Page 89 of Unmarked Magic

“Do you love me?” Her voice had softened, carrying through the cell like a breeze would the forest. A whisper between branches, cautious yet quietly curious.

Little did she know, I loved her so deeply it stung.

Stammering for words, I fought back the insane urge to look at her neck, where I could feel, hear, and see her pulse hammering underneath her skin. Like a knowing I couldn’t outrun, let alone ignore. “I can’t love you. Not like this,” I croaked, choking on my words. I ignored the burn of emotion behind my eyes, swallowing my guilt. I would not let her see how hard this was for me. How much my heart was breaking, knowing that I couldn’t let her do this. Because if I chose this life, then it would wreck hers. I would not allow it.

Still crouching, her features remained impassive. Mirroring mine, no doubt. Moments passed, her long lashes blinking. Contemplating. Her chest moved with every breath, her knuckles milky white as she laced them together. When she began to move, fear clutched my chest, and, as she straddled me, my insides plummeted.

An ungodly groan left me. “Scar. Don’t do this to yourself.” But, even as I spoke, my body defied my brain. My dick went rock hard, pushing against the fabric of my jeans, my mouth salivating at having my fated mate in such close proximity again. But what worried me the most was the sudden way her eyes had changed. Like there would be no stopping whatever she had in mind next.

She captured my face in her hands, every emotion possible swimming in her eyes, and I saw them all. Terror, hope, love. Like a cocktail freshly shaken, they buried themselves in her eyes, speaking to mine.

“I’m doing this for us,” she whispered. Taking a deep breath, her bottom lip trembled. Her inhale swelled her chest, and her breasts moved with it. Her eyes burned into mine and I couldn’t look away, not even if I tried. Because my head swam, all four of my sensors colliding into one tumultuous onslaught of emotion.

“Look at me,” she demanded, her voice shuddering. Her cool palms lingered on my face, her skin like velvet against the stubble on my jaw. Her thumb ran over the length of the scar embedded in my cheek, concern embedded in her forehead.

“Don’t do this,” I whispered, pleading with every inch of my being. “You deserve better than this. I lied so many times to you. I don’t deserve you.” I shook my head, willing her to listen, trying to drive some sense of sanity into her thoughts. But Scar stared at me with the potency of a vehicle headed down a one-way street in the wrong direction. Pedal to the floor, her sole focus was me.

“I want to.” She shook her head, staring at me once more. “For us. I can’t live without you, Reid. You’re my best friend. You’re everything to me.”

I pulled at my restraints again, but the movement only caused her thighs to shift lower. I groaned, desperate to kiss her. To touch her. “You’re so fucking stubborn, you know that?”

A half-smile and she lowered, brushing her lips against mine; my magic stirred through my veins, drinking in the high of her. Her taste. Gods, she tasted incredible.

She pulled away, drinking in my gaze. “And that’s not about to change,” she whispered, sifting her hand through my hair. “Now, do you love me?”

My entire life, I’d lied to her. Lied to everyone. I couldn’t help but think the only way forward was to stick with the lie and sit with its burden on my shoulders. But it was Scar. I had to tell her I loved her at least once. Because, if everything turned to shit from here on in, at least she knew how I really felt. Just once.

I drew in a deep breath, the pressure of what I would say next pressing heavily on my chest. “Of course I love you. More than I’ve loved anything before.” The moment the words left me, my heart exploded, the weight on my shoulders lifting at once.

Scar’s features brightened, and a smile creased her cheeks, causing lines to form in the corners of her eyes. Suddenly, her lips made contact, and the intensity in the room skyrocketed.

I clenched my fists, attempting to pull from my restraints, but they held tight. I wanted to touch her so badly it was torture. Her lips moved against mine, and I was acutely aware of her every move. The way her tongue slid over mine, the way her hips pressed closer. She had full control, and, for once, I surrendered. The sweetest sound came from her as she kissed me, and I wished I could sink my hands into her curves. Her tongue danced with mine, her hand fisting my hair as she deepened the kiss further, leaning into it in a way she had never done before.

I was so far gone, I couldn’t think straight.

When she lowered to kiss my neck, I slammed my eyes shut, taking in her scent. Wild berries seeping into my skin like a chemical inducing high. I inhaled deeply, relishing at having her this close again. Opening my eyes, I found her neck bared to me. Right fucking there. It took every ounce of my strength to not give into the instinctive urge to close the distance between my lips and her skin.

As if feeling my uncertainty, she drew her lips to mine, touching but not. Her words floated between us, carving a new intensity into the moment I had not thought possible. An emotional riptide pulled me under its spell.

“I can’t live the rest of my life without you,” she whispered, pulling away just enough to run her thumb over my bottom lip. “I know you’re worried about me. That maybe I can’t handle this. But what I couldn’t handle is not spending the rest of my life with you.”

I shook my head, frowning. “This is insane. You can’t want this.”

Her fingers weaved into my hair, lightly massaging my scalp. “It’s always been you, Reid. And I’ll take you however you come. Battered, bruised, burdened… even as a hybrid.” A hint of a smile curled her lips at the corners.

Hybrid.

Not Monster.

Not Vampire.

Hybrid.

The word stalled my thoughts. Because I’d thought of myself as only being a vampire once the tonic had worn off, but it was true. I was half-blood mage, half-vampire. I was still in control here. “A hybrid,” I said aloud, testing the word on my tongue. It sounded a lot better than ‘vampire.’

“Yeah. Sounds kind of hot,” she murmured, only inches away from my lips again.

A bemused laugh left me. “You never were one to hold back the truth.” I kissed her again, cautiously this time. I expected her to pull away any moment, to realize the gravity of the situation, but she didn’t. She only kissed me with more intention, leaving me dizzy and craving her even more.