A Mate for Gideon(10)
Her small, delicate frame was burned into his memory, as were her large brown eyes which flew to him as he growled. They widened in both recognition and longing. Her succulent mouth rounded as she gasped, trying to pull away from the male next to her.
Jenna.
At first, he completely froze, sure that she was some kind of apparition because there was no way that his Jenna was here. No fucking way. The guard clasped her arm tighter, not allowing her to escape. The little green flecks in her irises brightened as her eyes blazed in anger and she gave her arm another yank, her whole body pulled towards Gideon. Everything angled towards him. Gideon took a step forward as a snarl was ripped from his throat. “Let her go.”
Her beautiful eyes stayed wide, only now he recognized fear in their depths and she shrank back from him. Gideon felt himself frown. Jenna was afraid?…of him? Unacceptable. The realization made him take pause. It was enough time to regroup and to calm the fuck down. He saw that all eyes were on him.
“I need to question this female.” He said, working hard to keep his voice devoid of emotion. Gideon stepped forward and gripped her elbow, pulling her into his side. Thankfully, she allowed herself to be drawn to him.
Fuck.
He tried not to notice how perfectly she fit against him. That harsh clench was back and he held his free hand to his chest. “Keep loading the vehicles. Titan,…” His second in command was already looking his way. “Take over for a minutes.”
The male nodded immediately before stepping into position. “You heard our leader,” Titan growled. “Bring the next female…stay focused.”
Thankfully, no one questioned his motives. He could hear that her heart threatened to beat right out of her chest. Her breathing came in sharp little pants. She allowed herself to be led back into the club. Gideon moved with long strides down the hallway and Jenna had to jog to keep up. He turned a corner and pushed her up against a wall, careful not to hurt her in any way.
He could scent her acrid fear and as his eyes settled on her, he realized that she was not only afraid, but she was afraid of him.
What the…
He may still be angry with her, and with good cause, but she had no reason to fear him. Gideon clenched his jaw for a few beats, fighting for control. Seeing her here, right now, in this situation, had adrenaline coursing through his veins. The need to protect her rode him hard, followed by the need to rut her as a close second. “Jenna.” It came out on a low growl and some of the tension drained from her.
Her eyes were still wide in her head and her breathing was a little shallow.
“What are you doing here?” Gideon kept his eyes locked with hers.
“I had to come.” Hearing her soft, sweet as honey voice almost brought him to his knees.
He swallowed hard, gripping her by her elbows as if to keep her there. It was a guise. The truth was that he really needed to touch her, even if just for a few seconds. It was so fucked up but he couldn’t make himself let go. “Why are you here?” He repeated, his voice a little harsher this time.
Jenna flinched but quickly regained her composure. “Why do you think I’m here? Surely it must be obvious.” Two grooves appeared between her eyes when she frowned.
Gideon shrugged. “I’m fucked if I have even the slightest clue.” Then he made a low growling noise. “It had better not be for the breeding program.” His grip on her tightened and he watched as her eyes clouded in fear. The scent permeated the air. “Why are you afraid? We have the situation contained. I will protect you. My team will keep you safe.” He quickly added the last, not wanting to give her false hope that there would ever be anything between them again. It was not going to happen.
She swallowed thickly, squeezing her eyes shut for a few beats. His eyes were drawn to her long neck and to the strong pulse at the base of it. His mouth watered.
Sugar and spice…
When she raised her lids, the fear was gone. “I’m sorry…it’s just…never mind.” She sucked in a breath. “I’m not afraid of you. I know you would never hurt me.” She said it as if to convince herself, which didn’t make sense to him. Gideon let it slide.
“I really need to know why you are here. There is not much time.” Any second now, one of the males would call for them. Most of the females would already be on their way to the castle.
She grit her teeth for a few seconds and her eyes hardened with determination. “For you. I came for you, Gideon.” Her eyes stayed locked with his. “Why else?”
It was his turn to suck in a ragged breath. “No.” Another loud growl was pulled from him and she whimpered. He couldn’t take her reacting to him in this way, so he gently cupped her jaw. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”