Page 118 of An Oath at Midnight

She touched her healing lips. “How?” She fisted the covers. “We can’t do this. It’s impossible, Bram.”

I took another step closer, unable to stay so far away. “Nothing’s impossible.”

“I’m a reaper. I’m literally poisonous. One touch and you die.” She shook her head. “I can’t stay here. I can’t be around you or my family. I’d never forgive myself if I… I could kill one of you. It would be so easy, one accidental touch, just one.”

“You’re not going anywhere, you hear me?” I growled out.

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with despair. “I can never be your true mate, we can never touch, or even kiss anymore, we can’t…sleep together. This is it. Looking at each other from across the room. I won’t do that to you, I won’t—”

A roar exploded from me. “Stop!” I snarled. “Stop trying to fucking leave me or send me away. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you, do you hear me? Death said you can learn to control it, so you’ll fucking learn. This is not the end for you and me. It can’t be because there is nothing else. There is only this. There is only us.” I strode from the room, grabbed her plate of food, brought it back and set it beside her. “Now eat your fucking dinner, because you need your strength for whatever is thrown at us next.”

She looked a little shocked, not something I saw on Magnolia very often. “B—”

“You need anything else?” I said, gentling my voice, but I was not having this fucking conversation.

“No,” she said and licked her still-healing lips. “I’m sorry I freaked out.”

“I hope you’re sorry, because I don’t want you saying that shit to me ever again.” I blew out a frustrated breath and planted my hands on my hips. “Female, you are mine, no matter what. I’ve told you, more than once. I thought you understood. I see now I was wrong.”

A small smile curved her lips. “I think I’m starting to get it now.”

“Fucking finally,” I said, then I sat on the end of the bed. “Now eat.”

“Yes, sir,” she said.

“Still managing to be a smart-ass I see? You must be feeling better.”

Her lips twitched, and she picked up the fork and ate a piece of potato, then another. She looked up at me. “Are you just going to sit there and watch me eat?”

“Yes.” She wasn’t leaving my damn sight, not until I was positive she wasn’t going to try a disappearing act.

“You get more and more like your brothers every day,” she said. “So bossy and surly.”

I growled under my breath. “You’re fucking lucky I can’t touch you right now.”

Her gaze flicked up. “And why’s that?”

“Because I’d take you over my knee and spank your round ass until it glowed.” It wasn’t the first time I’d wanted to do it, and it wouldn’t be the last. But then I wanted to do a lot of things to Magnolia.

Her cheeks colored, then she snorted and rolled her eyes, trying to lighten the moment, to deflect. “So Rook was right, then, huh? What he said about your males being dominant? I mean, he is a member of Red.”

She wanted me to joke around with her, to make me forget she’d just tried to leave me. But I couldn’t, not then and not about this. “Yes, we are. We’re dominant, we crave control, and that spills over into all aspects of our lives.”

She lowered her fork. “Jesus, Bram.” She blew out a breath. “You’re being serious?”

“Yes.”

“So you do…want to spank me?”

“For what you said about leaving me? Yes, badly.” I stood because I needed to cool off. I was scared and I wanted to kiss her so fucking much I ached. “I need a shower. Finish your dinner, then we can watch a movie, okay?”

“Okay,” she said.

I turned back before I closed the bathroom door. “And if you’re gone when I come out, I’ll come after you and drag your ass back, so do us both a favor and keep your ass in my bed.” Then I shut myself in the bathroom, turned on the shower and prayed the cold water would help calm me the fuck down.

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Magnolia