Page 28 of His Winter Wonderland

Bloodlust. He took another step back.

"You should step out, Rhen."

"I don't want to leave her." The scent of her blood was growing stronger. Rhen closed his eyes and tried to clenched his teeth. Damn fangs. "What is she doing in there?" He growled.

"I'll go check. But, I can't do that with you standing here. I don't think it's safe to open the door right now."

"What are you doing in there?" Rhen called out.

"Staying away from you?" Was her tart reply.

"Why do I smell blood still?"

"Because you nearly ripped my throat out, you dick!"

Words like that never came out of her mouth in dreamland. Then again, in dreamland, she hadn’t known that the monster she feared was also the man she loved. More guilt ate at him.

“I’m sorry,” Rhen whispered.

“I do not accept your apology.”

“Then what do you want?” He moved closer to the door. Silvia raised her chin and stepped in his way. He resisted the urge to pick her up and moved her out the way. He was already branded as someone who hurt women. All his life, he’d never once hurt or killed a woman. Tonight, he’d nearly ended his mate. Fuck my life.

“Silvia, please send him away,” Winter spoke up.

“Winter,” Rhen called out. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Please.”

“Die,” Was the one word she uttered.

He froze. She wanted him dead. Of course, she did. She had every right to want that.

“You should be the one to end me,” Rhen called out.

Silvia tisked. “Don’t say that or she just might,” the snake shifter whispered.

“Rhen,” Winter spoke. “Killing you after I’m healed would be too easy. You deserve something far worse than death. You deserve to live.”

How was that worse than death?

“You deserve to live knowing that you’ve hurt your mate.”

Another punch to the gut.

“You deserve to live knowing that your mate will forever view you as the monster of her dreams and her reality.”

That punch went deep, all the way to his soul.

“You deserve to live knowing that your mate is cursed to live on the same plane you’re on, but you’ll never have her. You’ll never get to touch her. You’ll never get to kiss her. You’ll never get to hold her. You deserve to live knowing that the mate who once loved you, now hates you with everything in her. And if you ever touch her again, she won’t hesitate to put a stake through your chest.”

Those words weren’t a punch. They grabbed on to his heart and squeezed until his heart burst. He’d never felt this cold, this alone, this dead.

“Silvia,” Winter called out. “Please see him out. I can’t rest knowing he’s this close to me.”

Rhen felt the tear trickle down the side of his face. He wanted to wipe it away. He didn’t want Silvia to see him cry. But he couldn’t move. The bloodlust that was building inside of him at the smell of her blood started to retreat. Even the darkness inside of him felt ashamed.

“Rhen,” Silvia whispered. “Please leave. You know vampires aren’t allowed at the compound anyway.”

“This isn’t the compound. It’s the village outside the compound.”