Beyond(40)

I ignore the pain that flashes across his expression. “Baby listen…”

“No.”

I let the pain seep through that one word.

I was hurt.

He kept things from me, he kept protecting a woman that wasn’t me. Did he even want me? Was it just because of my position? Because of my father? Did he still care for Jordan?

I didn’t know.

Let him go have wild, crazy sex with his ex.

I need time to think about everything.





Chapter Twenty-One


I’m lying in Sam’s bed, feeling sorry for myself when Dane storms in.

“I need a moment,” he says to Sam, who glances at me for my approval. I nod, and Sam leaves, closing the door behind him. Dane sits down on the bed, his elbows resting on his knees.

“When I first came to the castle,” he says. “I saw you. You were young, beautiful. Like a princess. Long blonde hair, an innocent expression. Sheltered. You had no idea what was going on in these walls or outside of them. When your dad mentioned he wanted to marry you to Finn, I knew I couldn’t let that happen.”

My eyes widen. Finn was an older man, about forty-five who died last year. Dad wanted me to marry him? He was so old!

“Exactly,” Dane murmurs, looking at me. “Finn was old enough to be your father. There was something wrong with that. I didn’t like it. I knew Evan was superstitious, so I decided to casually mention something. A prophecy I was told about. I made it sound like you could only be married in your twenty-first year, and your first born son would save humanity.”

I gasp. “You made up the prophecy?”

He winces. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

My lip twitches slightly. “You saved me from marrying that old fart, and in return, years later, I chose you to marry me.”

“I know,” he replies, smirking. “Ironic isn’t it? I set up my own future my saving you from him. I wouldn’t have it any other way though. It just proves that you were meant for me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugs. “It didn’t cross my mind, I guess. I never meant to keep it from you. I’d never intentionally hurt you Olivia.”

My face falls as I remember what I’d overheard about Jordan. “She knows you’re married and she tried to kiss you. And you never told me Dane. How am I supposed to trust you if you don’t tell me things?”

“I didn’t want you upset,” he sighs. “I made a mistake. I f*cked up. I should have told you the moment it happened, but I didn’t. I didn’t like her hands on me Olivia. I told her to leave me alone.”

“It hurt to hear those things,” I reply softly. “You know I didn’t like the way she was acting around you. And you kept standing up for her.”

“I wasn’t standing up for her,” he says, shaking his head. “I’m always on your side. Always. You’re strong Olivia, but she’s not.”

He cups my cheeks gently, and I can’t help it, I tilt my face closer to him automatically. “I couldn’t leave her out there, no matter what. I couldn’t have that on my conscience. And I made it clear that I was taken, and happily so. I’m f*ckin’ obsessed with you Olivia. I don’t even want to look at anyone else.”

“I don’t want to have to worry about what you’re doing when I’m not with you. Trust is everything Dane.”

He swallows. “I know. She means nothing to me, I guess that’s why it doesn’t bother me when she’s around. But if a man was like that with you, I’d want to kill him, so I understand.”

“I don’t like her and that sucks because she’s now one of my people,” I say, throwing my arm over my eyes. “She disrespected me by trying to touch you.”

His hand touches my thigh. “Stop being angry baby.”

“I’m staying here tonight,” I announce. “I just want to be alone.”

His face falls.

“You mean you just want to be away from me,” he replies in a dry tone. “My mother always told me that when I got married, to never let my wife go to bed angry. Besides, I don’t want to sleep without you.”

Dane rarely mentions his parents so I’m surprised by him bringing his mother up. I know that they died when the virus first hit our country.

“Dane--”

“Let me hold you,” he says quietly. “Please.”

It’s the please that gets me.

“Okay,” I whisper.

He carries me in his arms like a bride, and walks back to our room.

When he holds me close against his body, he whispers, “I love you and only you. I only see you. I only feel you. I could search the whole f*ckin’ world and there would be no one else for me.”

“Dane--”

“You have no reason to worry about me in that way Olivia,” he says. “I don’t think a man ever loved a woman as much as I do you.”

He really made it hard to be angry at him, didn’t he?

“I’ll handle her,” I say, strength in my tone. “And you don’t step in.”

He kisses my temple. “You’re missing the point here baby. I don’t care for her any more than I care for any other woman in this castle, okay? But yes, whatever you want.”