War of Shadows

Rejected, Again

Chapter 27

When I wake, I’m being carried and the pain from the attack has dulled down to a throbbing soreness indicating that Daine must have taken care of the worst of it while I was out. I need to be sure to thank him and apologize to both him and Dasia for fighting against them.

The cool air licks against my legs, and I slip my eyes open. Caz stares dangerously ahead of us, and flickers his gaze down to me when I stir in his arms.

“Where are Eli and Lauren?” I demand.

He flicks his head ahead of us. “They’re right there, don’t worry about them,” he says softly.

“Where are you taking them? Put me down...” I feel my emotions start to rile up at the threat my people are still in.

His hold on me tightens just a fraction in response, and my heart betrays me by fluttering in my chest. His bare shoulder brushes against my cheek, and it’s then that I realize I’m in his undershirt. I recall what happened and the wounds I received and begrudgingly realize my dress must have been ruined.

“Nothing is happening tonight,” he reassures me. “They will spend the night in the cells while Dasia and High Lord interrogate them on their intentions and intel.”

That seems like something Caz would want to sit in on.

“What about you?” I ask, peering up at his hard edged jaw and thick lashes.

“I’m with you,” he answers shortly. I feel his heartbeat through his warm chest and try to ignore the sense of comfort that washes over me. Stupid mate bond.

As we near the palace wall, we cut off from the rest of the group as Caz carries me silently to my room. A heavy fatigue settles in my bones, and although I’m perfectly capable of walking on my own, I take advantage of Caz offering to carry me the whole way.

As we near my bedroom, Caz carefully shifts me in his arms to nudge the door to my bedroom open.

“Stay here and don’t touch anything, I’m running you a bath,” he says as he gently sets me onto my feet.

A good idea, probably. I glance down at myself, noting the crusted blood and dirt and cringing at how my dirty feet look in contrast to the shiny clean tiles of the floor. I hear the rushing of water into a tub shortly before a light steam rolls out of the bathroom carrying a whiff of lavender and a spice I'm not familiar with.

There’s a lot I want to cover with Caz, though I’m sure he’s absolutely loathing me and my disobedience I showed earlier tonight. I feel as though my brain is going to explode with the steaming s**t pile of information I need to unload from tonight alone: meeting with Lord Ahny and the way her words stirred my heart, my run-in with Caz’s girlfriend, learning that he and I were somehow mates and he not only kept that little bit of information from me for goddess knows how long but he also declared passionately his desire for another woman. Not only that, but my ex, who maybe isn’t really an ex, that may plan on killing me, brought my best friend across the world to find me. To top it all off, I’m not sure if I should even ask about the shadows.

With a heavy sigh, I tiptoe my way to the bathroom, trying to limit the mess I leave on the beautiful floors in my wake. Caz kneels before the golden tub, his head resting on his arm along the lip of the tub while he lazily drags his hand through the steaming water.

“I thought I told you not to move,” he says without lifting his head. I hear the glint of humor in his words, which only grates against my nerves.

“I think I’ve made it very clear that I don’t follow orders very well, especially when they come from meat heads that keep secrets from me.” Okay, maybe I’m a little bratty but after the night I’ve had, I hold that right.

His head perks up to take me in, his eyes roaming over my blood-crusted skin. With a heavy sigh, he flicks the water off of his hand and rolls onto his feet.

“How would your girlfriend feel about you running baths for me?” I murmur under my breath and he halts his steps toward the bathroom door.

“What did you just say?”

“We both know you heard exactly what I said, and we both know that since you’ve made your decision about the matter that you need to leave me out of it completely. I respect that you don’t want me, but please just don’t do…this,” I plead, gesturing to the bath. Please, just don’t be kind to me.

His head tips back as he runs his hands down his face and through his hair. I don’t notice the way the hard planes of his chest constrict as he takes a deep breath or the way the skin around his biceps tighten ... .not at all. Nor do I notice the kernel of heat that builds between my thighs.

