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"No, but I wouldn’t have banished you" My gaze dropped briefly to his scars, and ain "And you wouldn’t have been hurt"

He made a short, sharp movement with his hand "It is the price I paid for foolishness"

I frowned "What is that supposed to h to believe you trusted er this tih the link, strong enough that I took a step back in surprise "Foolish enough to believe you would understand why I would never harm you"

"But I do trust you --"

"No, you do not," he cut in again "Always, in everything I do, you search for a motive"

"Because there always has been one!" My voice rose again, but I couldn’t help it "You, the Raziq, my father, Hunter – hell, even Jak – every one of you ca from me It was not about me It was never just about me"

"You know that was not the case with the two of us Not in the end"

"And hoould I know that, Azriel? You fought our relationship until the bitter end and, even then, only gave in because you needed to recharge so you could heal ain It would kill ht never come out and say he loved me – hell, for all I knew there was no reaper equivalent of love – but he’d finally acknowledged that he cared, deeply, and that was really all that ht now

But it didn’t erase any of the proble frorated because of his actions, but that didn’t lessen any of the other proble co me," I said softly "There’s been too many secrets and half-truths between us, Azriel If we’re to have any hope of a long-lasting relationship, then that has to stop"

He studied me for a moment, his expression as still as ever save for thathis jawline And it spoke volu relationship?"

"I don’t know if it’s possible, Azriel There’s y" I hesitated, and gave him a twisted half s between us could beco And yet, just for an instant, a turbulentto fry h eternity and you have little other choice? Or is it merely for the sake of our son that you desire it?"

Shock coursed throughmore than stare at him Then I lickedto have a son?"

He sh storh every part of me "Yes I felt his resonance when I pulled your soul back froer, then threw myself across the distance that divided us His ar fierce, as if he never intended to let ain

"You have no idea how ridiculously happy thathis "But to answer your question, I don’t want a relationship because I’m stuck with you or because I carry our child I want a relationship because I woke up this ht just daheaded, stubborn, and downright frustrating beings I’ve ever known"

He took a deep, shuddering breath, and slowly released it He ski arently tilted it upward "Those words are a ht I’d hear"

Then he kissed me Softly, sweetly, tenderly And there was so h the link it felt like I was drowning But oh, what a way to go

The kiss, however, ended far too swiftly for rowled softly, and he half smiled "I know, and I’ht that be?"

"I aned to this case My task now lies with defending the gates, rather than you"

I frowned "Even though I carry your child?"

"It is my duty, not my desire Believe that"

"Well, duty can fuck off And so can the powers that be I want you guarding me, and no one else"

"It is not that easy --"

"It is that easy," I bit back "Or they can forget any fucking hope of aze suddenly distant, distracted After a est withholding the keys from them would not be wise"