Page 141 of Never Kiss a Fae
She’s a good mate for you, Exos,I thought to him.I vow to keep her safe. Always. For you.
And maybe a little bit for me.
But Exos didn’t need to know that part.
No one did.
Chapter11
Exos
Claire…I could feel her trying to find me, her essence an intoxicating presence in my soul that I longed to stroke. But I had to push her away. It was the only way to fight the shadow holding me hostage.
A shadow whose thirst for Claire crawled inside me, sinking its inky claws into our bond and inching ever closer to my mate.
No!I shoved it back, but it grew more powerful—hungrier—with every second. It reminded me of a black hole, spinning and sucking,needingto feed off the spirit energy thriving around us.
If that thing hurt Claire, I’d never forgive myself.
And I needed all my strength to battle the presence overtaking my being.
I will not become your puppet, I growled, determined.
We’ll see,the foreign presence taunted, pressing deeper.
Fuck you,I seethed.
Laughter filtered through my conscious, the perpetrator amused.
Are there two?I wondered, dazed.Itfelt too energized to be a lone entity. Too consuming. Too…familiar.
The identity kept swirling in and out of my thoughts, too powerful for me to hold on to for long. Which was precisely why I had to close myself off from both Claire and the evil being threatening to take control of my spirit.
I slid into the recesses of my mind, preparing my blockade, hell-bent on strengthening my reserves before I came out swinging.
But it would take time.
Days.
Weeks, maybe.
A month.
And I had to say goodbye to my Claire. At least for a little while.
I sighed as the last ledge of the barrier began to form, my heart aching for the bond I had to lock away. Not broken, just closed. For now. Until I was strong enough to protect us both.
Don’t give up on me, Claire, I whispered to her.I’ll reach out again soon. I promise.
Darkness descended on the message, following the chain to the woman I’d allowed into my heart. I screamed in rebellion, using the last vestiges of my power to cut the fae off and blast the asshole backward.
An “Oomph” followed, telling me I’d won.
For now.
A temporary victory, one that would only enrage the being more.
Who are you?I wondered, infuriated that I couldn’t identify the familiar brush of power.
