Uh-oh, he first-named me. I’m in so much trouble.
I force myself to move and stiffly walk out onto the terrace, hoping he doesn’t chuck me over the railing. He follows me closely and closes the door.
“So, you are going to do it anyway? Even after I specifically told you not to?” he says quietly.
“I don’t need your permission to turn him, CK.” I turn my fiery gaze to him. “And I certainly don’t need your permission to marry him either, especially because of some dumb prophecy that a) probably isn’t even about me and b) won’t come true even if it is. It won’t be a Holy union.”
“When did you decide to turn him? Before or after he offered you a ring?” he sneers nastily, and I flinch inwardly at his tone.
Snapping, I growl, “At least he offered me one.”
His eyes narrow in anger at my words and my tone. I know I have hit a nerve and think ‘Good’, before I regret saying it. Drawing a deep breath, I then say, “After he asked me to, which was after he asked me to marry him. He knows we can’t be together if he stays human.” I pause as the anger at having to explain myself to him grows stronger. Shooting an icy glare back at me, he softens slightly when I don’t look away.
“I am surprised you feel this way, though. After Fraser died, I never thought you would marry again,” he says with a searching look.
His words hit the desired pain button he was looking for, and I feel sick, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he
has hurt me.
“I knew I loved him the second I laid eyes on him. It’s the next natural step for us. Prophecy or not,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, as my eyes go blurry.
“Yes, I suppose it is, but I am not happy about this, Liv. In fact, I forbid it,” he states.
“Forbid it?” I shriek at him. “How dare you! How dare you dictate to me! This has nothing, nothing, the fuck to do with you! I told you it won’t be a Holy union. Because of you and your precious Council, I lose out once again with the ritual, but I can promise you one thing, Constantine, I will not lose out entirely. And I am not your woman. Not anymore!” My anger has gotten the better of me and I start to shudder as I think back to what I have just said to him. I don’t think I have ever raised my voice to him in such a manner before. I doubt very much if anyone has…and lived to tell about it.
His face goes cold and unreadable, and his voice is deathly quiet when he says, “It has everything to do with me because you are mine, Aefre, my destiny.” He slams his fist on the glass-topped table, cracking it.
I jump.
I stare at him, dumbfounded. “What?” I ask, shocked.
He glowers at me from across the terrace. I realize he has said something he either shouldn’t have or didn’t want to. My outrage provoked him and that alone is enough to shock me to my core. His words? Well, I have no words.
He turns his back to me and drums his fingers on the railing, an oddly nervous gesture coming from him.
I suddenly have a strong need to seek absolution from him for my outburst. I need to know he hasn’t held it against me, so I move forward slowly. He turns around and to my surprise, he folds me in his arms, and I cling to him like a vine. I need this and I can tell he needs this too, although he would never admit it.
“You know this is a mistake. Prophecies find a way of coming true, Aefre. If you do this, there will be consequences,” he warns me, but his words have reassured me that his ‘forbid it’ comment has been forgotten.
I can feel his phone buzzing in his pocket and with that he pulls away, leaving me devoid, and stalks back into the suite. I glance at the table where he had slammed his fist down and scoop up the ring that he had left there. Still reeling from his words of warning, I follow him.
Cole and Devon leap up off the sofa with matching looks of concern. “Liv,” Devon says, “everything okay?” He must have heard everything we said.
I nod dumbly and he tilts his head in question. CK is now talking into his phone in rapid Italian. He ends the call and focuses on me.
“I have to go back to Milan,” he says curtly.
“Will you be back tomorrow?” I ask quietly.
“Unclear. It’s Council business,” he replies shortly.
My heart wrenches at his words. He knows he’s hurting me with his tone. He closes his eyes for a split second and then opens them again with a softer look.
He walks over to stand in front of me and tilts my chin up to look him in the eyes. “I have to fix this,” he whispers. “You have no idea what you have done. I will try to come back.” He bends down to kiss me sweetly on the mouth as if no one else is in the room but us. I want to fall at his feet and beg him to stay, but then he pulls away and I crash back to reality. “Goodbye, my love,” he says softly, rubbing his thumb over my bottom lip.
He snaps his gaze to Cole, who is watching us with a murderous look on his face. CK has his usual smug-arrogant features in place and I inwardly cringe.
“I’m sure Devon has told you what I will do to you if any harm comes her way,” he says mildly.