Kyro - A.G. Wilde Page 0,100

receiving at that moment but now he was standing there, looking almost completely healed and outright gorgeous.

“Evren,” he answered.

They stared at each other for a few moments, neither daring to move, and then she was throwing herself against him to wrap her arms around his neck. Burying her face against his chest, she allowed her relief to flow through her. “You’re back.”

“I was always here.”

“Don’t be a smartypants.” She giggled. “I thought I’d lost you for a second there on the ship.”

His chin touched the crown of her head as he inhaled deeply. “Never,” he murmured.

As she eased off him, his gray eyes almost overpowered her. They were so bright, vivid—she hadn’t expected him to have such strength when he’d woken up.

She was staring at him, her eyes traveling over his features, when she noticed his skin began to change back to gray, shifting to the form she’d first known him as, his Borxclan form.

“Why are you changing?” Her voice was a whisper because it felt as if she couldn’t speak. There was a gravity in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“For you.”

Evren searched his eyes some more. “You don’t need to. Don’t change.” She watched the shift almost pause as she spoke. “Please.”

It took a few seconds for him to go back to his true, dark green form.

“I prefer you like this,” she whispered, her eyes moving over his features as her hand moved to brush over the new bone structure of his face. “This is you.”

His throat moved but he said nothing. Instead, his arms encircled her, pulling her closer to him.

“You were hurt?” It was his turn for his eyes to scour her face and she found herself smiling at his inquiry.

“Only on the inside.” At his immediate frown, she continued. “Hurt because you were hurt.”

She continued letting her fingers move over his face, running down the wide bridge of his nose as her eyes fell to his lips. “My heart was hurt. My stomach clenched...” she raised her eyes to his “...you gave up everything for me.”

“I only did what I needed to do.”

“No,” she shook her head, “you didn’t. You did more. You could have watched that thing rape me. You didn’t need to intervene and almost get yourself killed. But you did.”

His gaze had gone thunderous at the mention of the Tasqal and what the beast had almost done.

“You gave up everything for me,” she whispered, before swallowing hard. “You love me.”

Kyro blinked but he didn’t look away. Instead, the rage that had fired his eyes slowly went away to be replaced with a sort of torment she’d seen before. It was the same look he’d given her when they’d said goodbye outside of her apartment.

“You love me,” she said with surety this time. “And...I want that. I want you to love me. I want to feel loved by you. I don’t want to give up what we have because what we have is special. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“We can’t.” His shoulders seemed to stiffen underneath her arms. “We can’t. I refuse to put you in danger because of who I am. The Tasqals know who I am now. I will have to go away. Change again. Be someone else.”

At the look in her eyes, he held her closer. “It is for the best. I refuse to let them hurt you to hurt me. I couldn’t...I couldn’t live knowing I am putting you in danger.” He gulped. “You are my weakness, Evren. But you are also my strength. My chets regrew for you, so I could defend you.” He paused. “You are right. I do love you. I love you. I can admit that now. But it doesn’t mean I will put you in danger. It would mean living a life in hiding, secluded. You don’t deserve that.”

He released her so suddenly and stepped away that she felt as if he held her heart and was pulling it with him.

“You don’t understand, do you.” She followed behind him back into the bedroom.

“No.” He turned on her. “You don’t understand. You see this?” He gestured to the room. “I assume my brothers know I am Vorti now, so they had to put us here. This,” he gestured again, “is the type of life I can give you.” The pain in his eyes cut her deep. “This is no life.”

“You don’t get it. I want this,” she countered.

“How could you want this?” He gestured to the room again and she realized