Page 170 of Fractured Fate

“We’ve been through this with two pairs already,” Lukas said. “First with me and Blaire, then with Riley and Seth. This is all too familiar.”

Riley said firmly, “He won’t hurt you.”

Aiden’s gaze snapped to Riley, a divot forming between his eyebrows.

“Aiden, you look five seconds away from tearing her head off,” she scolded. “She needs to know that even like this you won’t hurt her.”

He looked back at Charlotte, and a pain tore through her chest as his features crumpled. “Never,” he croaked. It seemed like he had trouble finding the ability to speak.

Licking her lips, she looked up into his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. I do genuinely want to know if the reason you did the things you did for me was because of a misplaced need to save anyone and everyone.” She shook her head. “Maybe not misplaced, but a need to do those things. It’s your nature. You take care of people. Protect the people around you. That doesn’t mean you feel something else for them.”

The cafeteria had cleared out at some point in their conversation, and she hadn’t noticed. Her words sounded so loud in the vacant space.

Aiden took a measured breath, his shoulders lowering as Seth let him go. She could still feel his anger. He didn’t like her questioning him. Was he upset she was questioning his feelings, or was he upset she’d put a spotlight on his protector habit? Had she done wrong in confronting him this way in front of the others? It put him in a vulnerable position, but he wouldn’t be able to avoid answering her with all eyes on them. She needed those answers.

“You know, I’ve always joked about being the protector of the group. It’s been a joke with everyone, so I go along with it, but I would never go out of my way like this for someone outside of the people in my circle—which you are now a part of, anyway. You weren’t part of that when I made the choices I made. You were a friend, but you weren’t deep in our world yet, and I didn’t think you ever would be, and I still did what I did.”

His fist clenched again, and his Adam’s apple bobbed, but he pressed on.

“I wasn’t even going to tell anyone, not even my best friend, about the mark I saw on your skin—to protect you,” he snapped. “Even if it meant I’d never have you in the capacity of a Korrena mate, I was going to hide it to keep you safe.”

“No,” Riley whispered. “The sickness alone might kill you. Why would you do that?”

“Because I would do anything to keep her safe.” Aiden’s intense stare met Charlotte’s. “Anything.” His gaze moved down to her mouth when she licked her lips, not sure how to respond to his enmity. “I’ve felt so much for you for such a long time. I can feel the bond growing, but I can feel my true feelings growing the more we’re together.”

He hit his chest with his fist where his heart resided. “If you can’t see how I care about you and that I want you around, then I don’t know what to say.” His tone grew indignant. “I don’t know how to be any clearer. You were made for me, I told you that. I mean that with every fiber of my being.”

It was too much.

As much as she tried to process his words, the anger flowing from him to her overwhelmed her senses and she felt like she would drown in the sea of emotions if she didn’t get away.

Pushing her chair back, she stood. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I need a moment.” Without waiting for any of them to respond, she left her tray and escaped the cafeteria. She needed a quiet place to think.

35

AMENDS

Aiden leaned against the wall in the hallway of the bottom floor of the main building. After Charlotte left the cafeteria, the turbulent emotions burning through him like a wildfire finally abated.

With her there hitting him left and right with confusion, sadness, guilt, and her own anger, he couldn’t process his own emotions properly.

Never had he struggled with keeping his temper in check before.

When he killed the rogue in the alley, his fury was justified. But this? This felt wrong. Snapping at Charlotte for asking questions she had every right to ask him left him feeling like scum.

He didn’t like the queries because they called his feelings for her into question, and he had no doubts how he felt about her. But she was right. Other than in moments of shared passion, he hadn’t been crystal clear in his words. He’d thought the things he said and did would speak for him, but it seemed Charlotte needed something direct. It wasn’t her fault. He’d misunderstood.

His friends tried to help him when she left. Seth and Lukas understood what he was experiencing more than anyone. Even Blaire on some level. She had her own struggles with anger. The only one of them who didn’t have a strong affinity for anger was Riley.

Every Korrena struggled with their most volatile emotions, their strongest desires and needs riding them to act in ways they normally wouldn’t to obtain them.

He wondered what that was for Charlotte.

Considering the overwhelming rushes of insecurity and emptiness that sometimes took his breath away, he wondered if the bond made the depression she spoke of worse. Did she struggle more now that she was with him? He hated that. He hoped as the bond grew he could counteract that with the love he could show her.

He pulled his phone out of his jeans.

Aiden: