Page 182 of Never Kiss a Fae
“I see,” Vox said, jumping up to his feet in a lithe motion and wiping the dust from his pants. “So you get a little control and turn your back on the one who’s been helping you for the last two years. Fine. Maybe I should just go and let you two chatter on about your newfoundbalance.”
Wow, I’d never heard Vox like this. He sounded so bitter and almost cruel. “Seriously, what is your problem?” I demanded. “Is it because I forced the connection on you?”
I didn’t remember doing it, had no say in my elements trying to save my life, but I could understand that upsetting him. I just hadn’t realized how much it would bother him.
“I mean, I’m sorry. To you both, I mean. I… If I’d known what was going to happen…” Would I change it? I bit my lip.No, my elements all said in unison. No, I wouldn’t change it at all. Which meant my apology really meant nothing because it lacked truth.
Well, this is fun. I wiped my palms against my jeans and stared off into the distance while the two males observed me in silence.Really helpful, guys. Although, yeah, they deserved an explanation. Not that I really had one, but I could at least try.
I cleared my throat, opening my mouth but then closing it, and considered how I wanted to say this.
Then I caught sight of Vox’s irritated expression.
And Sol’s hurt one.
Right.
No more thinking.
“I-I don’t remember what happened,” I started and immediately regretted the words as their faces fell. “But I understandwhyit happened,” I quickly assured them. That seemed to intrigue them both. “When Exos first brought me down here, I was a mess. He told me fae existed, that I had access to all these elements, things kept happening around me that I didn’t understand, and I kept feeling these inappropriate feelings for multiple men.”
I shivered as I recalled those early days between Titus and Exos, and felt their responding warmth through the bonds.
“It had terrified me,” I admitted. “Where I come from, you don’t date more than one guy. There are actually some pretty horrible names associated with human women who date around. And that’s the world I grew up in.” This was something Cyrus seemed to understand more than the others. He’d made a comment about it before the death fields, one that resonated with me.
“I don’t think you’re a whore, little queen. But I know all about the social standards on Earth and how they’ve programmed your mind.”
He was right.
My upbringing dictated my outlook.
But now that I felt the connections, allowed my fae half to reign while healing my body, I understood.
“Things are different here,” I continued, swallowing thickly. “My feelings for you all are more accepted. And so, it makes sense to me why my elements reached out to you both. My energy recognizes both of you as potential mates, and moreover, I’ve developed a trust with each of you. So in my time of dire need, my elements called to yours.” The connection couldn’t be entirely one-sided—something Cyrus’s bond had taught me. So if Vox and Sol hadn’t craved the link on some level, they wouldn’t have been open to it, and they certainly wouldn’t have reciprocated.
I met Vox’s gaze, noted the closed-off nature of his expression, and sighed. “If you don’t want this, I’ll understand, and we can end our bond after the preliminary time requirement.” Which, I knew, was around a month. “I won’t push you into something you don’t want.” I glanced at Sol. “Either of you.” I pinched my mouth to the side, debating what else to say. “I can’t really apologize because I acted on instincts alone, and, well, I don’t regret it, even if I probably should.”
“You better not,” Sol said, folding strong arms over his muscular chest. “Because I don’t.”
“Don’t what?” I asked, confused.
“Regret it,” he clarified. “Once I realized what was happening, I let you in. It felt right.” He lifted a shoulder. “And it still feels right. I don’t need to know more than that.”
So accepting and honest. Sol might be a giant of a man, but inside existed the biggest of hearts, and I felt it now, beating in time with my own.
None of this was what I expected for myself.
But something happened to me this week. I just woke up ready to embrace it all. No more chaos. No more fighting. Just feeling and reality and an unequivocal need to accept it.
That’s your inner fae, Claire, Exos murmured, his presence thriving around me.You’re finally allowing her to breathe.
And it feels amazing, I admitted, smiling. But Vox didn’t seem to agree.
“Tell me what you need,” I said to him. “An apology? A better explanation? I can’t promise either, but I can try.”
“Is this still about the ball?” Sol demanded, his dark eyebrow arching. “The fact that she asked me and not you?”
Irritation tainted the air surrounding Vox. “It’s not the ball. It’s everything. She mated with Exos and Titus because she wanted to. Even with Cyrus, it seems. And she at least asked you to the ball. I’m just a mentor, the one she latched onto in a time of need. Which I get, and it’s fine, and it’s my own damn fault for not embracing the connection sooner. But it is what it is. Can we find Exos now?”
