Bound by Devotion

Chapter Four

The pressure was going to kill her. She couldn't take it. Not like this. The squeezing becoming far to much. She dropped to her knees as they made it through. While the pressure was terrifying, there was also simply the sensation of touch all over her skin, every square inch of it and she let go of Kornae's hand. The tremors ran down her spine as her back bowed and her fingers tried so hard to find a grip on the cold marble tile. A whimper escaped her as she fought everything in her and she closed her eyes in humiliation.

Humiliation that would only grow if she gave into the pleading voice in her head, the one that wanted her to beg the one man in the world that wouldn't fuck her. Before he could say anything to that pitiful sound, she shoved herself off the floor and onto her feet. She was fine. Damn it.

Holding her head high, she met expressionless eyes. "I wasn't being stubborn, you ass. I was trying to save you from me."

"I don't need saving." His partial smile was so damned captivating.

She needed a distraction. Something. Anything. She looked around, desperate and holy shit, he wasn't this cruel, was he? This was a joke? A room to lock her away in until she was normal again? "Where are we?" she asked and no, she didn't want the answer.

"My bedroom."

She spun to face him, having zero control over her emotions in her extremely oversensitive state. "When did you start actively hating me?" she asked. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Because you're safe here. I have wards in place here. Nothing is getting through. And I told you before, I can feel when things are wrong within—"

"Oh? You can feel things?" Her rage knew no bounds. "Could you feel me getting murdered, Kornae? Or were you too busy feeling that woman?" She remembered some of what she saw when she made the portal and no. Just no. "Never mind, that's not my business." She moved to the window, astounded to find the sun still up.

"No." The word was bit off and she didn't know which question he was answering.

"Then please explain." She looked back over her shoulder and met his eyes, waiting.

"I can feel things within a certain distance from me. You were across the palace from me."

"While you were feeling her." Eve stated, voice dead. She tuned away from the silent man and looked out over hunter-green trees and massive flying creatures.

"You asked me to find you a lover." His voice was that low thing from the throne room and she shivered, running her hands over a different robe then what she was wearing. Gabe's. Because hers was bloody. "You asked me, the man that fights his need for you everyday, to find someone to lay with you, to pleasure you, to fuck you." The deep breath he took sent chills across her flesh. "I was furious when you ran out of that room, Eve. So, I found someone who would welcome that fury."

She had to laugh. "At least I can make you feel that." The air on her right side warmed and she could feel it shift as he moved up beside her. She shook her head. "You're too close." Her hand rubbed right arm.

"Do you hate me now?" His voice, so cold.

She turned to face him. "I can't hate you, Kornae. I'm furious and insanely jealous but I don't know why. It's not like we'll ever mean anything to each other because to hell with what I think I know, right? But I don't hate you. You're entirely too close because I can feel you on my skin. It burns so good and hurts like hell because I'm broken right now and you can't fix me." She took a deep breath. Where did that come from?

"How do I fix you?"

"You don't want that answer." She threw his words back in face.

His eyes hardened, if that could even happen when she already felt the absolute zero of the space they reminded her of. She laughed before sucking in a deep breath. He took a step toward her and she struggled to take a step back. "Stop," she whispered. He did it again. A slow deliberate step. She did it again, body fighting her. A painful quick step. "Please stop." He did it again and then her back met the wall and his hands were on either side of her and she was going to drown in him, didn't he see that?