Broken

Epilogue: Part 3

"Lacey. Tell me why you will not." I wanted to know. I wanted to know if she found me lacking or wrong somehow. I knew she didn't like pureblood elitism, she had made that thoroughly clear but I made it clear I would change for her, that my prejudice was not my father's. I had doubts that perhaps she didn't want me. I hadn't entirely given her a reason to choose me.

"Because. What if some prettier pureblood comes along and you leave me?" Her bottom lip trembled and I winced at the sight of it. So many emotions. I wasn't used to them and I certainly didn't like them when they made her cry. "What if you wake up one morning and remember you hate me?" Hate her? The thought made my stomach churn unpleasantly. I could hate things, like her affinity to cursing and those tears but to hate her? It was nigh unthinkable. No, it was unthinkable.

"Hate you? You? A loud mouthed fairy who fell out of a tree on top of me and assaulted my person immediately after? Why would I hate you?" It seemed highly impossible for that to happen. "A spitfire woman that hurls insults faster than a soldier can fire bullets. A woman who disarmed me with only words and the touch of her skin against mine. The only chance I will ever have for a true future and the only woman whose eyes will haunt me for an eternity if I listen to her ridiculous excuses and walk away from her." I doubted she realized that the more she told me what to do, the less I was willing to do it. She was mine and I was hers and nothing she said would ever change that.

"Besides, I am the best you are possibly going to get." I smirked at the disgruntled look on her face.

"You're an ass." The words were muttered and she scowled darkly at my chest. It was almost as if she was refusing to look up at me.

"I have a rather inflated sense of self-importance." I wanted her to look at me, to smile. I knew her smile would have the potential to light up even the darkest parts of my soul and I wanted to see it.

"Also known as an ego." She glanced up at me before she looked away.

I frowned, pulling her closer. "I am a selfish and indifferent person who grew up without an ounce of love or affection. I was taught that hate, anger, and derision are a normal part of life. My father constantly told me that humans are responsible for my family's hardships and that they are a lower class, unworthy species that has ruined Orrian culture and lives." It was all that my father had said to me growing up. True it had never felt like me and I always felt like I was wearing a mask but it was still part of my upbringing. It was still a taught behaviour that shaped how I thought about certain things.

"Are you trying to sell yourself or scare me off?" She finally looked at me, raising one eyebrow as she wiped at her eyes. I wanted to push her hands away and do it myself, if only to touch her skin.

"I am letting you know that I was taught wrong and will require you to teach me how to live on a planet surround by the people I have been taught to hate my entire life but I am willing to learn for you." I would do anything to be with her. I wanted her to know that, to understand it. She was my soulmate and I wasn't about to let something of mine slip through my fingers for someone else to find.

"I don't know." She sounded so uncertain and I finally gave in and reached up, lifting her chin with a finger. She met my gaze and I could see her swallowing hard even as my mouth went dry. I slid my hand from her waist to the small of her back before yanking her close, leaving no space between us.

"Lacey... My father brought me down here to meet with a potential female to bond to." The thought of belonging to anyone but Lacey made my skin crawl and she trembled slightly, hurt clearly painted in her eyes. "I need you to get on the same page as me because I will not be going anywhere with that woman because I wish to be with you." I needed her to understand that. "And I will kiss you a hundred times until you can say nothing but yes." Even if she did say yes I was quite firm on the idea of doing that anyway.

"I need to think." She pushed against my chest and I liked the feeling of her hands on me. My thoughts turned to her gripping my shoulders, pulling me closer. All those thoughts about rutting like animals became a very possible reality for me. I liked the thought of it.

"You have thirty seconds." Otherwise I was tempted to wave away her protests and kiss her anyway.

"Don't you dare kiss me." She scowled up at me and the moment my eyes drifted to her lips, they parted and her breathing deepened as if in response.

"I know you want me to." I wasn't sure how but I could feel it. As if my body was picking up the cues hers was sending out. A delicate push and pull, letting me know she was receptive to me.

"You can't kiss problems away." She scowled at me as a becoming pink flushed her cheeks.

"But we can try." I was always willing to try. I doubted I would ever turn away from the heat she promised. I had spent so long in the cold darkness that I would forever wish and crave to bask in that warmth.

She scowled at me despite the flush of embarrassment on her face. "No."

"Ten seconds." I was counting down and she had ten seconds to agree because after that I was going to do as I wanted.

"I won't kiss a man when I don't know his name." The words rushed out and I had to give her that.

"Keen." My last name was on the tip of my tongue but I held it back. My last name didn't matter anymore. I had spent too long protecting it, doing my duty for it that I simply wanted to let it go.

"What?" She looked confused and I slid my hand across her jaw and around to cup the back of her neck. Goosebumps followed my touch and she shivered against me.

"My name." I couldn't help how my voice lowered to a faint rumble.

"Oh." Her eyes went wide and her breathing quickened.

"Time is up." I lowered my head towards hers. All I wanted was to see what it would feel like to kiss her.

"Wait!" She pushed against my chest again. "What if you are a terrible kisser?" She looked genuine in her question and I narrowed my eyes.

"Now you are just asking for it." There was no reason for her to ever doubt me. Especially about that.