the floor. “I think I’ve made a terrible mistake.” Her voice is small, defeated.
I walk over, but she raises her hand. “No, don’t come closer. It’s not safe.”
“What’s going on? What other terrible mistake did you make besides agreeing to marry that insipid clown?”
She lets out a shaky breath that I feel deep in my soul. I never thought I’d be a protector to anyone, but for her, I’ll step into that role happily if she lets me. I don’t even know if my feelings are a result of the mating bond anymore, or if they’d be here, swirling in my chest, even without it.
“On the evening of my engagement to Calvin, I made a deal with Elena Montenegro, one of the most powerful witches in Salem. I agreed to not call off the wedding in exchange for the spell that brought Lucca back from hibernation.”
An invisible giant fist punches me in the chest, crushing my thorax. “Why would you do that?”
She presses her lips together and her eyes reveal such turmoil and darkness that a sense of despair seeps into my brain. Am I feeling what she’s feeling?
“Because King Raphael needed his nephew back, and also…” She trails off, looking away.
“And also what?”
“I saw how hard you took it when we couldn’t awaken your friend the first time.”
There’s more she’s not telling me. I’m aware of it. But even her half-truth is making me shake, torn between crushing her into a bear hug and yelling at her for being so stupid.
“What kind of deal did you make, Rora?”
“A blood vow. It’s unbreakable.”
I cover my mouth with a closed fist, fighting the urge to break something. When I thought this nightmare couldn’t get any worse. Fuck me.
“I think the magic that created the vow is preventing me from being with you.”
Rage surges within me, turning my vision red. “We’re going to find a way to break that stupid vow.”
“Saxon, I can’t. We need to spend our time finding a manner to end our bond.”
“No.” I stalk her, pushing her into a corner. “I’m not going to let some old hag have that kind of leverage over you.”
Aurora lifts her chin in defiance. “You can’t make that decision, Saxon. This is my life.”
“I’m your mate, damn it! Whether you like it or not. And until that changes, I’ll protect you from anyone who wants to harm you.”
She doesn’t wince or cower from my outburst. On the contrary, she matches my intense stare. “If she hexes you, don’t come to me crying.”
“There’s nothing she can do to me that’s worse than being mated to someone who’s determined to see me gone.”
Her forehead crinkles. “That’s not true. I don’t want to see you gone.”
“Tell me then, Rora. What is the truth?”
She watches me for a couple of beats, and with each second that passes, my heart squeezes harder in anticipation.
“The truth is I wish you had come into my life sooner.”
Ah, fuck.
Risking another electrocution, I pull Aurora to me, crushing my lips to hers, invading her mouth with my tongue, branding her as mine. Her passion matches mine stroke for stroke. I know what’s coming, I can sense the magic gathering in her core, but I need more than just a savage kiss. My fangs nick her lower lip, and the little bit of blood that drops into my mouth is better than the nectar of the gods. My balls become tight as hell, and my cock is about to explode.
Then zap! I’m thrown back by the strength of the magical hit and crash against the door. My body convulses, and I try not to cry out while I’m getting fried by the repel spell. It takes at least a minute for the tremors to stop and the awareness of my body to return.
Aurora drops into a crouch next to me. “Shit. Are you okay?”
“I will be in a minute.”
She gives me a once-over, fixating on my crotch. “Uh, Sax. What’s that stain on your pants?”
I glance down, seeing the dark circle in the front. “Well, what do you know? There’s a first for everything.”
“Did you piss your pants?”
I snap my eyes to hers. “Are you crazy, woman? That’s not pee.”
“But it’s a lot.”
“I jizzed in my pants.”
Her gorgeous lips part, a devilish temptation that, sadly, I must resist right now. I can’t get fried again.
“You want me to believe that’s never happened to you before?”
“I never went long enough without pussy for this to happen.”
She rolls her eyes. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”