that you protest too much?”
The room they were ushered into had no windows.And as soon as she crossed the threshold, a stone was rolled in front of the door.
“Shit,” she gritted out, facing the room.The massive bed on the floor was covered with cushions and thick furs.A blue flame burned in a wall-mounted sconce.Beside the bed was a jug and two goblets.Next to that sat a platter piled high with fruit.
It had the look of a harem.Excitement skittered along her skin, even as nervousness tightened the knot in her stomach.“Eli, we can’t—”
He kissed her again, rising on his toes to do so.
She pulled back and bumped into the wall.“Quit doing that.”
