Page 57 of Ella's Masquerade
I hummed, swallowing more of the water before setting it on a glass table near the seating area. “There are worse things in life,” I murmured, running my fingers along the back of the leather couch. “Losing my parents. Putting up with Clarissa, Ryan, and Carmen for five years. Dash and Charlie’s games.”
I supposed it all seemed rather trivial now when compared to the details Tray had disclosed. Yet somehow, all those experiences had numbed my reactions to his revelations about the fae world.
I should be running from here screaming.
Instead, I found myself turning toward the guy intended to be mine.
And not necessarily disliking what I saw.
He didn’t bite me tonight because he cared about my choice. Even though I technically didn’t have one, he still desired my willingness.
“What would you do if I denied our mating?” I wondered out loud.
A swirl of embers lit his dark irises. “I would work even harder to change your mind.”
“And if that didn’t work?”
He studied me for a long moment, then smiled. “It would. Eventually.”
“How can you be so sure?” I pressed. “Maybe I’ll choose to stay in my world, go to college, find a nice guy to marry, and make human babies.”
His expression told me he disliked that vision, but his tone remained calm as he said, “Then I’ll wait until your time with him is through and try again later in our lives.”
“And do what in the interim?”
He stepped forward. “Why do you really want to have this hypothetical conversation, Ella? Just to test me? To be cruel?”
I flinched at the unveiled accusation. I hadn’t meant that at all, had only—
He pinched my jaw between his thumb and finger, the grasp not necessarily painful, but not gentle either.
“What do you want me to say to you?” he continued. “What promise do you need to hear? That I’ll never force myself upon you? Because I think my actions have proven that. That I’ll do whatever I can to help you? To train you? To protect you? What more do you need toknowme? Time? More kisses? Whatever it is, I’ll give it to you. But I need you to tell me, Ella. Even if that means watching you marry a mortal, as you so callously suggested.”
Okay, wow, I’d obviously struck a nerve.
Which, yeah. It’d been a bitchy thing to say.
In truth, I wasn’t even that upset. There were worse fates than finding out I was betrothed to Trayton Nacht.
I mean, he was right. Despite our rocky beginning, he’d proven to mostly have my best interests at heart. Heck, he’d enrolled in Darlington Academy—the epitome of hell—just to get to know me.
No, not even that.
To help me.
To protect me.
To educate me.
I couldn’t deny the pull I felt toward him, the way my body seemed to cave to his every touch. Therewasa connection between us. A magical thread of electricity that hummed deep inside me each time our eyes locked, like right now.
An intensity that warmed my insides, setting off butterflies in my lower belly.
It left me feeling dizzy and intoxicated all at once, my very soul drunk on Trayton. I blamed that sensation for my irrational urges and the words inching up my throat.
What could it hurt? We were already destined to be together. Why not see what that really meant?
I had nothing to lose.
