Queen of Midnight

Chapter Six.

"I wanted you from the moment I saw you."

I looked up quickly, seeing him gazing back down at me with a powerful look in his stormy eyes. I swallowed nervously.

"You did?" I squeaked. He nodded, standing so close in front of him I could feel his warm breath on my face.

"I did," he murmured, bringing his hands up gently to graze my fingers with his own. My breath hitched in my throat. "The only reason I didn't claim you right then and there was because I knew Anthony would hear about you, and I knew he would come for you to get back at me. I needed to protect you. I couldn't let anything happen to you, Rhea. And I will spend the rest of my life proving myself to you, if that what it takes."

I felt like I'd stopped breathing. His fingers were trailing so softly up my arm, his fingertips lifting every so often, until he took my arms and gently pulled me even closer to him. I stared at him, eyes wide, but didn't resist him. I couldn't. The bond was too strong; I could feel my entire body pulling me closer towards him until he was leaning over me, looking down at me with a look in his eyes I had never seen on anyone else before.

I didn't think about it. If I did, I would have stopped myself. My eyes flickered down to his lips, and they stayed there as I felt myself leaning closer and closer, until suddenly, our lips brushed together, and something in me unlocked.

The kiss was soft at first; I didn't know what I was doing, and I didn't want to think about the fact that he probably did, but whatever was happening felt so natural and so right that I felt like smiling. I parted my lips slightly, and the kiss deepened as his tongue flicked inside my mouth, searing the corner of my lips where it grazed. A sensual shiver shot down my spine and I felt the heat pooling between my legs. That was when reality came crashing down on me and my entire body stiffened.

"Are you alright?" James asked, pulling back immediately and looking me in my eyes. I could see the concern, and it just made me want to hide even more.

I shook my head quickly, unable to form any words as I felt tears springing to life in my eyes again, and all I could do was turn away from him quickly, leave the room and retreat back into my own, slamming the door behind me. I pressed my back up against the wood, breathing hard and letting myself slide down to the floor. What the hell was wrong with me?

Ethan.

The name kept springing up in my head, no matter how hard I tried to push it out again. He had scarred me worse than I thought; even though I was the one to reject him, I knew, deep down, he didn't care about me. All he wanted when he found out we were mates was my body; he didn't care about me at all. And no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that James was different, and had proven himself to be so many times, I was still scared the same thing was going to happen. I couldn't handle another rejection. It would kill me.

The next day, I exited my room quietly, trying to avoid eye contact with the one that led to James and scurried down the hallway quickly, entering the large throne room where a few wolves were standing around, speaking quietly to one another. My eyes scanned the room, until they finally landed on a familiar face; the woman James was speaking to, that sparked some kind of jealousy in me. Her eyes also landed on mine, and a soft smile spread across her lips. I wanted to throw something at her.

"Welcome to Dusk Light," she said warmly as she glided over to me. She was really beautiful; it was all I could do not to growl at her in return.

"Thank you," I murmured, bowing slightly to her. I was dressed so awfully compared to this goddess of a woman, in her silk robes and beautifully attended hair. I hated her so much.

"Have you eaten yet, lamb?" she asked next, ignoring the look of disbelief on my face at the mention of her nickname for me.

"No, I haven't," I ground out, trying my best to behave.