Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
He’d had nightmares about that expression.
Walking was like trudging through sludge, but he didn’t want to try and sleep again. He didn’t even want to finish moving up these damn stairs.
He’d walked away from his soulmate.
Xavier had tried calling him several times, and he’d ignored the calls, knowing his friend would only read him the riot act. Call him foolish. But Xavier hadn’t seen Clive’s face. The pure horror and fear had been stamped into Bain’s brain like a morbid Edvard Munch painting come to life.
When he reached his door, he paused. Even as exhausted as he was, his senses were sharp and he knew he wasn’t alone.
Someone or something was in his apartment.
Fury streaked through him even as he relished the idea of a fight with the mood he was in. With his place heavily warded, the only beings that could be inside would be powerful ones.
Right before he opened his door, one thought hit, and his shoulders slumped. It was probably Xavier, who had a key. Did he even want to talk? No. But turning away, when Xavier would know he’d arrived, was a coward’s move and he certainly wasn’t that. Still, he took a deep breath and readied himself to listen to Xavier bitch at him. Or, knowing Xavier as well as he did, quietly reprimand.
But it wasn’t Xavier on the other side of his door. It was Clive, and utter shock froze his limbs. He could only stare, his gaze starved for that precious, freckled face. It may have only been a week since he’d seen him, but it had felt like a year.
Before he could speak, anger tightened Clive’s features and he abruptly growled and shoved his hands into Bain’s chest, making him take a step back. Clive marched around him and slammed the door shut before turning back to face him. “You just left. Not one word. After everything we shared, how could you do that?”
That wasn’t at all what he’d expected to come out of Clive’s mouth. He twisted fully to face him, surprise making him mumble, “I was actually supposed to go on vacation before I took the job for you, so I was due.”
“Vacation? Really? That’s your excuse?” He stomped farther inside and threw his hands into the air. “So I was just a job? Was the sex a part of that job?”
That stabbed through him like a knife to the gut. “You know it wasn’t.”
“Then what was it? Because if you say it was just some fun, I’m going to punch you. We both know it was a lot more than that.” He spun around, and the pain in those blue eyes cut into Bain again. “Is that what you’re going to say?”
Bain’s shoulders slumped. “No, Clive. I can’t say that.”
“How could you have left like that?”
Bain couldn’t help but briefly shut his eyes before he opened them to gaze at Clive sadly. “I saw your absolute disgust over what I did. Your horror.”
Clive threw up his hands. “Of course I was horrified! I was looking at body parts. Blood. Gore.” He walked to Bain and grabbed his arms. “But none of that horror or disgust was because of you. Those demons would have killed me. You were protecting me.”
“I didn’t have to lose it the way I did but when they hurt you—” Bain swallowed the hard lump in his throat. “I felt more rage than I’ve ever felt in my life. Didn’t even know I was capable of that.”
“So you horrified yourself.”
It wasn’t a question, but Bain still nodded.
“Then you ran away from me because of that.”
He started to speak, then stopped. Had he? Yes, in a way. He had definitely been ashamed. “I felt that someone as good as you could never love a creature capable of that.”
“Love, Bain?” Clive’s whole body slumped even as his face lit up and a trembling smile pulled at his lips. “Do you want me to love you?”
“I do.”
“Why? Because we’re soulmates?”
Bain knew his shock was evident in his wide-eyed expression.
“Xavier told me.”
“He shouldn’t have done that. Holy hell.” Bain took Clive’s hands in his and squeezed his slim fingers. “Please don’t feel obligated because of that. There’s no rule that we have to be together because of that. Or any promises needed.” He frowned when Clive pulled his hands away. “Just because you could be mine for all eternity doesn’t mean you should tie yourself to me. To the preternatural world I live in. In fact—”
Clive stopped him with his hand over Bain’s mouth.
“Soulmates aside, how do you feel about me?”
Bain didn’t even hesitate when Clive removed his hand. “I love you. I love you so much, I don’t even know how to process how strong it is.”
Clive’s eyes grew shiny, and what Bain saw there made him draw in a shaky breath.