Echoes of Fire (The Mercury Pack #4)(15)

Bracken wanted to deny her statement, but he couldn’t—especially since he’d only followed her into the house because she’d been in pain. “Why does that have to mean it wouldn’t ever have happened? You saw the mark on your neck, Madisyn. It’s not exactly subtle, is it? I’ve never branded a female before. Not even once. What does that tell you?”

Her eyes flared, and she pointed sharply at the bite. “That is not a brand. Branding someone is an act of possessiveness. A temporary claim. A message to others to keep their distance. You didn’t have that in mind when you bit me. It was a lapse in control. An accident. Things were intense. They . . . got out of hand.”

“‘Intense.’ That’s a good word for it. Maybe another would be ‘inevitable.’ Look, I won’t lie and say I’m sure we’d have eventually gotten together at some point if we hadn’t sensed the bond, but I also can’t say that we wouldn’t. Can you be sure of either of those things?”

“No, but—”

“Then stop running, Madisyn.” He backed her against the counter and put a hand on either side of her, caging her in. “You’re no coward. Which is a good thing, because you’re in for a rough ride.” He honestly felt sorry for her.

She blinked, unsure if he meant that in a sexual sense. Her libido sure hoped so. “Excuse me?”

“Look at me, Madisyn. Take a good long look. I’m a fucking wreck. Barely functioning. How do you think I’ll handle having a mate? I’ll tell you.” He leaned forward, pressing his body against hers. “I’ll want everything from you. Actually, that’s a lie. I’ll demand it. Take it. Possess you. Own you. Be more overprotective than you can tolerate, because I’ll be totally fucking paranoid that you’ll be taken from me.”

“Bracken—”

“It’s not pointless paranoia. The extremists would likely target anyone who means something to me. That’s going to play on my mind night and day. You’ll never get a minute’s peace, baby—I’ll be up in your space twenty-four/seven one way or another. If I’m not with you, I’ll need to know where you are. Need it, Madisyn, because I won’t otherwise function. Now tell me you can easily handle all that. Lie to me, and tell me I’m not totally fucked up.”

Madisyn winced. The self-loathing in his voice was painful to hear.

“I should let you go, I know that. But I can’t. I’ll drown without you, Madisyn. I’ve been on a downward spiral for a long time. You’re the only thing that can pull me back up.” When she lowered her head, he said, “Hey, look at me.” She took a deep breath and then lifted her gaze to his. “I’m not walking away,” he told her, which sounded more like a threat than the firm statement he’d intended. “Wouldn’t even if I could. There’s nothing in this world more important to me than you.”

She gave him a bitter smile. “But that’s not because I’m me. It’s because fate says we should be together. And like I’ve already said, that’s not enough to make a mating work. It’s not enough for me.”

“I can’t claim to love you, Madisyn, just as you can’t say the same to me. We don’t know each other well, but that’s something we’ll fix. As things stand, I like you. I respect you. I admire your strength—it’s like a drug to my wolf. And I want to fuck you into oblivion. Not exactly a romantic declaration, but it’s the truth. The rest will come in time.”

“You sound sure of that.”

“I am.” He feathered kisses over the grazes on her cheek, silently promising that the sows would pay for making her bleed. “Fate didn’t just pair us up like a meddling matchmaker. Your soul is the other half of mine, just as mine is the other half of yours. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. So yeah, I’m positive that we’ll fit just fine. But we won’t know for certain if you don’t give this a chance.” His eyes dropped to his brand on her neck, and he breezed his thumb over it. “You can do that much, can’t you?”

Madisyn shoved her hand into her hair, overwhelmed and still very much in shock. “I need some space to think.”

He snorted, amused. “I’m sure you do, but it’s not something I’ll be able to give you much of.”

Her cat bristled, and Madisyn felt her eyelid twitch. “Don’t think you’ll get to walk all over me.”

“Oh, I know you won’t let me get away with that shit.” The thought made Bracken smile. He caught her face with his hands. “Kiss me, Madisyn.”

“I need space—”

“And you’ll get it.” For a few hours anyway. “I’m leaving right now. But I want a kiss first.”

“You want a lot of things from me.”

He shook his head. “No, baby. I want everything.” And then he swooped in and took her mouth, feasting and devastating. Her taste burst on his tongue—it was so fucking sweet, so utterly addictive, and the little hint of something wild there only made it more potent. She gave as good as she got—wouldn’t be Madisyn if she didn’t—but there was a hesitancy there that he didn’t like.

Snarling, he splayed his hand on her throat and gave it a little squeeze. Her eyes snapped open and blazed fire at him. “Don’t fight me,” he said. “You have no idea how hard it is to battle the instinct to deepen that brand on your neck and make it a claiming mark.” When she stiffened, he quickly added, “I’m not going to do that. Not yet.” Because he got where she was coming from. He’d be happy to make his claim and let the rest play out as they got to know each other. But if Madisyn needed things to happen the other way around so no doubts ever sat between them, then fine.