DAG 8
“No, I can’t.” Her words run through me like a blade. The mating pull is strong, and she’s still fighting it. Professing the real fear that is deep within her—the fear that had her run and hide from everyone, not allowing herself to trust. I feel a rage deep within me, a rage so strong that I want to go out and kill every single motherfucker that hurt her, and dared to harm the beautiful woman in my arms.
She is mine now, and I will protect her against everyone and everything. She doesn’t trust me now, but she will. That’s if the mating call doesn’t kill me first. My balls feel like to lead weights ready to pop. I look into Esmeralda’s eyes, only to see the fear in them. She’s most probably expecting me to force her, but I will never do that to her, or to any woman.
Stroking her cheek, I lower my head and kiss her forehead gently. Even though everything in me is telling me to make her mine, I will not force her. “It’s fine. Soon you will realize that I’m not going to hurt you.”
She frowns and then a tear streaks down her cheek. “Why do you keep persisting? I’m not any good for you.” The deep sorrow in her voice is like a vice squeezing my heart.
“You are everything I ever wanted. Don’t you feel the pull between us?”
Her slight nod calms me somewhat. It’s good to know that she does feel the mating pull.
“Dag.” My name on her lips is like an aphrodisiac rushing through my body, igniting a torrent of feelings. “You need to let me go. Look at the trouble that I have already caused. You are at war with the Desperados because of me, I will not be the cause of anymore harm to anyone.” Her words say she blames herself for someone’s harm. No one should feel like that if they are innocent or if they have been coerced to do certain things.
“We are not at war because of you. We are at war because they are kidnapping women—women that are meant to be Elemental mates. You were just caught in the crossfire.”
My explanation has her eyes widening in surprise. “They are Elemental mates? How do you know?” she asks.
“All our women are born with specific gifts.” I run my hands soothingly up and down her back. “Like you. Your senses are enhanced. The others have other gifts, and somehow they find them and kidnap them before their mates can bond with them.”
“That’s why they smell different.”
My hands stop moving, and I frown. What does she mean by they smell different?
“What do you mean?”
Her head inclines to the side, with a pensive expression on her beautiful face.
“All the women that have been kidnapped have a sweet essence to them; Freya and Anastasia do too. I realized a while back that all the women that they were taking smelled different from the other women.”
Well now, that is something we didn’t know.
“Well, I’m sure they’re not initially finding them by their scent,” I reply, knowing from previous information that our women radiate a higher level of energy when they use their gifts, energy that they have been tracking. I see a shocked look on Esmeralda’s face, but then her eyes drop to my chest and she nods.
“You’re right, I helped them,” she whispers, but I can hear the world of pain in her words.
Every nerve in my body tenses at her words, and the meaning of them. “Are you saying that the fuckers had you find the women?”
Her nod is hesitant.
“Look at me.”
Her beautiful, tormented eyes rise up to look at me.
“I told you that you shouldn’t try to keep me. I’m trouble, they will never stop trying to get to me because I know too much.”
Placing my hands at her waist, I lift her up until she is looking directly at me.
She gasps in surprise, but I want her to know that what I’m going to say, I mean.
“Listen to me, because I’m not going to repeat myself.” I know my words are forceful, but the anger bubbling through my body at those motherfuckers for using an innocent woman to do their dirty work is turning my stomach in anger. “Nothing that happened before will change my mind about you. Our souls are linked, and no matter what, you are a good, beautiful woman that I will protect until my last breath.”
Her hand rises to my cheek, but there’s still a sad smile on her face.
Dropping my arms slowly, I lower her until her lips touch mine. No matter how many times I kiss her, I know that I’ll never grow tired of her taste. And no matter how defeated she feels, I will make sure to show her how unique and valuable she is to me.
Her good arm slides around my neck, her fingers at my nape, raising a ripple of passion that has my heart racing. I want this woman, want her more than anything I have ever wanted in my life. And by the way she is returning my kiss, I would say that she wants me just as much. I slowly lower her to her feet, never breaking the kiss, but leaving her enough leeway to pull away if she wants.