Loren snarled, flashing his fangs at her. “I am not using you, Olivia. Look into my eyes and tell me you honestly believe that this is a farce and I have no feelings for you.”
She couldn’t, because part of her already knew that this wasn’t fake. This was real for both of them, but that didn’t mean it would have a happy ending.
“I did not come here to infiltrate Archangel or hurt you... or anyone you care about, Olivia, and you know that in your heart, because you know my feelings. I should not have left you alone that day, allowing Vail to attack you and your people. It was a mistake, and I wish I had the power to turn back time and undo it... but I do not.” Loren stepped towards her, his black eyebrows furrowing as he raked his fingers through his hair, clawing the black-blue strands back. “I swore to keep you safe and I will do just that, and I will not let Vail hurt anyone else here at Archangel. I will do all in my power to prove myself worthy of your trust... but I will not give up now that I have decided to fight for you. You are my ki’ara... and I would do anything you commanded of me.”
“Break this bond,” she whispered and regretted it when she felt the pain it caused him.
He lowered his head. “Anything but that. I cannot do that. I will not do it. I cannot force you to complete the bond with me, and cannot stop you from searching for a way to break it... but I will not give up on finding a way to pierce your armour and claim your heart.”
“Stop it.” She turned away from him and wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her right forearm. “I can’t...”
He came up behind her and gently settled his hands on her shoulders. The weight of them comforted her and she could feel him close to her, aware of every inch of his body that hovered near to hers, feeling it so clearly that it was as if he were already against her.
He lowered his head and his cheek brushed her left ear, and his breath skated down her collar. The marks he had placed on her throat tingled and she closed her eyes.
“Olivia,” he husked and she told herself to fight, to break free of his hold and keep pushing him away. She couldn’t let him shatter her armour and claim her heart as his victory. She couldn’t. “I am not that male. I would never hurt you like that. To hurt you would be to hurt myself.”
“Because we’re linked,” she stated flatly.
“No.” He leaned closer, bringing his body into contact with hers, and she relaxed into him, losing awareness of the world around them. “If I hurt you, it would hurt me because I have fallen under your spell. You have brought light to my dark world, Olivia. You have captured the dead heart of this prince and given it new life. I live for you... and I would gladly die for you. I—”
“Stop... please, Loren... just stop.” She couldn’t take it anymore. Whenever he talked like this, she melted inside, warmed by his words and the feelings that flowed through her in response. She ached to hear him speak to her of his feelings, wanted to believe they were real and not a lie, but there was always that shadow of doubt at the back of her mind and the dark memories that haunted her heart. They told her not to trust him. They told her this was too good to be real, that a gorgeous powerful man like Loren could never truly desire a workaholic weak human female like her.
Loren rubbed her arms and sighed. “You can tell me to stop all you want, Olivia, but that word will not change my feelings and it will not alter yours. It will not make me give up the fight for you... it will only make me fight harder.”
She knew that. She did.
Olivia placed her hands over his on her arms and focused on the feel of him behind her, his heart steady and feelings calm, a rock that she could cling to in the storm of her conflicting emotions and desires.
Her anchor.
“Loren...” She wasn’t sure what she meant to say because she wasn’t sure of her feelings, not like he was. She didn’t know whether to turn in his arms to kiss him or to shove him away. She didn’t know whether to smash the heart he had given to her or to draw it close to her breast and cherish it. The heart of a prince. A heart he hadn’t given to anyone in five thousand years and now she held it in her hands and it frightened her. It was too much, too soon. “I can’t take this. Nothing can happen between us, Loren. Can’t you see that?”
“No,” he barked and his grip on her arms tightened, his frustration flooding the link between them, warning of his mounting anger. “It is too late for that sort of talk, Olivia. Something has already happened and there is no going back now. I will not let you.”
She opened her mouth to snap at him and he twisted her in his arms and kissed her, his mouth capturing her words as a moan as bliss shivered through her again. She melted into the kiss, drowning in the connection that sizzled between them, setting alight to every nerve in her body until she buzzed from head to toe. He pulled her closer, angling his head and mastering her mouth, claiming dominance over her that thrilled her too much for her to fight it.