Darian's POV
She rushed for me on the sofa, leaning her hand forward to touch me. I was on my feet already, jumping way from the reach of her claws.
"Stop this, Selara. There is no reason for you to touch me," I said.
She stared at her hand and then at my reaction. When her eyes squinted more at my face, I quickly hid the slight tension in my expression with a stiff, hasty smile.
Still, she wasn't convinced. "You are hiding something, Darian. Tell me and I will stop." She said.
"There is nothing to tell you about. Just stop this nonsense," I snapped.
But the curiousity and suspicion in her eyes only sharpened. "You will have to do more than yelling at me, Darian. Because I am not stopping until I find out the truth."
I grunted, grinding my teeth hard against each other, until my jaw ached. Sometimes I wished she were a dunce. I hated the idea of a dunce mate, but right now, I embrace it totally. "Just stop it already. You might get hurt."
"Hurt in what way?" Her brows heaved up, stare tight and questioning. "Hurt touching you."
"No, of course—" I was saying when I stopped. I didn't want to commit myself to more lies. I attempted another chance at speaking, but nothing came to my mind other than the lies and denials. "Just stop—"
But she was already moving for me again. I shifted, and her hand slipped just right past me. That threw her forward. She staggered past me.
I moved to snatch her hands and pin them behind her to disarm her, but I stopped midway, remembering for hell's sake that I couldn't fucking touch her. I couldn't touch her, and the clothes she wore weren't actually helping. The sleeves were drawn up, way past her elbows. There was probably no way I could stop her without touching her.
She lifted her head to me, gaze cursory, pinning me to the spot, her chest heaving. "Just tell me the damn truth, Darian, and we can cut through all this charade." She said, breathing heavily.
"Like I have told you, love. There isn't anything to tell you. Whatever is happening must be caused by our mate bond."
She dismissed that with a low growl. "Never heard of mate bonds being that fatal. It doesn't burn. Rather, mate bonds bring the mates closer, not try to tear them apart."
"You mean bring us together, like into each other's arms, because if—" I said with a forced slow smile.
"Just stop it already." She snarled. "I know what the hell you are doing. You are trying to change the subject, and I won't let you."
Alright, she was no fool. But it was too late to back out. And it was perhaps the only option I have got. "I wasn't trying to change the subject, darling. You were the one who was talking about the bond not bringing us together but tearing us apart. Which is a lie, because you have absolutely no idea how bad I want you in my arms."
She leaned back then, her grin dark. "So why don't you touch me then since you want to?" She said, bringing herself closer.
She was smart, but she was predictable. I knew her game well.
"Perhaps another time," I said, while my eyes lingered on her, on her breasts, full and firm, and on her long, shapely legs sticking down her dress.
My finger twitched hard, shaking as if from leprosy, desire devouring me madly from the insides.
I wanted more than nothing to touch her, to feel her smaller, petite body against mine, her softness leaning against my hard body.
Hell, damn the witch! The urge to kill the witch consumed me more and more, until my veins were a blinding rush of heat.
"I am afraid I can't touch you now. My hands are dirty. Why don't you wait while—"
She reached for me again, thinking I was distracted at that moment. But I jumped out of her reach successfully. She hit her leg on the center table and collided into the sofa.
"Are you okay, Selara?" I called after her, my voice tight with concern, and I reached for her reflexively.
My senses reeled back in, and I snatched my hand back to myself just right when she lunged for me again. "Just tell me the damn truth, Darian." She grunted angrily.
She rose to her feet, breathing loud and raspy and with her chest heaving hard.
"And that is just what I am telling you, Selara. It must be the mate bond reacting to something. It should wear off in a few days or so.'" I said, plunging myself deeper into the lie. There seemed to be no other way out.
She swept me carefully with her eyes, lips clipped tight. Then she calmed, relaxing into the spot she was. "So it is caused by the mate bond, and it should wear off in a few days, right?" she demanded.
"I think so." I shrugged my shoulders, understanding the trap she was trying to lead me into.
"You think, or you are sure." Another narrowed stare.
"I think. No one is sure of anything. But I think the effect should be wearing off soon and then we can be—" I was walking closer to her when the sudden smirk on her lips informed me of my mistake.
I tried to drop back, but she had already snatched my hand. As instantly as we touched, she dropped back, pulling her hand away instantly, with a wail of pain so loud it rang through the room, before she quickly swallowed it like it was nothing while her cheeks bulged hard from the contained pain.
She glanced down at her palm, now reddened like it had been burned with fire, and then at me. "You lie." She snarled up at me. Those were the only words that could come out of her lips before her voice trailed off in a series of raw whimpers of pain, and she blew rapidly at her hands.
"That's why I warned you to stop. If you had listened, then all this wouldn't have happened. " I stepped closer to her, but she jumped back from me like I was danger itself.
"Stay the hell away from me, Darian." She snapped, "Just please stay the hell away from me."