Page 143 of First Ritual
Once in the cover of the trees, I tossed Wild’s hand aside and stormed deeper into the forest, sending butterflies of light ahead to illuminate the way. Reaching an enclosure of ancient trees covered in lush moss, I spoke to the forest, “What the hell was that?”
“I could ask you the same,” he snarled.
I spun, fists by my sides. “I used what I knew against you to win the game.”
“You used something I have no control of, that I don’t want people to grow suspicious about, in front of the entire coven.”
“We’re dating. That’s what they’re talking about. You going caveman. The women think it’s hot. You’ll have no trouble in the bedroom. You’re welcome.”
“I didn’t have trouble before,” he said, smirking.
I smiled. “Neither did I. What I can’t decide is if you’re more pissed because I won or because the coven saw my boobs.”
He stiffened.
“The boobs, is it?” I walked to a tree. An enormous, beautiful tree that had seen many storms. I glanced back. “My body is not yours to command. If I want to show my boobs to one million people, then I will. Whatever issue you have with what happened is your issue to deal with. Like I said, I’m done on the subject of you and me.”
Wild wasn’t looking at me. He was partly turned away, half cast in shadow as he breathed hard, the muscles in his neck taut.
“We’ve dated for nearly a week,” I said. “I’m closing that down now. A week is long enough to be convincing, but not long enough for your parents to suppose there may be real feelings involved. On the back of you attacking that guy today, it will be extra believable.”
He scoffed. “You think they’ll believe I don’t want to be with you after I attacked my own team member for looking at your body?”
“No, Wild. I expect them to believe that I don’t wish to be with you. That your behavior was suffocating and possessive. I’m ending things. Because that is what I want, in case that wasn’t clear from last night. We’re no longer dating, even the fake kind.”
He lifted his head. “I wanted to kill him, Tempest. I was only able to restrain myself from truly hurting him because you turned away to fight Huxley.”
A twinge of remorse hit me.
Wild walked toward me. “I also hate that everyone saw a part of you I’ve been dying to see again since. Now that I’ve been honest, how about you do the same? I’ll start you off… Since your affinity test, everything you say and do has been designed to push me away because you know I see you, and you fear being seen. You believe that will be your undoing.”
I forced myself to breathe normally. “Is that so?”
“You’re not a demon, darling.” He hooked a finger in the chain around my waist. “What you are is beautiful and hurt and it’s fucking painful to look at you because I can’t decide if I should soothe away every hurt before it touches you or make the hurt worse for acting like I don’t mean anything to you.”
I closed my eyes. “This is the mating ritual talking. You don’t really feel this way.”
“I have my faults, but none of them are lying to myself. I know what I felt prior, and what I feel now.”
I glared at him. “You don’t. That creature has gotten into your head.”
He tapped a finger twice against my temple. “I’m going to get into yours, Tempest. Your fears, your hopes, your pain. I’ll see them all in the end.”
I’d always been able to see when the creature was in the driver’s seat and when Wild had control. Now I wasn’t sure. “You’re scaring me. You’re blurring lines.”
“You’re scaring yourself. You want me. You want to yield. I can smell it.”
“You need to realize this is all from the ritual,” I snapped. “How could you ever know if what you feel is real now?”
He paused, tilting his head. “Is that the issue? That you can’t know one way or the other if we would feel this way without the ritual?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Yes. Without being sure, I won’t go further with you.”
Wild brushed my hair back over my shoulders. “You kissed me in the bar. That’s how you know.” His fingertips barely brushed my skin, and each touch was lightning. My breaths quickened.
He stared into my eyes. “Do you see how your body responds to me?” Wild’s gaze lowered and his finger followed. He circled my nipple through the metallic material of my crop top, and I jerked.
I whimpered as he circled the second. I’d never gotten much from guys lavishing attention on my boobs, though I knew some girls got off on it. This. This was otherworldly. Every touch from Wild felt impossible.