Page 36 of Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me 7

“Why would you cry?” he asked, sincere in his confusion. He had no idea how maddening he could be sometimes.

“It’s like dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit,” I explained, equal parts touched by his kind gesture and exasperated by it. “Letting the carrot get close enough for the rabbit to think it has a chance before yanking it away. Then doing it again. That’s you.”

“I’m a… carrot?” Onyx frowned. Which only made me want to shake him.

How could he be so oblivious?

“Never mind.” I groaned under my breath and rubbed at my temples again. “Forget it. I’m going back to bed. Hopefully everything will magically make sense in the morning. And if not, at least there’s coffee to look forward to.”

I turned from the stove to leave.

A light touch on my bicep stopped me. Made my insides freeze right along with it, lungs and heart alike. Shocked, I peered back at him.

“Evan, I…” Onyx wet his lips, his gaze boring into mine. “Don’t go.”

“Why not?” Something sharp gnawed at my sternum. “So you can keep jerking me around and giving me false hope? It’s confusing.”

He lowered his hand from my arm. “Confusing you isn’t my intention.”

“Then what is your intention?” I asked, the ache in my heart spreading out like the roots of a large tree, burrowing deeper into my muscles and bones. “Because I’m at a loss here. I can’t figure out what you want.”

“That makes two of us.” He swallowed. “I steel myself against these feelings and convince myself I have no desire for you, yet the moment I see you, that resolve is ripped apart.”

My chin wobbled. “It’s our fated mate bond. It draws us together whether you choose to accept it or not.”

“And I choose not to accept it,” he said. “Doing so would be a grave mistake.”

“Why are you so against the idea of being with me?” I lifted a hand to his chest, my pulse quickening. “Fate brought me to you, Onyx. We’re destined to be together.”

“Or we’re meant to be each other’s biggest regret,” he said, snaking his fingers around my wrist. He didn’t force my hand away though. Instead, he held it against his heart. “Destiny doesn’t always mean love.”

Pressure enclosed my sternum. “I don’t want to accept that.”

“Nor do I.” He pressed closer, bringing his smoky scent with him. It reminded me of a warm fire on a cold winter’s night. A unique fragrance that proved he was my fated mate, regardless of his refusal to accept it. “Yet, as I said once before, fate can be a cruel mistress.”

“Because love will only end in tragedy?” I asked, recalling his words from before. “What if you’re wrong? What if we can be happy together?”

“You and I are not destined for love nor happiness, little bird.” Onyx lowered his face to my neck. The soft exhale of his breath against my skin made me shiver. “But gods, how I wish we were.”

“Why can’t we?” I ran my fingers over his silky black hair. “I know emotions can be scary. Hell, I’ve been with Maddox and the others for a while and still panic that I’ll lose them. But it’s a risk worth taking.”

Onyx stayed against me for a handful of seconds, face buried in the crease of my neck. He pulled away from me. “I need to check the porridge.”

The sudden absence of his body caused chills along my arms. That coldness seeped below my skin too, sinking deep into my bones. I stared at his profile, noting the scrunch of his brow as he focused on the pot of rice.

“Talk to me, Onyx.” I stepped closer to him, wishing the emotional distance could be closed as easily. “Please.”

“What do you wish for me to say?” he softly asked.

“The truth.” My earlier frustration returned, burrowing into my gut. “You seem so sure that we’ll crash and burn but won’t give me a reason why.”

A mask slid over his expression as he stirred the rice. “Do you like green onion?”

“What I like, my lord, is communication. Something you sorely lack.”

He regarded me like a parent watching a child throw a tantrum.

A stretch of silence passed where we stared at each other, me with my hands on my hips and him with that cold indifference. He turned away and stirred the rice before tasting it and adding a touch more seasoning.