Chapter 111
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AURORA
My hand skittered away from the knife.
What’s going on, Aurora my love? Holden’s voice purred into ny mind through the cursed bond he had forced on me. My scouts said he’s gotten you almost all the way back to Blue Ridge. He moves fast.
I am not your love, I snapped. I hated hearing Holden’s voice in my head when Dane’s hands were the ones stroking up and down my arms. When Dane was the warm body I leaned against for strength.
When Dane was the one I loved.
I couldn’t deny it. Not anymore. I had pretended for years that my feelings for him had drifted away. But the moment Holden had forced me into the bond with him, I knew my love for Dane had never died, and I didn’t think it ever could.
“You went tense.” Dane’s voice rumbled through his chest. I felt it vibrate against my back. “What’s wrong?”
You are mine, Holden growled into my head. If you don’t love me yet, you will. We have eternity, after all. You’ll never be free of me.
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We’ll see about that, I shot back. I’ve suffered more than you can dream, you spoiled Alpha prince. I will find a way.
Mm…I love it when you challenge me, Holden said. Then he pulled back from the connection, leaving me alone with Dane agm.
Thank goodness he couldn’t read my mind. He could hear
thoughts I sent directly to him, and he could generally tell where Twas and sense my emotional state, just like I could for him. But we couldn’t read each other’s minds.
I let my head fall against Dane and swallowed yet more tears. I refused to lie to him if I could help it, but I couldn’t breathe a word of the truth, either, or Holden’s Alpha magic would choke me and sear through my nerves.
“We’ve been through hell,” I said. “I can’t…I just want to stand here for a moment and be with you.”
Dane put his arms around me, cradling me close like I was precious to him. Like I was his treasure.
I fought against the tide of emotion that rose inside me and demanded that I push him away. Yes, it was too much. Yes, I was dangerous to him. But not yet.
Holden wanted us to perform the ceremonies first.
I had a feeling he would wait to get me to kill Dane until the moment we took the relic. That was when Holden would want me to turn on him. That would be the moment Holden would try
Chapter 111
to steal Dane’s power. His pack. His life.
Dane’s fingers found my chin, and he tilted my face up to his.
“What did he do to you?” Dane asked again.
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Answers buzzed in my brain, but my tongue felt swollen and useless in my mouth. I couldn’t force myself to speak anything like the truth, so I looked away. “There’s nothing to tell.”
Now Dane’s body went tense. His fingers tightened on my chin, forcing me to look at him again. “Aurora. Did he…”
I swallowed. I knew what Dane was asking. The answer was no, technically speaking. Holden had hardly made physical contact with me at all.
But in spirit? In mind? Yes. He’d violated me. Taken away my choice. He was taking away my choices, even now.
Dane’s fingers were gentle on my face. “You can tell me or not tell me anything you want. I’m here for you.”
“You’d kill him if you knew,” I said. Then I flinched, waiting for the strangling sensation. None came. Apparently, talking around what Holden had done didn’t hurt if I kept it vague enough. Because Dane would kill Holden if he knew. Then he’d find a way to bring him back from the dead and kill him again and again and again.
Dane was a man who considered every move he made. He was a man of control. But when you evoked his rage, there was nothing
Chapter 111
anyone could do to save you.
I would know. He had hated me for so many years.
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“Aurora…” Dane stroked my cheek. His head bent to mine. Hist lip hovered inches away. His scent wrapped around me like hist arms, familiar and safe.
The memory of Holden’s words hit me. If he wants to kiss you, by all means, give him a kiss.
Bile rose in my throat. How could someone turn something I so desperately wanted to do into something that sickened me?
I couldn’t help it. I tried to turn my head. But Holden was a powerful Alpha–second only to Dane in this part of the world. His magic wrapped around me, compelling me to go still.
So, I went completely, utterly still.
That’s when it dawned on me.
Holden’s magic said I had to let Dane kiss me. It couldn’t force me to kiss him back. He said I had to stay as close to Dane as I would if I was under my own power.
But if Dane rejected me, I’d have to stay away from him, even if I was in control.
Then my tears did start again. Because I knew how I could save
Danc.
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I had to make him hate me all over again.
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Even if it shattered my heart and took away any chance of me being happy…ever.
