Page 27 of Hart's Redemption

“If you think camping on the couch like some kind of sentinel is going to garner you leniency, then you would be mistaken.” I delivered the statement as flatly as possible and refused to meet his gaze, even though every fiber of my being was screaming out to touch him. My hands ached with the effort of keeping the impulse in check. I ignored that too and stepped into the kitchen.

I already had everything needed for a roast beef sandwich on the counter when I felt Elijah’s presence looming behind me. My spine stiffened at the same time the bond thrummed rebelliously in my chest, instantly responding to the proximity of my soul’s other half, my mate, and the absolute love of my life. I violently scooped out a glop of mayonnaise and proceeded to spread it hard enough that the bread in my hand faced imminent destruction.

“Damn it, Josh. Don’t you think you’re overreacting a bit?”

Fury poured through me like molten lava. I rounded on him. “Did you really just say that to me?”

His face blanked, and for the tiniest moment, it looked like he truly regretted the words. Then his jaw tightened and his eyes flashed. “Yes. You’re acting like a child.”

I snarled and put down the butter knife before I could throw it at him. In my current state, I doubt I’d miss even on purpose. “And what would you have me do instead?”

“You could try talking to me for a start.”

“Nowyou want to talk? After you made it abundantly clear from the beginning that this was never something that you wanted?”

His eyes widened briefly in surprise. “You know it’s not like that.”

“I donow. What was it that you told me? The bond doesn’t ‘necessitate’ love?”

“That’s arguing semantics, and you know it.”

“Bullshit. You lied to me.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Anger scrunched his brows, and I could practically hear his teeth grinding. “You want to talk about lying? I’m not the one who lied about who they really are.”

“I never lied.”

“You never told the truth either.”

Something inside me snapped. I lunged across the island separating us. We went down in a furious heap of limbs. Not even the feel of his hands on me could quell the rage burning inside. “Take. That. Back.”

“No.” He caught my flailing arms, and we grappled for the upper hand.

“I’ve always told you the truth. What good has that done me?”

Suddenly, Elijah gained enough leverage to roll us. We continued to wrestle on the ground, moving out of the kitchen and into the dining and living room until he finally had me pinned beneath him.

“Let me go!”

“No. Not until you tell me what you’re really angry about.”

I bucked to dislodge him. Shock registered on his face right before I slipped free. “Not the only werewolf now, remember?”

He growled and scrambled after me. Several other items became collateral in our violent wake. The side table clattered to the floor as I bumped it. The couch toppled in Elijah’s attempt to cut me off. A lamp bounced onto the lush carpet in the center of the room.

My foot caught on a wrinkled corner of the rug, and the full force of him slammed into me. Once again, we hit the ground. I did practically everything I could think of short of killing him to get free, including clocking him in the face.

He ignored the purpling bruise on his jaw and grabbed my wrist on my next swing. In my effort to liberate one hand, he ended up snagging the other. My chest heaved in a combination of anger and exertion while Elijah used his full weight to keep me down.

“Stop avoiding and tell me the truth. I lied. Fine. But if I can learn to forgive you, then you can learn to forgive me.”

I struggled in his grasp, but with my hands caged by my head and my legs pinned beneath his thighs, I wasn’t going anywhere. As quickly as my rage had come on, it morphed into the all too familiar body-numbing sadness.

“Please, just let me go.” I didn’t even care that I’d been reduced to begging. It just hurt so goddamn much, this all-consuming light inside of me, threatening to burn me up unless it found an outlet. My chest spasmed, and I bit back a sob.

“The truth, Josh,” Elijah demanded.

“I already told you. Why is it my fault that you don’t know how to listen?” I clung to the brief flash of anger, desperate not to fall apart in front of this man who’d become my entire world.