“We had almost been married for three years when we both decided that we would rather go our separate ways. There was no fighting or arguments. I moved in with my mother and we began making arrangements for the divorce, put the house on the market. It was really quite civil. He’s a really good guy, we just weren’t meant for one another.” She smiled. “I met you a couple of weeks after moving out. Although we were still officially married at the time, as in legally. By that stage, we hadn’t really been together in the longest time. We hadn’t had sex in months.”
She saw his jaw tense and his muscles bunch.
“Marriages don’t always work out. I made a mistake. We were young and stupid. We rushed into things.”
Gideon nodded, his nostrils flared. “How long did it take you after we went our separate ways…” He paused for a few moments and she watched as his throat worked. “For you to mate with the other male? Couldn’t have been more than a few months?” His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes began to blaze.
“Liam and I never mated.” She blurted, having to work to maintain eye contact with him.
“But you were living together and pregnant with his child? That would be considered mated in vampire terms.” His voice had deepened. His chest heaved. His eyes were so dark, so intense. “I can scent your fear again.”
Jenna struggled to keep her breathing even. Her eyes dropped to the ground. Now that the moment had come, she wasn’t sure that she could go through with it. Panic rose up in her.
“Look at me,” Gideon growled.
Jenna put a hand to her throat which she absently rubbed, while keeping her eyes on the ground. She shook her head.
“Why are you afraid of me?” His voice was soft. All the anger drained away. It didn’t help, if anything it made things worse. How often had Liam managed to convince her that the potential danger was over? He even stroked her hair or massaged her back before laying into her. Her breath came in gulps. Her hands shook badly. There was a buzzing noise in her ears.
Please no.
Don’t.
It was as if her conscience mind divorced itself from her body, her system went into protective mode. Logic went out the window. She felt his hands on her and she screamed. Deep inside she knew, that each time he beat her might be the last, this might be that moment where he lost all control and she ended up dead. Her body never to be found again.
His hands clenched her tighter, which only made her panic more. She clawed against him trying to get away. Any second now, blows would rain down on her. The beatings and threats were becoming worse.
Love and hate were intermingled when it came to Liam.
He pretended to love her when he really hated her.
Hated.
“Jenna,” a soft growl which he repeated. The arms banded around her and drew her near, warm, sheltering, protective.
She inhaled deeply. Musky, woodsy, power. Gideon. Not that monster. She was safe. Somehow she managed to pry her eyes open. To unclench her fists. To breathe again. Jenna stepped into him, feeling at peace for the first time in the longest time. A sigh fell from her lips. Then she remembered how angry Gideon was and with good cause. Her mind flew over the events of the last year and a half and the tears began to fall.
This was the first time she had cried since…
Chapter 6
Jenna hiccupped. “Oh god,” she sobbed. “I’m so glad I’m here with you.” She all but whispered as she buried her face deeper into his chest. Although he felt tense, he kept his arms banded around her small frame. He was tempted to bury his head into her hair and to breathe her in but he refrained. Not fucking happening. He needed to get to the bottom of this. Hear her out and send her on her way.
What the fuck?
She hugged him even tighter, making wounded noises. He could feel her soft mounds flatten against him. How fucking inappropriate. He ignored his body’s response to her.
The acrid scent of her fear slowly lessoned. Thank fuck. What the hell was going on? Was she playing some sort of game? It seemed real enough.
Her breathing eased up and even though he could sense her calming, she still clung onto him. He liked the feel of her all together too fucking much for his own liking. Gideon straightened his back and relaxed his hold on her. He needed to let her go. Needed to move the fuck away. He couldn’t make himself do it.
Jenna only held him tighter. “No,” she moaned.
“Speak to me.” He rubbed his hand down her back and she sighed. He told himself that he only did it to help her calm, to get her to open up to him. After all was said and done, he needed some serious answers. Gideon needed closure. The word tasted bitter as it rested on the tip of his tongue.