I released her, knowing he would grab her in turn, and he did, his palms going to her hips as he walked her into the wall.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, her hands flying up to his shoulders as if to force him back.
“There’s a problem with your theory, mate,” he said, his thigh sliding between her legs as his palms slipped up her sides to slowly memorize her curves.
Her scent began to change as interest darkened her blue eyes. “What problem?”
“Midnight Fae bonds occur when a male bites another Midnight Fae.” One of his hands shifted back down to her hip while the other lifted to cup her neck, his thumb brushing the underside of her jaw to ensure she held his gaze.
“I’m aware,” she replied.
“Yes, and it’s a permanent claim that your Quandary abilities might be able to unravel,” he conceded. “But you can’t unweave our Elemental Fae mating, princess. We’re already mated on the third level, which required agreement from both of our souls. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“You don’t think my magic can dismantle Elemental Fae bonds.”
“No, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’m saying I know it can’t.”
She shook her head, the movement stilted thanks to his grip on her neck. “I haven’t even tried yet, so you can’t know that.”
“But I do, Aflora.” He pressed his nose to her cheekbone and drew his lips across her cheek to her ear. “You would need my cooperation to even attempt it, and you don’t have it. Because my soul wanted yours, just as yours desired mine. Our spirits won’t allow us to break the vow now. It’s too late. Which makes you mine, mate.”
Her lips parted on a quick breath, her pupils dilating. “I want to break it.”
“No, you don’t,” he replied softly, pulling away from her ear to meet her gaze once more. “As Zeph said, you’re upset. I’m sorry. He’s sorry. Fuck, I think even Shade’s sorry. None of us meant to hurt you. And before you accuse me of not caring again, why do you think the three of us went to the LethaForest, Aflora? Why did we bite you?”
“To hide my growing powers,” she answered without hesitation. “Everything you’ve done is to protect yourselves.”
He shook his head. “How did forming an Elemental mating bond protect me?”
“That was an accident. You blamed me for tricking you, remember?”
“Because I was shocked,” he admitted. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I wanted you and still do.”
“Is that what you told the humans this week? The ones you played with and fed from?” She narrowed her gaze at him. “Do they all get false promises, Kols? Or just me?”
“Just you,” he murmured, his lips going to her ear. “But they’re not false, princess. My vows to you are every bit true.”
She snorted, not buying it at all. “Right.” Those blue eyes met mine over Kols’s shoulder. “And what about you, Zeph?”
I arched a brow. “What about me?”
“I saw you last night, looking refreshed from blood consumption. Did you give her false promises, too? Or do you just tie up your playmates and gag them?”
A vision of her tied up in my bed entered my mind, intriguing me. “Do you want to be tied up, Aflora?”
“Is that really all you heard?” She shook her head and searched out Shade.
He’d hopped up off the ground some time ago to lean against the wall and observe. His expression now dared her to taunt him with her exquisite mouth.
“I don’t even want to know where you’ve been the last few days,” she muttered.
“Miss me in your dreams, little rose?” he asked, amused.
“No.”
“Liar,” he murmured.
She growled, then went back to trying to shove Kols away from her. “Let me go.”