“I felt it too.”
“And it pissed you off because you thought I was a witch,” she said with a soft smile.
“Something like that.”
“So, like me, you’ve had a bad experience, but with a witch.”
“Yes, who was yours?”
“Human, but he didn’t do anything wrong toward me.” Her gaze lowered to the wooden floor. “He died because of who I am. The ancients saw fit to give him to me and take him away without blinking an eye. He would have died eventually with his life span, I knew that. He knew who I was, but the ancients brought the fight to our door and they didn’t protect him like they promised. Telling me ‘it’s as it has to be’.”
“What was his name?”
The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. “Saul. He was my husband.” Lifting her head, she met his gaze. “While I loved him and he’ll always hold a special place in my heart, I never had my senses react to him the way they do with you.”
“And that scares the hell out of you.”
“Huh-yes, I never want to go through that again. I’m afraid that if I let you too close they’ll take you away.”
Rhys took her into his arms, his chin resting on top of her head. “Like everyone else, we have to live in the moment, Mari. Things will happen, but we can’t let it rule our lives. Like you, I’ve never had such an overwhelming sense of belonging to someone as I do to you. And, sweetheart, I’ve been around a lot of women.” He smiled when she thumped him on the back.
“You always have to toss a smart-ass comment in somewhere don’t you?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled.
“Tell me about what happened with the witch.”
Rhys was silent for a few moments. “She showed up while I was visiting my parents in Spain. I thought I was in love for the first time, besides the puppy crush I had on my best friends’ sister when we were growing up. She became an everyday visitor at my parents’ house and they were as duped as I. No one had any idea that she’d been stalking my parents for months, waiting for the chance to get to them. Then I showed up, and like a love sick pup, I fell right into her hands.”
Mari tightened her arms around his waist.
“Apparently one of my fathers’ men had killed her father in a drunken brawl. I’ve never seen such hatred in anyone until that thing showed up at the borders of Alston the night you arrived. Anyway, during a party my parents were having she made her move and went for my father. I don’t know what made me look up at that moment but I did, and I jumped in front of her, taking her blade in my shoulder. It was a poisoned dagger, made from something she’d collected from my father. I actually pleaded with her to stop, declaring my love as she ripped the blade out of my flesh. It was then she told me how she’d used me to get to my father, that she had no intention of being with me in any way. She told me she held her shudders in when I touched her. Her plan was to kill every vamp she could, starting with my father and me.”
“Oh gods,” Mari breathed, running her fingers over his lower back.
“Yeah,” he snorted. “Tell me about it. Well she tried going after my father again and I shoved her away as she hit me with the dagger again. I started feeling the effects of the poison and when she came at me again, I transformed to kill her…”
“Rhys…” Mari whispered lifting her head to meet his eyes.
“My father delivered the death blow. After the medics cleared the poison from my system I asked him why he did it. He said I’d have a hard enough time getting over her betrayal, I didn’t need to have her death on my hands as well.”
“Instilling a hate for all witches.”
“I know they’re not all bad, it’s just like Vampires, Lykens, and every Other Kin out there, there’s good and bad in all species. We have a coven of witches living in Alston and I’ve always gotten along with them quite well.”
“It’s just the ones you don’t know that you’re leery about?”
“Yeah. Roven assumed you were a witch because Kalana was vague about who you were.”
“He was wrong.” She smiled.
“I know, but that didn’t stop the unease and mistrust of having an unknown witch at my door.”
“Which you directed so well.”
Rhys smiled. “You stood up to me instead of backing down. You stood toe to toe with me.”
“I don’t scare easily.”
“So I’ve noticed.” He grinned as he lowered his lips to hers gently.
Mari sighed as she lifted up on her toes, her arms wrapping around his mid-section as his went around her.