IE

ng away my parents' worried faces. The gentle mask fell from Damien

arge frame trapped me between the

me?" His voice was a

, that a hysterical laugh rose in my throat. It died before it

hout flinching. My blue eyes, which had been clouded wit

id of you?" My voice trembled

it was like a physical sting. His bro

ear and humiliation finally finding their way out. "You forced me to become your partner.

r, closing the space between us until

me why I'm afraid of you?" Each word w

were a storm. The air around us dropped severa

d, at being accused by its mate. It wanted to dominate,

the despair that had been my constant companion h

ing, tears finally streaming down my face.

that slipped past all his defenses and

in the face of that one simple, devastating truth. He thought his streng

He was fighting a war with himself, struggling

own expression a tortured mix of pain

spun around and slammed his fis

he force of the blow, a spiderweb of destr

zing my eyes shut, bracing

ever

est heaving, his gaze a maelstrom of emotions. The

and fury. He disappeared around the corner

th that had fueled my outburst van

oor. The confrontation had drained me, left me hollow a