“Please, Stella, I can’t do this right now. There’s so much more to it than you know-”

“So tell me!” I shout, my frustration hitting a tipping point.

“I can’t!” He shoots back, his hands dropping to his sides.

I cross my arms over my chest defiantly. “Why?”

I watch as his eyes drop down to my chest and flicker for a split second. “I just can’t talk about it right now with you.”

“Why?”

He holds my gaze ferociously, as I repeat myself again.

“Because I just thought you were going to die Stella. The only thing I plan on doing tonight is getting you cleaned up and getting you into bed, knowing that you’re okay.”

I scoff. “You’re right, I’m sure that would have earned you a bad mark on your report card.” I open my arms dramatically. “As you can see, you passed your test tonight so you can return to your rooms and I’ll see you in another week after Talie’s done warming your bed and you can bother to check in on my training.”

In a split second, Caz has closed the space between us faster than I can shift away. He bends down and takes my face between his hands, resting his forehead on mine as his breath fans against my face.

“Stop.” He whispers quietly, and I hear a quiver in his voice. “I can’t do it tonight, I can’t-” he takes a deep breath to settle himself, dragging his calloused hands down his chiseled face. I fight the urge to follow the trail of veins flowing down the back of his hand.

“You can’t what?” I ask softly, feeling guilty for the way I enjoy his proximity, the way I want more of him.

Holding his eyes shut, he speaks so softly as if he’s speaking to himself. “I can’t do it anymore.”

“Wh-”

His mouth meets mine in a soft hunger. His lips are soft against mine, and although I know I shouldn’t, I want more of him. I feel the bond in me purr at the contact, sparks tingling underneath his hands as they burrow into my hair and pull my face closer to his. His lips taste like wine and fruit, and my mind whirls with emotion, my body reacting to his touch of its’ own accord.

His tongue requests access, gently grazing against my bottom lip and making my head spin. I eagerly let him in, hungrily groaning against the whirlwind stirring in my chest. A deep, primal noise reverberates from his throat and sparks a fire between my thighs.

As if it had triggered something inside of him, he drops his hands to the back of my thighs and hefts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist, moaning as my throbbing core rubs against his hardened bulge. His hands are firm on my waist as his mouth travels down to my neck, his tongue and teeth teasing the soft, sensitive flesh and I bite back a whimper at the contact.

I’ve never needed anything more in my life than this man, in this moment. I’ll never need anything else.

As his hands explore, his fingers dig into the firm curve of my ass and my cunt quivers at the closeness of his hands, desperately wanting more.

All too quickly, the cold air once more wraps around me as Caz pushes away from me. The look in his eyes makes my heart drop. With his jaw clenched and his chest rising and falling, his eyes bore into me with a look that can’t be passed as anything but loathing.

“Caz, what’s wrong?”

He lets out a bitter chuckle as he shakes his head, running his hands through his hair.

“That shouldn’t have happened, Stella.”

I cross my arms over my chest, feeling the fire that had just ignited being quickly snuffed out faster than it had lit. “Why? Is it because of Talie?”

“Stop bringing her up,” he growls at me.

Now that I think of it, I understand. The anger that had been brewing fizzles into something else that causes a tremor in my voice. There are many reasons why he won’t accept me, and none of which I can blame him for. I’m weak, as he pointed out to me on our first trip to the gardens. I willingly and selfishly broke my bond with my previous mate, all to save myself. Not to mention, he’s already very clearly chosen Talie. I mean after all, who could blame him? I don’t deserve a second chance mate, let alone someone like Caz- someone who’s forced to protect me and still can’t seem to get along with me. He’s been hiding the bond from me for a reason, afterall.

I nod my head with finality. “Okay.”

Caz furrows his brows at me. “Okay?” he asks.

I take a step away from him and gesture to the door, studying the tile on the floor in hopes to hide the burning in my eyes. He won’t see me cry, I don’t deserve to mourn something I never deserved to begin with.

“Okay,” I repeat.