Our Fatal Failings (Twisted book two)

Chapter Nine

I press my lips into a firm line. Nia and Iris might still be running somewhere out there. I owe them too much. "How did they do this to you?"

At my silence, he curls his hands into fists. "How?"

His tone, his force and his aura of power compel me to speak. It must be a wolf thing, a privilege with his new status. "Experiments. I wanted them."

"There's nothing that could, nothing that should....this is wrong."

"I wanted it. I wanted to be severed from you."

A look of sadness crosses his features only to disappear just as quick as it came. "You're going feral then."

"No."

"Is it taking to you? The voice?"

"What voice?"

Don't play stupid.

"It's your wolf. It's not supposed to talk, because it's supposed to be fused to you perfectly. But when we go feral...they can take over.  Which is what it must've done right now. Can you hear it."

Yes.

"No."

He studies me before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "I don't know why I expected this to be easy with you. Let me mark you before you go feral."

"I won't go feral."

"I almost went feral. What makes you think you can prevent yourself from going too?"

He's right. That's not even the wolf talking, no it's been whining for the last five minutes, that's all me. I have no training, can't control my shifts, or even the way my teeth drop, I can't control my claws and I sure as hell don't want to die.

"Now?" My voice is brittle. "What if you just gave me a bottle of Wolfsbane and sent me on my way. I swear I'll pray for a new mate for you."

"Here we are four years later, grown, and you're still no closer to accepting the truth. No, I cannot give you Wolfsbane, it's illegal and immoral. Stop asking me to."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Well, you never know." I stare at our surroundings. The thrones on the dais. "Do it here."

"We can't-"

"I don't want to end up in your bed again." He colors, only slightly. "Do it standing so I can walk away."

"Will you be able to walk away? Were you able to walk away last time?" If I were paler, shame would've colored my face to the brightest red.

"It doesn't change anything. Not a single thing what I do."

He offers out his hand. "If it makes you feel better, sure. It won't change anything."

I stare at it. Is it really so different from the first time?

You'll stay this time.

I frown at that.

You love him.

I frown harder. Whatever lingers underneath the surface--it fights to get control again. Shoving me to the back, I watch it interact with the world with my body. I feel myself lurch forward, taking his hand. This time, it talks.

"Please." I cringe at the sound of its voice. It's mine, but only if English was a foreign language and if I was just learning to control my tongue. It clears its throat--it clears my throat--the thought of it makes my head spin. "Do it fast, before she comes back."