Angel of Fire - Chasing Destiny - Book Three ***COMPLETE!!!***

Let's Pretend

Chapter 42

"Tell me what about Vycandor?" Thomas asked, voice lacking concern.

Without ever taking his eyes off mine, he didn't appear to show any outward signs of his usual jealousy. After all, the previous bond I'd shared with Vycandor out of pure necessity was nothing like the bond I now shared with Thomas. The fusion of our two souls was finally complete. We had been joined through fire and ash – our perfect union barely even seconds old – but I finally understood that our journey toward this very moment had already begun prior to our celestial births. All that was left to do now was hold a ceremony that would make it official.

A wedding to end all weddings.

Maybe if I explained, I could make him understand. Maybe he'd accept the fact that I didn't have a choice. Maybe there was still a chance that he'd forgive me.

Then again, maybe not.

The words that came from Courtney's mouth were filled with hatred. "Oh, you mean you didn't know that Chaos here has been cheating on you with Vycandor the entire time you were recovering from being attacked?"

Thomas dropped my hands and frowned at me with such an expression of confusion, his pain filled eyes resting briefly on my neck before reaching for my gaze. "Tell me it isn't true."

"I..." My chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it. I suddenly had to struggle just to breathe. "I...I can explain..."

His brow furrowed. "Wait a minute. I remember. You...and...him." His eyes flicked to my neck again as if replaying the memory of catching me with Vycandor's fangs sunk deep into my flesh while drinking my blood. In my defense, I was only trying to keep him from starving to death. Thomas couldn't possibly have a problem with me trying to save his life, could he?

Don't answer that.

After glimpsing the stricken look on his face, I knew then that no apology in the world could ever erase the pain of my betrayal. But, no matter what, I knew I had to at least try to get him to come back to me.

"Thomas – " I managed, waiting a few frozen seconds until I knew my voice wouldn't go all shaky. "I'm sorry. I only did what I had to do. We were almost out of time. The Angels of War attacked and I...we needed to unite in order to combine our powers. I...I didn't have a choice."

Forget jealousy and hatred. When he spoke his voice was edged with violence. "What do you want me to say, Chaos? That it's okay? That I understand? You don't get it, do you? You being with Vycandor will never be right with me."

I felt a hot tear slip down my cheek. I wasn't prepared for the knife that sliced through my heart at the thought of losing Thomas.

This time forever.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he didn't give me a chance. "I think the part that hurts me the most is that I asked you to wait for me, and you gave me your word. You promised." He paused to study me for another moment, hazel eyes darkening as he ran his hand lightly along the side of my neck, stopping at the exact same spot as Vycandor's bite. "I'm guessing there are worse things I can say to you, but your promise doesn't mean a thing to me anymore." He backed away from me then, hand still outstretched. "It was different when you thought I was just a stranger. I don't want to learn to hold you all over again, to touch you, or to think that you're mine if you're not."

"I am yours," I insisted, reaching for his hand and coming up empty. "I was only doing what I thought was right at the time. Now I realize I was wrong."

He studied me again, his expression uncertain. "Do you love him?"

I let out a long, shuddery sigh. "I thought that I did. Now, I'm not so sure."

Nodding gravely, he said, "And why is that?"

I answered him honestly. "I'm not sure if I loved Vycandor because I was supposed to, or if I was really, truly in love with him."

"Don't listen to her," Courtney chimed in. "You can't trust anything that comes out of her mouth.

I started to lunge at her, but Thomas pulled me back in the nick of time. "Cut the innocent act, Courtney. I'm so sick of your Mary Poppins bullshit. You're the one who can't be trusted. Get off my back, or I will attack. And, trust me, you don't want that."

"I'm not afraid of you, Chaos. You can't hurt me. I'm an angel, remember?"

I tilted my head to the side. "Scratch that, you used to be an angel."

A cruel smile twisted her full lips. "I may have given you my wings, but I never gave up my eternal life."

I took a step closer to her. "Are you sure about that?"

Thomas moved so his body was between Courtney and I as he stared her down. "What do you mean, you gave up your wings?"

Courtney answered for the both of us. "Before Chaos could say her vows to Vycandor, she needed her wings to make the bond complete."

Thomas swiveled to face me. "You married him?"

I shook my head. "Nobody said anything about marriage."

"Yes, she did," Courtney insisted. "I was there, I should know."

I felt me cheeks blaze with heat. "So was I."

Thomas looked directly at me, face filled with the raw emotion that he'd been trying so hard to hide as a trace of anguish escaped his hazel eyes. "Did you say the words, I Do?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No...I didn't have time."

He seemed relieved. "Then you're not married."

I took that to mean there was still a chance for us. Albeit a very small chance. Not that I was complaining, of course. I decided to make the most of it. "Can we play pretend?"

"Pretend?" he said, with a generous helping of bitterness for my benefit.

"Yeah." I licked my suddenly dry lips. "Let's pretend we can start all over so we don't have to break up. Let's pretend I never let you down so you know my word is my oath. Let's pretend we don't need to forgive so we can move on instead."

Courtney made a sound of disgust. "At least I'm not the one pretending to care about Thomas."

I felt a sharp twinge of jealousy. "How about I punch you in the face and pretend I didn't?"

Thomas cut me off and pulled me into his arms. Probably just to keep me from killing Courtney. He leaned into my embrace and I felt his warm lips brush sensuously against my neck before he tensed. "What makes you think we can start over?"

My heart soared with promise. "When I said my vows, I pretended it was you I was in love with. The kind of love that never ends."

Our eyes met and held in silent desperation. He hesitated momentarily before slowly lowering his lips to mine and kissed me sweetly. It wasn't the kind of kiss I was expecting. Not the kind I was used to, anyway. I expected it to be more rushed, more urgent, but his kiss was soft, slow, and oh so deliberate that I practically melted into his arms.

Vycandor cleared his throat in an attempt to let his presence be known.

I gasped and froze, not knowing if he'd heard our entire conversation or not. I only knew that him finding me with Thomas was bad. Very, very bad.

How many times had he warned me that I belonged to him, and only him?

A wave of anxiety told me things were about to get a whole hell of a lot worse.

"Jade's gone," he said to me, those strange cat-like green eyes cutting me straight through to the bone.

I hate when I'm right.