Page 30 of Lion Conquers All
“Of course. I want you to be safe and happy. That is my only goal.”
She sniffled and wiped her face with her other hand.
“Please don’t cry. What have I done?”
“No, no, it’s not you. I just…I can’t be for you what you want me to be. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to. It’s not fair to you. That’s why I’ve worked so hard to make sure I wasn’t giving you false hope.”
“You are honorable to try and protect me,shuarra, but that isn’t your choice to make. Fate made the choice for me.Youare my mate. I will be content to watch over you as a protector for the rest of my life if that’s what you need. If all you can ever tolerate is holding my arm or touching my chest when you’re sad and need comfort.”
“Aarav, how can you say that? How can you be okay with not having arealpartner, a wife, the chance for a family.”
“You can’t know that for sure. In eight months you went from ignoring me completely to sitting in a car with me letting me purr for you. Telling me your story. Admitting to me and to yourself that I make you feel safe. There’s always hope.”
She was sobbing now. Tears were running down her cheeks. She hadn’t let go of his arm yet. Not yet.
“There isn’t any hope for a family. Not with me. All of you want kids. I see the way everyone looks at their babies. It’s the same way I do, but—”
He waited. He didn’t speak. It was the longest ten seconds of his life.
“I can’t have kids.”
“Because you fear what happened to you?”
She did that dead laugh again. The laugh that broke his heart into a thousand pieces. The laugh that bared all her pain.
“No, I can’t have kids because the assholes who had me locked up for four years as a slave made it so I can’t get pregnant. Ever.”
Aarav didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t even realized that was a possibility. This world was so different from Reylea. The technology was mind boggling. The complexity of their lives.
His poor mate. Not only had she been a slave, been subjected to debasement and pain and suffering…How did he make her understand that it still didn’t matter to him?
“See. No one ever knows what to say to that.”
He snarled, a little angry that she would think so low of him.
She yanked her hand away.
He parked the truck in Gaven’s driveway and turned to look at her. “Forgive me for being angry, but you don’t give me enough credit. First of all, I didn’t even realize that was a medical possibility. I know that women aren’t as treasured on this planet. It is difficult to comprehend, but I accept it as a cultural difference. But you have to give me a moment to hurtforyou.Withyou.”
“I don’t want to lead you on. I don’t want you to invest all this time in me and then regret that you did it. I’m not what you want, Aarav.”
He reached for her hand and wrapped it between both of his. She was so small. Shaking like a leaf. “But you are. You are more to me than the sun and the moon. You’re the air I breathe. Your heartbeat tells mine to continue beating, Connie. Whether we have children or not. Whether you ever feel comfortable with me holding you, or kissing you, or any type of sexual relationship, I’m your mate. I’m not going anywhere. Even if you never invite me into your home. Even if we live separately forever and ever until we are old and grey. I will be there with coffee on your porch every morning. You will never want for anything if I can get it for you.”
She stared. And stared. And stared.
The silence was painful.
But she had listened. Really listened to him this time. At least he hoped she had. It seemed like she had.
She unsnapped her seatbelt.
The rock in his stomach dropped a little further.
She was going run.
Dalmeck.
He’d ruined it. All his hard work and he’d probably set himself back another year. It was fine. He could deal with it. He hadn’t lied. Nothing he’d said wasn’t true. He would do anything for her. Everything she would allow and he would never abandon her.
