Page 40 of Demon Huntress
“Hey, guys?” she asked, watching them as they came into the room. “Can you just sit and talk with me for a minute?”
“So long as it’s not about my attachment issues,” Slade muttered.
“Or my anger management problem,” Flash snapped. Cass sighed.
“Guys. That’s exactly what I want to talk about. You don’t need to stress out about my opinion on anything. I’m not looking for something long-term.”
Both of them stared at her in shock. Cassandra took this to be a good sign and plowed on.
“It doesn’t matter how good a relationship seems to be. I’m extremely high maintenance,” Cass said matter-of-factly. Even though it made her feel bad to admit it, she was also very proud of herself for recognizing her issues and owning up to them.
“High maintenance?” Slade muttered. “What ...”
“No, let me finish,” Cass said, on a roll now. “I don’t want you guys getting upset about anything I’ve said. I spoke out of turn … but since it's not going to be long-term, you don’t have to worry about my opinion or what I think. It’s just not a big deal.”
There was a moment of silence where she could see the guys struggling to speak. It made her feel terrible for complicating their lives. She got up from the couch to stand in front of them in the kitchen, ready to put her foot down.
This is what always happens. I was right to get this out of the way now.
“A long-term relationship just isn’t in the cards for me,” Cass said. “Something always goes wrong, so I’ve just let it go. I’m sorry if you got the wrong idea here.”
“Wait, wait,” Slade said, raising his hands. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
Cass sighed.
“I got too involved with both of you. Really, it’s my fault. It just felt so good to be with you. I let myself get carried away. I feel like it’s all getting a bit too serious, but it doesn’t have to be.”
“Doesn’t have to be?” Flash echoed. “You’re our fated mate. It doesn’t get much more serious than that.”
“Exactly,” Slade said, frowning. “I don’t know where all of this is coming from. Both of us know you feel it. There’s no point in denying it.”
Cass looked into his eyes, feeling tenderness tugging at her heart. When she switched her gaze to Flash, he had the same expression. It made her want to run to them, hold them tightly, and never stop kissing them. But it would send a bolt of pain through her chest.
“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I really am. If it was possible for me to have a relationship, I’d move in with you right now, I swear it. But something like that just can’t happen for me.”
As they absorbed her words, Cass felt a terrible sadness welling inside her. When she was with Slade and Flash, she felt happy in a way she never had. Almost as if she was safe for the first time in her life.
Safe and seen.
As a lump swelled in her throat and tears stung her eyes, Cass begged herself not to cry. It was ridiculous to react in this way when she was doing the best thing for all of them.
The way they make me feel … it’s too much. It can’t be real. That kind of comfort and connection I don’t deserve.
For a moment, both the men seemed stuck in silent mode. Finally, Flash’s face turned six shades of red, and he exploded.
“How can you say these things!” he cried, almost yelling. “After what we’ve felt between us, how can you tell me you’d just walk away?”
“That’s not what I said,” Cassandra kept her tone flat, even though tears still threatened her eyes. “There is nothing here. What is there to walk away from?”
“Cassandra!” Flash snapped, taking a step toward her. “This is beyond reason, beyond rational thought. This is the mate bond. Without you, we have nothing.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped back. “There are dozens ... in fact, hundreds ... of women better suited to the role of mate than me. Trust me, you don’t want any of this.”
Flash took another step forward, clearly ready to make a fight out of it. Cass got up on her toes, ready to throw down. The fact he was demonstrating his anger issues only helped her to feel strong in her argument.
“Wait,” Slade put a hand on Flash’s shoulder. “Just wait.”
Flash looked at Slade, his body strung tightly with tension he was desperate to release in a poorly thought-out flood of hurtful words. Cass watched them stare at each other for a second, and Flash seemed to calm down.
