love you,” she whispered, curling into his side trustingly. The heat of her body, how small and delicate she was around him, made him feel twice his size.
The smile she gave him damn near broke his heart. “And I love you,” he murmured into her temple, kissing her. Her form was one with his, melting so completely into his that it felt as if she were trying to join them together again.
He chuckled, the deep baritone of his voice making her shiver. His voice was full of love as he said, “Forever...”
“And always,” she finished, a tear slipping from her pale blue eyes.
Talon yanked back from Jamie, staring down at her in horror. Her hair was not braided, there was no medieval dress on the floor, and they didn’t own land for men to work on. Talon fell numb inside, fell silent against her sounds of passion.
Jamie noticed.
“What... What’s wrong?” she said, starting to reach for him again. Her eyes were still glazed with passion.
Talon yanked back, the angry snarl he gave off resounding through the room. “You did not see that?” he demanded, eyes flashing. The passion that had been in them was replaced with fury, the haunted look returning once again.
Jamie frowned, starting to cover her chest. Desire for him quickly dissipated, as if now that the rain were over, the more gentler mist would take its place. Her eyes searched his, confusion and embarrassment running through her.
“See... what? Talon, what’s going on?” Her concern for him almost made him return to her arms. But the image of the love in that woman’s eyes...eyes so alike to Jamie’s that it scared him... He shook his head, grabbing for the towel that had fallen.
Talon forced himself to ignore the site of her breasts, full and high and begging for his mouth again. The earlier tenderness fled, replaced by disdain. Either she was a witch or some old bitch who was great at acting. Talon stood, furious. Shit like that never happened to him — he knew it. He had never had flashes of another life, never had anything to even do with history. Sure, with his job at the —
Pain flared in the center of his head. The collar around his neck, invisble to Mary, felt like it weighed the world as it helped drag him to his feet. Distantly, he heard Jamie’s alarmed cry and the sound of the bedsheets rustling.
“Talon? Oh... Talon, please!” Hands, delicate and polished, latched onto his shoulder. Pain once again wrenched him. It felt as if he were swelling from the inside out, like his skin was going to burst. Her hands on his skin felt like fire with knives, slashing at him.
He shouted, flinging himself away from her. Blood lust roiled through him — Talon stared at her, enraged, his complete and total fury almost making him attack her. For what reason? his inner voice asked, the question but a whisper. He struggled against the claws that raked him mentally.
Talon needed to kill her. Needed to take her. Needed to hurt her. She is nothing to you, a demonic voice screeched to him. Nothing but a whore who will ruin your life — our life.
He surged to his feet, a sick grin curling his lips. The woman’s fear called to him, enraptured him. Power trickled through his palms, obsessive hate curling through his gut. The woman was meant to die, and so she would.
She backed into the bed again, eyes wide with fear. “Talon?” she whispered fearfully. Her legs hit the back of the bed, and she fell into it. Jamie didn’t recall their moment of passion — the fear inside of her was too great.
He stood to his full height, looking like a warrior on a mission. His muscles were drawn tight, eyes darkly shadowed, the intense hate that they held completely at odds with what had been in them only a moment before. She felt no tender emotions coming from him, felt no...desire or caring. Nothing except the cold truth in his eyes.
Talon was going to kill her.
Something started to curl around him. It was black and foggy, like smoke. It came out of nowhere, like a deadly phantom reeking its revenge. Jamie’s breath rushed out of her mouth, bile filling its place.
Auro and Lyne had scared her — Talon terrified her.
He took a step toward her, a hand dripping with black... whatever that shit was almost touching her. She screamed, saw the sadistic pleasure in his eyes, and ran