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Bloody hell! When he caught up with the wanker…

Still, the other wizard"s words rang in his head Kari wasn"t his He had not Called to her

Unless he did, she could not Bind to hi, painfully aware that Kari was no longer at his side and could be with another ht alone nearly unleashed his anger and caused hi The Witch"s Brew and seeing her wrapped in Tynan"s arms had rabbed her, and sniffed Thankfully, the scent of the other male drifted only over her clothes and dissipated quickly She had not shared her body with hi?"

She jerked frorip and crossed her arht Ronan winced as the ain His whisker burns abraded her neck, and he smelled hiain, the other wizard nature, the aura around him, told Ronan that he was unmated and had not yet Called to a female to make her his Perhaps the other wizard found Kari as irresistible as he did

"You got what you wanted" She raised her chin "You shagged me, like every other woer I have a life here Responsibilities"

"And another ical--" What was the human term? "--boyfriend?"

"Don"t you dare behave as if I , I know perfectly well that I don"t"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"Don"t act jealous or pretend you care what I do with Tynan"

Ronan tensed What she did with Tynan? His brain instantly conjured visions of the other wizard divesting Kari of her clothes, pressing his lips to the sweet red bow of herher hips as he sank deep inside her The e to claione so far as to scour his uncle"s ical reference books and read the ritual words, which he"d never seen before He did more than read the words; he me co himself every sort of idiot, he cradled her cheek in his hand, holding firave you the notion I don"t care or that you"re like every other wo could be further froether and closed her eyes, shutting him out "Don"t Raiden toldthe hell out of his twin "What did he tell you?"

"I"m not special You take every woave a hollow laugh "The sheets seeoodness But--"

"That is a lie! I have never taken a woman in my bed I never wanted any of them in my personal space, never wanted to picture them there You… I had to have you there Nowhere else would do"

Kari squeezed her eyes shut, and tears rolled down her face Damn it, ouldn"t she believe him?

"Raiden already told me the truth, please…just--"

"He told you shit!"

Suddenly, Kari twisted away from him and ran toward the back rooo, at least until he"d convinced her of the truth Then he if she still wanted him to leave her alone…he"d respect her wishes, even if it ripped his heart to pieces

Just before she disappeared behind the door rabbed her arone red and tears tracked down her face And still she looked beautiful to hiive Kari pleasure, he had caused her pain

"What do you want? You wanted to shag me I let you It"s done"

"No! You"re more than a fuck Far more"

She shook her head "So what do you want now? To hear that I love you? Will your conquest be incomplete until you rip out my heart completely? Fine I love you I"ve loved you for the past sixyou disappear o with them… I can"t take it anymore"

She loved him? No instinct needed, just the simple emotion in her heart And she trusted it, believed it Ronan paused What was in his heart? After nearly a century of nuiven his heart ht But he did now

He loved her, too

Deep in his chest where his heart beat, it beat for her now The thought of taking another woer appealed He wanted to know that her every day and night was his to fill, her body and heart his to love

Was this his ated by ancestors ould rather shag their way to the grave than belong to any one woer like his sire, his twin, his uncles… He wanted one woman Forever

"Kari--"

"No" Her voice trembled, and she drew in a deep breath "I"ll miss your friendship, and I don"t want to turn away your business But I need tiive it" If "away" meant away from him, no

He cupped a hand around her neck and pressed his ainst his lips, then softened against hied his way inside and nearly drowned in the sweet, addicting taste of her He"d never get enough of this, of her

As he moaned and pressed closer, she broke away

"Ronan--"

"Become a part of me, as I become a part of you And ever after, I proood, and true If this you seek, heed my Call From this moment on, there is no other for me but you"

There He"d said it And inside, he rejoiced

Kari blinked once, twice "Are those words…the Call?"

She looked shocked, and his nerves set in What if she refused?

"Yes I want you forever"

"I don"t knohat to say"

Ronan forced down panic "There are two responses You either wish to Renounce ive you the words"

"I--"

Suddenly, the front door s into pieces The winter hooshed in, along with a pale, leggy brunette A witch, based on her erie that looked barely street legal, she was bound to turn heads Ronan wasn"t interested in the least--especially once he looked into her ruthless gaze

"I"" She drew her wand, her expression hinting at trouble

"That"s , Ronan grabbed Kari and put her behind hi, this witch had so You"ve Called to her and seek to protect her"

"What do you want?"

"To talk to her" The witch gestured to Kari "About so that happened before you arrived"

"She knows nothing"