Page 37 of Bound By Love
“I know, but they can’t get their hands on you. It will be far worse,” he said. “You have to go. Besides, you’ll be the one who can find me when they take me. Our bond will lead you to me; you just have to open up to me.”
“You have to do the same.”
“I will.”
He wouldn’t let her in completely because he expected a lot of suffering in his future, but he’d let her in enough to find him.
“Brian can find you too,” she reminded him.
“Not as fast as a mate could, and you know it.”
She did; she felt it deep in her bones. She’d find him faster than Brian, but leaving him here would be the toughest thing she’d ever done.
“I can’t watch them take you; it would be like carving out my heart,” she said.
He shouldn’t do it, but they had a little time, and he needed toreallytouch her one last time. Clasping her cheeks in his palms, he gazed into her beautiful, turquoise eyes. She’d tied her hair back into a ponytail, but strands had fallen free to cling to her face.
“Don’t watch; keep running,” he whispered against her lips as he kissed her.
A small sob worked through Caro and burst free before she could stop it. “Saber—”
“Run, Caro. Run faster than you’ve ever run before. As long as you remain free, I’ll have a chance.” He thrust his sword out to her. “And take this with you.”
“No! I’m not taking your best weapon and defense against them.”
“They can’t get their hands on it. Now go.”
He gave her a little shove that staggered her back a step. Righting herself, she lifted her head to meet his cobalt eyes that were turning red. He was so handsome and fierce in the little radiance the moon shone down on them.
“Saber—”
“You have to take it, Caro. They can’t have those swords.”
Her heart broke as a sob lodged in her throat, and she whispered, “I love you.”
He flinched at her words, but she hadn’t expected anything else. Did she wish he returned the feeling?
Absolutely. But she’d known what she was facing when it came to those words. She’d held them back and kept him shut out for a reason, but her pride and possible heartbreak didn’t matter in this situation.
He’d told her he was incapable of love, and while she hoped one day it wouldn’t be true, he still wasn’t ready for it. But hehadto know how she felt before she lost him… possibly forever.
Saber opened his mouth to reply but had no idea what to say. He cared for her deeply, but he wasn’t capable of love. And he couldn’t speak the words just to make her happy.
He really was a monster. He should at least say them to her; heshouldgive her this, but he couldn’t get them out.
And he didn’t understand how it was possible that she lovedhim.How had such a thing come to be when he’d done everything to keep her at a distance? He’d held her back to protect her from this.
Yet, it had still happened, and he was upsetting her more with his complete inability to utter the words. He seethed against his failure to open himself to another as grief clawed its way into his chest.
He’d never felt for anyone the way he felt for Caro, but it wasn’t love, was it? It didn’t matter; they didn’t have time for him to sort his shit out.
Cupping her cheek, he kissed her nose before turning away. “Run!”
He didn’t look back as he sprinted down the hill and toward certain death.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
The swords banged accusinglyagainst Caro’s back with every step she took. Every clicking bounce of them as they clanked together was a reminder she’d left her mate to face a fate worse than death, but if she didn’t keep going, they would both end up dead.
