Chapter 20

Oz

My mouth was dry even though we were surrounded by nothing but water. It wasn"t drinkable water, but it was wet. It didn"t soothe the rawness in my throat or the tightness in my chest. Something was off.

It was why I couldn"t relax. I had been covertly keeping an eye on Stella as we made our way down the lazy river. My gaze had flickered across the deck, taking in the other passengers. There was no beware vibe coming off of any of them.

Then it happened. My worst nightmare come true. The reason I hadn"t fully closed my eyes. Stella"s body stiffened.

My claws extended immediately. I bared my teeth. A non-predatory boy that had been playing near me scurried away. Ignoring the kid, I held my ground. Stella wasn"t in danger. Not from anything external, anyway.

I knew the signs. The tension in her body. The glaze over her eyes. The part of her lips. She could"ve been Dion at that moment. The two had so much in common.

I always blocked Dion from others" view when he was having a vision. My instinct was to run to Stella. To gather her in my arms. To have her confide in me. But that would only get me three steps back to where we had been. Back to her falsely believing I was her fated mate. This woman would have a crown on her head. She would have jewels to drown in. She would have the very best, and that wasn"t me.

Stella wasn"t in danger on the other side of the boat. There was no immediate threat at present. So I held my position. That was until the vision loosened its hold on her.

The color drained from her face. Her eyes widened in unmistakable terror. She exhaled a shaky breath, and I tasted the bitter tang of fear.

The panther took over. It cut through the distance with swift, predatory efficiency. The deck beneath my feet might as well have been the underbrush of a dense jungle for how quickly I moved, every muscle coiled and ready to strike at whatever threat had managed to instill that kind of fear in her.

My hand shot out, gripping the fairy"s slender wrist with a force that was probably more than necessary. The fairy"s cry of pain barely registered in my consciousness. My focus narrowed to Stella, to the pallor of her face and the tremble in her limbs.

"Stella, I"m here. I"ve got you."

I did have her. My hand went to her cheek, cupping her chin and brushing a thumb over her trembling lip. My other arm wrapped tightly around her, pulling her body against mine. I heard a click like the cock of a gun or sluicing sound a blade made coming out of its sheath. But it was neither of those weapons. It was the sound of Stella"s body fitting perfectly against mine.

"Stella, look at me."

My voice was a low rumble, barely concealing the turmoil of emotions that raged within me. Her eyes, wide and haunted, slowly focused on mine. I saw the terror that gripped her soul.

"Oz?"

"Yes, it"s me. You"re safe. You"re safe with me."

Breathing in deeply, I inhaled her scent, a soothing balm to the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Stella placed her hands over my heart. It beat fiercely beneath her touch. Man and panther belonged to her, heart and soul. She owned every part of me, and I was willingly hers to command. She need only unleash me to dispatch whoever, whatever had upset her.

A gasp escaped her lips. Her gaze shifted from me to something over my shoulder. Instinctively, my body tensed, ready to confront whatever threat had caused that reaction in her. Turning swiftly, my eyes landed on the crumpled form of the fairy, lying in a heap on the deck. Her gaze was fixed on me, wide eyes filled with a fear that mirrored Stella"s.

"Did she hurt you?" It came out as a growl.

"No, she…" Stella pressed her lips together, not letting the rest of the words out.

The fairy crab walked away from us. I corralled Stella into a corner of the boat. Everyone gave us a wide berth. Only the occasional spray of the water dared break into our privacy.

"What did you see?"

"She"s going to die."

"Who? The fairy?" Relief flooded through me. I didn"t care about the fairy. Call me callous, but that skinny frond wasn"t my responsibility. She wasn"t my world.

"And you…"

"Me?"

Had Stella seen my death? It wouldn"t bother me as long as she was safe when I died.

"You turned your back on me."

"Never."

"I saw it," she insisted.

"Not possible."

"No? Is that why you"ve been avoiding me? Keeping your distance from me?"

