“He’s a fae,” Olivia said and took a gulp of her drink. Yup. Just as intoxicating as Loren. It warmed her just as fiercely too, making her head fuzzy and heart pound.
“I’m not listening to your excuses.” Sable downed her drink and slammed the glass onto the sticky bar top. She pulled Olivia up and frowned at her. “I can’t believe you’re going to pass up on eternity with a gorgeous, noble, immortal prince because some arse broke your heart years ago.”
Olivia played with her drink again, withering under her friend’s glare. Sable knew her history but that didn’t mean that she knew her feelings, or her fears, or could stand there lecturing her about Loren. She didn’t know what it was like to face the prospect of becoming immortal and entering into an eternal bond.
Sable took her drink from her. Olivia snatched it back and held it closer to her, scowling at her friend.
Her golden eyes turned cold and serious. “Liv, I know you’re scared... and I know it’s hard for you... but love isn’t easy and I don’t want to be sitting here with you in one week or two week’s time because you found a way to break the bond. I know you’ll regret it when it happens, and Loren is gone, and there’s no way of getting him back. Ever.”
Olivia stared blankly at her drink, Sable’s words sinking in and making her heart and head spin more than the potent cocktail. The chill of dread replaced the heat of it in her veins and she blinked slowly.
She hadn’t really thought about it before and she didn’t want to think about it now. She had grown used to Loren being around, encouraging her when she was tired and near the end of her rope, taking care of her when she was hurt, protecting her when she was scared, and standing by her through everything.
It hit her hard.
She couldn’t imagine her life without him in it now.
She didn’t want to imagine it.
Because she loved him.
She didn’t want to go back to microwave meals at three in the morning and spending every hour in her lab because she hated being at home because it reminded her that she was alone. She didn’t want Loren to leave and go back to his world.
She didn’t want to break the bond.
She wanted to complete it.
CHAPTER 17
Loren turned away from Bleu and Kyter when the door to the small back room of the club burst open. Olivia stood there, hands braced on the doorframe, breathing hard. The wild look in her brown eyes unsettled him and he was moving towards her before either Bleu or Kyter had even looked away from the bank of monitors they observed.
“Olivia?” Loren looked beyond her to the corridor that led back to the club, sure he would find his brother or another male after her. “What happened?”
She shook her head and fought to catch her breath, and then she was in his arms, kissing him senseless.
Loren’s wide eyes slowly closed and he gathered Olivia against him, wrapping his arms around her and settling his hands in her upper and lower back. He leaned into her, bending her to his will, seizing control of her frantic aggressive kiss.
Bleu grumbled, “I have a sudden urge to kill something.”
“I told you not to look. That female is throwing off pheromones that any shifter within three miles will be able to smell.” Kyter chuckled. “If you’re lucky, we’ll find a clue as to your other elf prince’s whereabouts and you can go kill him. If you’re not, I’ll give you a bottle of Hellfire to dull the pain in your thoroughly seared eyeballs.”
Loren broke the kiss and growled at them. Olivia grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the grim dimly lit corridor.
“I can’t find a way to break the bond.” She rushed the words out in one stream and he frowned at her, confused by the sudden announcement and her emotions.
She had been melancholy when he had found her in the laboratory before, but she hadn’t mentioned that she had failed her mission. There had been times this evening when he had felt she was keeping something from him and perhaps this was it. But she looked happy. That didn’t make sense at all. Unless.
Loren held both of her hands and ventured a brave step forwards. “I am sorry my blood did not give you the key to undoing our bond. I know how much you desired to be free of me.”
Olivia shook her head, her chestnut hair shifting across her bare shoulders. “I didn’t finish my research.”
Loren arched an eyebrow.
She gripped his hands and moved closer to him, until only a few inches separated them, and looked up into his eyes. “I can’t find a way to break the bond because I don’t want to break it, Loren. I want to complete it.”
A shiver ran through his body, cascading over his arms and down to his toes. His markings flashed beneath his armour in response, spreading heat across his skin in a rippling wave.