I scoffed. “I would never do that! I don’t even have any power.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Maybe tell that to all the windows Ethan’s going to have to replace.” She touched my arm softly, “Look, I’m not giving him a free pass. All men are assholes — we can agree on that — but he already feels like the cards are stacked against him, and this was a surprising blow to an already full deck, alright? Don’t doubt his feelings for you. This is more about him, about his place, and let’s be honest, had he done the right thing all that time ago, this wouldn’t even be a big deal.”
I gave her a look.
She smirked. “Okay, so it would be a big deal but not like… apocalyptic or world-ending.”
My eyes widened. “It’s not that bad.”
“To the true Alpha, it will feel that way. There are certain—” She stopped as if she wasn’t sure she should say it. After glancing at the door, she lowered her voice. “—there are certain rituals you will need to take part in once he takes his rightful place, certain things you’ll see and…” She licked her lips. “…do.”
I rubbed my arms as the sound of footsteps neared the bathroom door. Hope gave
me a nod before going to it and pulling it open. Alex had his hand up ready to knock. He was shirtless, his low-slung leather pants hung so painfully past what was appropriate that I had to look in his eyes. And something about his eyes always made me feel like he was… probing.
I didn’t like it.
He smirked as if he knew it and then kissed Hope on the cheek, “Ready for our shower?”
“I think that’s my cue.” I felt my cheeks heat as I pushed past both of them and walked down the hall.
Did I go to Masons room?
Or the room I’d been staying in?
Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it.
I’d never felt so wrongfully out of place, my heart knew which direction to walk in, my soul screamed, my blood pounded against my flesh, and yet my mind told me that I should sleep it off — alone, give him space.
Give us space.
So much had happened in the span of forty-eight hours.
Slowly, I walked back to the room that I’d been staying with and pulled off my shoes and clothes, with each garment I peeled away, I felt more and more distance stretch between me and Mason, until my chest ached so much I couldn’t stop the tears from falling down my cheeks.
I didn’t ask to be born this way.
I didn’t ask to live a life of complete isolation and loneliness.
I curled into a ball and started to drift to sleep when the door to my room opened, footsteps sounded, the bed creaked, and then a warm body was lying down next to mine, its muscular form too great to ignore as I stilled next to him.
“Never again,” Mason whispered in my ear. “Never walk away from me again without talking to me first. I’m your mate, not Hope, not Alex, not Ethan, not Cassius—” He growled in the back of his throat. “You. Are. Mine.” His teeth grazed the edge of my ear, and then he sighed, his head pressed against my neck. “I can be an ass.”
I didn’t move. I was afraid he’d see the tear-stained sheets or the runny nose that refused to go away even though I had stupid goddess blood in my veins.
“I’m sorry.” Mason tried again. “Hurting you, making you feel anything other than the most important person in my existence is inexcusable.”
I nodded as he tugged the sheet away and very slowly tilted my head toward him.
Icy blue eyes locked with mine as he whispered, “I’m responsible for these.” He gently ran his tongue up my neck as a tear collided with him, over and over again. He pressed his tongue, his mouth to the wet salty spots and then hesitated. His eyes held a sadness I only knew because of the quivering of the tether between us, as if his heart was skipping beats because it wasn’t strong enough to go on.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered, afraid that it was me. That I was the wrong in his life.
He gave his head a shake, the dark pieces of hair falling against my face, I wound them up in my fingers and flinched when the red pieces touched my skin and caused an electric jolt to shoot through my system.
His expression was grave. “The red represents the sin. Whenever another immortal touches it, it’s a reminder.”
“A reminder?” I whispered.