I choked on my words and swallowed hard. I had the woman of the dreams I'd never dared to dream of in my arms—and I choked. I didn"t tell her that I'd never taken my eyes off her the whole time we"ve been on this putrid river. I didn"t tell her that I saw the changes she made to her eyeliner and how it brightened her eyes. I didn"t tell her that her lip gloss had worn off and it made me want to kiss the rest away.

Avoiding? Distance? It was the furthest thing from the truth.

"I know how men are. They cheat. It's just a fact of life." Stella"s voice wavered, but her eyes were resolute. "I"m not like that. I"m loyal. I"m a one-man woman."

Even though her eyes were resolute, I saw the slight wince before she continued. I heard the hitch in her breath as she pushed the words out. I felt the curl of her fingertips as they tried not to clutch at the fabric covering my chest.

"I can share you with others as long as I have your heart. Deal?"

The words struck me like a physical blow. The idea of her settling for anything less than she deserved, of her sharing me with others because of some misplaced belief about men and loyalty, it was unbearable. And then I thought of Dion.

Dion and his voracious appetite. Dion and the women piled in his bed each night. Dion who sent me to fetch his fated mate while he went off to bed another.

"Deal?" Stella pressed.

"No!"

She closed her eyes. I felt the tears pricking at the corners like they were my own. I felt my throat constrict as she swallowed down the lump that had formed in hers. I placed my hands over hers, pressing them into my chest as my heart stopped beating for one, two beats.

"No," I said softly. "No," I said, pulling her closer. "You should never have to share your heart with anyone."

"I won"t."

She looked up at me. That golden gaze was dull at the edges as she made her request. My heart raced as I pressed her hands firmly against my chest. I knew the moment I lost her touch, I"d be lost.

"I won"t say this again," I said. "You do not dim that light inside of you for anyone. Do you hear me?"

She nodded, but her head wobbled.

"You are worth more than anyone on this godsforsaken world. You"re worth more than all the gold in the palace. It pales next to you. Nothing is worth a single one of your tears."

The intensity of the moment hung between us, a tangible force that pushed the sounds and smells of the river to the background. I saw the conflict in Stella"s eyes, the fear of being hurt again warring with her desire to believe in what could be. I swore I would gut Ken if ever I caught him in my sights again. Dion was now on my hit list if he didn"t treat this goddess right.

"You have my heart, Stella. Sole possession of it for as long as it beats. And my loyalty. I would die for you."

"I don't want you to die. I want you to live. I want us to be together. Just the two of us." Stella glanced at my lips, her desires clear as the setting sun"s rays on the murky waters.

I stood there, wrestling with a desire so strong it threatened to consume me whole. Kissing Stella was not only in direct contrast to my protection duties, it was a betrayal to my king, my best friend. I had said I was willing to die for her. As our faces drew dangerously close, I knew this would be the end of me.

The air crackled with a tension that was thick with unvoiced yearnings. There was an electric current that pulsed between us, urging us closer. We were inches apart, the space dwindling to nothing, our breaths mingling in the nearly nonexistent distance that remained. Anticipation wound tight within me, a coiled spring ready to snap, propelling us into the inevitability of our lips meeting.

I felt the warmth of her breath against my skin. Her fingers snaked around my neck, beckoning me closer. Her very presence was a siren call, enveloping me, drawing me in with an invisible thread that tugged at the core of my being. But if she was a siren, I was the snake offering the apple.

Every rational thought, every duty and obligation, faded into the background. The only truth that mattered, the only force that held any sway over me, was the pull I felt toward Stella. It was a pull I was powerless to resist, even if it meant facing the wrath of my king and the ruin of my own honor. I knew with a bone-deep certainty that no matter the consequences, this was my choice. Stella was my choice.

Her lips met mine, and I felt… nothing.

No, not nothing. A jolt ran through me. The electric shock seized my body. I couldn"t move. Not a muscle, not an eyelash. Man and wolf alike had seized up. All because I"d chosen my will over my king"s.

But as dark figures swarmed onto the boat, I realized this wasn"t my conscious playing guilt tricks on me. This was an invasion.