Page 35 of Consumed By Fire

“It turned out that Igor wasn’t the person I thought he was. I broke it off with him even before I found out that I was pregnant. When the test came back positive, he redoubled his efforts to get me back, but it didn’t work. So, to answer your question, no, I didn’t love him. We grew up together. I was in love with him as a teenager. Then he left, and I didn’t see him for years. When he returned, I thought I still loved him. I was in love with the memory of him. Turned out that he had changed.”

“What did he do? Did he put his hands on you? Was he abusive?”

“No.” I shake my head. “He was in with some bad people. Him and Titan both.”

“The Reds who have been coming onto Draig? The Reds working for the Mainland?”

I nod. “I think so. He was continually seeing people I’d never met before. Having all these secret meetings. Leaving for days on end. He promised to tell me everything once we were mated. He kept pushing for it to happen.”

“Is that where you overheard about Tributes being sent to Mistveil?”

I nod.

“What happened? Why did you break up with him?”

I huff out a breath. “Igor wanted nothing more than to mate with me. At first, I wanted it too, but something told me to wait a little, just to be sure. The more I got to know him, the more question marks there were. I got a bad feeling. The more my feet got cold, the more he pushed and pressured me. Then he…” I lick my lips, feeling angry all over again. “Then he had sex with me without a condom. He pretended to put one on, but he didn’t. When I realized what he had done, I was furious.”

“The bastard tried to trap you?”

I nod. “Yes. He told me it was because he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. That he wanted me to have his baby. And, of course, I was ovulating when he did it. My scent had changed. He knew exactly what he was doing because the signs were there. As soon as I realized what he had done, I broke up with him and told him I didn’t want to see him again. The truth is that I was starting to wonder about us. I was thinking of ending it. I planned on taking something to make sure I didn’t get pregnant, but, in the end, I couldn’t do it. I had the emergency contraceptive pill in my hand, but I couldn’t take it. I knew there was a good chance that I would become pregnant. That I would be tied to Igor if it happened, but I couldn’t do it.” I put a protective hand to my belly. “The pregnancy was a mistake, but I wanted this baby. Igor kept trying to get me back. He wouldn’t let me move out. I had to pack and run while he and Titan were on one of their missions. Then, about six or seven weeks ago, Titan arrived at my door and told me that Igor was dead. He had been taken down on Draig Island. You’ve pointed out the penalty for trespassing on Draig territory.”

“He would have been killed.”

I nod. “I felt nothing but relief. I know that makes me a bad person, but I couldn’t help it.”

“It doesn’t make you bad. This Igor sounds like he was a piece of work. His brother is cut from the same cloth. You’re right to be afraid of him.”

“Titan never liked me much. I overheard him telling Igor that he could do better.”

“Seems like you overheard a whole lot. Enough to make you follow a group of males onto this island.”

“I didn’t realize that the—” I catch myself. “I like you well enough, Octane. I think you have more honor than those males, but I won’t give you ammunition against my people. I won’t do it. You can lock me up and threaten me all you like.”

“I’m not going to lock you up or threaten you. I’m going to ask you to trust me.”

“You’ll always do what’s right for the people of Draig, for your people. It might mean that some of my people get hurt in the process. I can’t allow that. I can’t tell you anything more than I have already. Yes, it is almost certain that there are those in touch with the Mainland. It looks as if the humans will be sending Tributes to Mistveil and soon. There is a way that the Reds are getting onto your island undetected, but I will never tell you how.”

“If you don’t tell me, more people will die. More humans could be abducted. It would be on you.”

“I won’t take responsibility for the actions of others,” I push out. “I refuse!”

“You have an opportunity to stop it, Trinity.”

“I would never forgive myself if Reds got killed. If innocents were slaughtered. No! It isn’t going to happen. I should never have come here. I was stupid. My curiosity got the better of me. Can we please get going? The sun is up, which means that Titan and his friends have more than likely left Draig.”

Octane looks at me. He stares at me for so long that I have to force myself to stand tall, to keep my eyes on his. I have nothing to feel ashamed about. I refuse to hand these Draigers a way onto our island. They could overrun us. Kill us! They see us as a threat, so they might want to neutralize that threat. No! I won’t do it.

“I understand that you would want to protect your people but know that I feel the same way about mine. I would never harm innocents. I thought that you would know that about me by now.”

“I’ve known you all of five minutes, Octane, and as you love pointing out to me at every opportunity you get, we are enemies. That’s all I know.”

I see his jaw tighten just before he turns away from me, making for the opposite side of the pool. Then he is cupping water in his hands and washing himself. His face, his strong torso, between his legs, and, as always, I can’t stop watching him.

“You really shouldn’t keep looking at me like that, little Red.” His voice is a deep rasp. “There is no longer a mate standing between us.”

“There is so much more that is,” I tell him.

Octane keeps washing, and I keep watching him do it. I watch as the water drips down his muscled body. I watch as his cock lengthens and thickens under my scrutiny.