glanced
around the busy hallways of the hospital, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. She
had to get out of there. Indi began stalking off in the direction of the exit
when someone snagged her by the wrist, pulling her to an abrupt stop.
She whirled
around on them; a snarl on her lips, her fangs bared.
‘Indi, it’s me,’
Rhett told her softly, holding her face gently between his hot palms, making
their eyes meet. His own eyes were twisting restlessly from sky-blue and pale
green to emerald and ice. The heat from his palms exploded all over Indi’s
body, and—like always—just his presence seemed to begin to chip away at her
rage. Her anger began to ebb away slowly, the pounding of her pulse in her ears
quietening until it was nothing but a distant memory.
They stayed that
way until Indi felt like she was boneless and Rhett was the only thing holding
her up. She both hated and loved this about him. He could take her from
spitting Hellfire down to placid kitten within the space of a minute, but in
order to do that, he had to touch her. And every time he had to touch her, she
craved more. But for Rhett, it looked like he’d rather cut his own arms off
with a rusty saw than touch her.
Indi dropped her
eyes and took a step back, not wanting to make it any more difficult for him.
When she looked up, Rhett’s expression was stony.
He shoved his hands
roughly into his pockets. ‘Who was that woman?’ he asked, jerking his head in
the direction of Beth’s hospital room.
‘Beth’s mother,’
she spat, glaring dangerously at the door.
Rhett’s eyes had
settled back to sky-blue and pale pistachio green again when she looked back at
him. ‘What did she say to you?’ he asked; his jaw tight.
‘Nothing I
didn’t already know,’ she replied angrily. ‘Let’s just get out of here.’ She
turned away from him, but his warm fingers wrapped around her wrist, spinning
her around to face him again. His expression was a mix between longing and
frustration. ‘What did she say to you?’ he pressed.
Indi looked down
at where his fingers were around her wrist before glaring into his face. Heat
radiated from him, and she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself in it, but
her old survival instincts flared back to life instead. She could feel her top
lip peeling away from her teeth. ‘Let me go,’ she hissed.
Rhett’s eyes
widened infinitesimally, morphing colours, but he still didn’t let go. ‘No. Not
until you tell me, Ind,’ he replied; his jaw still tight. ‘You can’t run away
from me. I’ll always be here.’
Her heart leapt
in her chest at the reminder. She took a step closer to him, forcing him to
either stand his ground, or move back. He stood his ground. ‘Nothing,’ she said
venomously, looking directly into his wolf’s emerald and ice eyes. She took a
step back and turned; a fresh wave of anger prickling over her skin when he
didn’t reach for her again.
‘Indi, wait!’ he
called after her, catching her hand in his. Her skin heated at the contact.
Drawing her face up to meet his, he said, ‘I’m sorry I’m being a pain in the
ass. I’ve just …’ he looked down at the ground, frowning. ‘I’ve just got a lot
on my mind right now, and one of those things is keeping you safe. I know I can
be a bit overbearing, but it’s only because I care about you.’ He tried on an
unsure smile. ‘Forgive me?’
She hated this
affect he had on her, and she couldn’t think straight with his hand still in
hers. Pulling free from his grip, she raised her chin a fraction. ‘Fine.’
Rhett’s
expression darkened. That was obviously not the reaction he’d been counting on.
He frowned before opening his mouth and closing it again. When he looked in her
eyes again, they were hard. ‘You need to feed.’ He looked away and cleared his
throat. ‘I’ll take you now,’ he said, his voice severe.
Rhett walked
away from her—his hands clenching into tight fists—leaving her to follow.
The
around the busy hallways of the hospital, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. She
had to get out of there. Indi began stalking off in the direction of the exit
when someone snagged her by the wrist, pulling her to an abrupt stop.
She whirled
around on them; a snarl on her lips, her fangs bared.
‘Indi, it’s me,’
Rhett told her softly, holding her face gently between his hot palms, making
their eyes meet. His own eyes were twisting restlessly from sky-blue and pale
green to emerald and ice. The heat from his palms exploded all over Indi’s
body, and—like always—just his presence seemed to begin to chip away at her
rage. Her anger began to ebb away slowly, the pounding of her pulse in her ears
quietening until it was nothing but a distant memory.
They stayed that
way until Indi felt like she was boneless and Rhett was the only thing holding
her up. She both hated and loved this about him. He could take her from
spitting Hellfire down to placid kitten within the space of a minute, but in
order to do that, he had to touch her. And every time he had to touch her, she
craved more. But for Rhett, it looked like he’d rather cut his own arms off
with a rusty saw than touch her.
Indi dropped her
eyes and took a step back, not wanting to make it any more difficult for him.
When she looked up, Rhett’s expression was stony.
He shoved his hands
roughly into his pockets. ‘Who was that woman?’ he asked, jerking his head in
the direction of Beth’s hospital room.
‘Beth’s mother,’
she spat, glaring dangerously at the door.
Rhett’s eyes had
settled back to sky-blue and pale pistachio green again when she looked back at
him. ‘What did she say to you?’ he asked; his jaw tight.
‘Nothing I
didn’t already know,’ she replied angrily. ‘Let’s just get out of here.’ She
turned away from him, but his warm fingers wrapped around her wrist, spinning
her around to face him again. His expression was a mix between longing and
frustration. ‘What did she say to you?’ he pressed.
Indi looked down
at where his fingers were around her wrist before glaring into his face. Heat
radiated from him, and she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself in it, but
her old survival instincts flared back to life instead. She could feel her top
lip peeling away from her teeth. ‘Let me go,’ she hissed.
Rhett’s eyes
widened infinitesimally, morphing colours, but he still didn’t let go. ‘No. Not
until you tell me, Ind,’ he replied; his jaw still tight. ‘You can’t run away
from me. I’ll always be here.’
Her heart leapt
in her chest at the reminder. She took a step closer to him, forcing him to
either stand his ground, or move back. He stood his ground. ‘Nothing,’ she said
venomously, looking directly into his wolf’s emerald and ice eyes. She took a
step back and turned; a fresh wave of anger prickling over her skin when he
didn’t reach for her again.
‘Indi, wait!’ he
called after her, catching her hand in his. Her skin heated at the contact.
Drawing her face up to meet his, he said, ‘I’m sorry I’m being a pain in the
ass. I’ve just …’ he looked down at the ground, frowning. ‘I’ve just got a lot
on my mind right now, and one of those things is keeping you safe. I know I can
be a bit overbearing, but it’s only because I care about you.’ He tried on an
unsure smile. ‘Forgive me?’
She hated this
affect he had on her, and she couldn’t think straight with his hand still in
hers. Pulling free from his grip, she raised her chin a fraction. ‘Fine.’
Rhett’s
expression darkened. That was obviously not the reaction he’d been counting on.
He frowned before opening his mouth and closing it again. When he looked in her
eyes again, they were hard. ‘You need to feed.’ He looked away and cleared his
throat. ‘I’ll take you now,’ he said, his voice severe.
Rhett walked
away from her—his hands clenching into tight fists—leaving her to follow.
The
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