Page 36 of Thrilled By Her Protector

“Hey, now, what are you talking about?” he murmured, and scooped her into his arms.

“You can’t just keep picking me up. I’m gonna hurt you,” she sniffed, and he mock-glared, making her giggle.

Next, he settled into her chair with her on his lap. One big, warm hand rested on her hip, the other cupped her cheek, forcing her to look at him.

“What is it, baby? You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know, and it scares me,” she confessed. “You know, you’re my best friend, Conny.”

“Me? I thought Caro was your best friend or Kim?”

“Oh, they are,” she said, sniffing and trying not to cry. “Even Daeja, if you want the truth. But girlfriends are different. I mean, they have their mates and their own lives. When we get together, it’s nonstop yapping. But with you, I can just be. See? You’re not even asking me questions,” she said, offering a tiny, hollow laugh.

“I don’t want you to stop talking to me,” he replied, shrugging.

“That’s what I mean. You know when to listen. In fact, I imagine I have given you an ear full over the years.”

“What is this, Jenn? What’s gotten into you, baby?”

“Did you ever wonder why I pushed you away so hard for so many years?” she asked, heart hammering inside her chest.

Zircon canted his head, eyes on her as he took in what she was saying. She couldn’t imagine how hard this was for him. And she so regretted hurting him, but that was the past, and she couldn’t undo the past.

“My dad left us when I was a child,” she began, waiting for a signal to continue.

He nodded, jaw clenched, and she knew he was reining in emotions. A man like Zircon would never be okay with someone walking out on his duties, especially fatherhood.

“He cheated on my mother, destroyed their matebond, and left her with a broken heart. She was so miserable, she could not function. I was left to fend for myself, and when she couldn’t take it anymore, she drove us to this target range where humans practiced with all kinds of weapons, guns, rifles, arrows. She made me promise to never let a man have control over me. Then she shifted into her Owl and nosedived?—”

“Fuck, Jenn. Baby, you don’t have to go on,” he said, holding her even tighter.

“I have to. I need you to understand. I promised her I wouldn’t ever be vulnerable to a matebond. That I would never ever claim or be claimed by my mate, especially not my fated mate, because look what happened to her,” she confessed, tears spilling onto his shirt as he hugged her close.

“I’m sorry, Jenn. I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t know you went through all that. I am so sorry I pushed you and tried so hard to get you to agree to be mine. If I knew what your mother went through, and what you’d been put through, I would have waited longer?—”

“No, you have been wonderful to me. So patient and kind. Last night, gods, last night, I mean, I know why you turned me down. And I get it. I have been so horrible to you. I’m so sorry, Conny. I should have told you sooner. And I should have told you I love you, and you are my fated mate, and I should have been braver and now I lost you?—”

“Lost me? Woman, are you blind? You couldn’t fucking lose me if you tried, Jenn. I love you. I wanted to claim you last night more than anything, but I wanted to make sure you were one hundred percent in this. Cause once I bite you, I can never walk away. Don’t you understand? You own me, Jennifer. You own us. You have the fealty of my Wyvern. I love you,” he said, rambling as he pressed kisses to her forehead and cheeks, her nose, chin, and lips.

“You love me? Even though?—”

“I love you. Period. Forever. Always.”

She kissed him then, really kissed him, with everything she felt burning in her blood. Zircon wrapped his arms tighter, and she’d never felt so damn complete in her entire life. She loved him. She had said it out loud, owned it, and it was the most liberating thing in the world.

“Want you, mate,” Zircon growled, and she shivered with need.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I think your phone is beeping, Miss Dylluan,” Mother’s annoyed voice sounded through the intercom.

Jennifer gasped and looked down to see they’d leaned on the little intercom box, pressing the button when they’d been making out like a couple of horny teenagers.

Uh oh.

“Um, sorry! Yep, leaving now,” she said and turned the thing off.

“Oops,” Conny said, but he was grinning. He waggled his eyebrows, and she shook her head, laughing as they stood up together.

“Okay, we will, um, finish this later. Now, we have work to do,” she said, wiping her face and smoothing her hair back.

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