Part 20 (1/2)

”And I don't want you to go, but unless we mate tonight ...”

She shook her head, a tear fell. ”You're nothing like him and this last week has been the best of my life,” her voice caught. ”I'm one hundred percent behind being with you for the foreseeable future. I never thought I would want to live with someone so quickly again but I'm fully behind doing that too.” She sniffed and another tear fell. ”I don't want your family jewels ... okay, not the diamond and gold ones,” she gave a nervous laugh. It held zero humor.

Thunder felt his throat close and his eyes sting.

”This thing between us is already moving so quickly ... too quickly. I can't mate you so soon, it wouldn't be right because I'd be doing it for the wrong reasons. I'd be doing it to stay and not because ...” she shook her head. ”I have strong feelings for you, but I can't be in love with you already. It's not possible. Not after such a short time. I can't do this ... I just can't.”

f.u.c.king h.e.l.l! So this is what a broken heart felt like. He completely understood where she was coming from. After everything she had been through, it was a miracle she'd made it this far this quickly. She had strong feelings for him. He knew she did. If she wasn't all the way there already, she would be soon. It was a d.a.m.n shame. A crying shame.

”Are you sure, female?” Blaze asked. ”There is no going back. If you decide to leave, the two of you may never see each other again. The penalty would be your throne,” Blaze looked him head-on. ”You stay away from this female or you will be banished.”

Thunder hadn't been aware that the penalty was so harsh. It felt like he was drowning without a drop of water in sight. Like his world was collapsing.

”I thought you said you would come for me,” Tammy's eyes were wide and tear-soaked. Her lip quivered.

”I will,” he choked out.

”You will not!” Blaze smashed the table with his fist. ”You would give up everything for a female who won't take a chance on you? She doesn't love you, she said it herself.” It hurt to hear the male say it. ”You would be f.u.c.king crazy. This is how it's going to be, the human will stay the night, at first light ...” Blaze locked eyes with Tammy. Her chest rose and fell in quick succession. ”You will be taken back to your human settlement. Do not try and contact Thunder. If you have any feelings for the male, you will turn him away if he ever goes to you. He is needed here, he has a kingdom to run, heirs to produce. He has family and friends here who do love him. There will be someone in his future who will deserve him and cherish him ... ask me, I know.” Blaze clasped a hand over Thunder's wrist. Thunder's first instinct was to pull away. To punch the male, but he couldn't do it on both counts. Blaze had tried. The male had been willing to bend the rules. To bend them so hard that they might even be considered broken afterwards. He was trying to show Thunder that he cared even if his methods sucked.

”Don't let him do this,” Tammy was crying openly. Her shoulders shook. ”Please, don't. I'm not ready for marriage but it doesn't mean I don't want to be with you, because I do. You do understand that, don't you? Please understand.” She sounded desperate.

Thunder nodded, his eyes were hurting so d.a.m.ned badly. ”I understand,” his voice sounded funny as well. ”I do.”

”Thunder,” Blaze drew his attention back to him. ”You will also stay in my lair tonight. You are in no state to return to your kingdom and when you do,” he paused, ”you will be watched day and night. Storm can take over your duties for a while. I won't let you f.u.c.k your life up, do you hear me?”

Thunder nodded, he was feeling numb. This wasn't happening.

”You will take place in the next eligible hunt and you will win a female.”

”No!” Tammy gripped his arm, using both of her hands. ”This is crazy! I can't believe this is happening.” She mirrored his feelings in that regard.

”He doesn't have a choice. You made your decision and now you must accept it.”

”I won't!” Tammy shoved her chair back. Within seconds four Fire warriors surrounded them.

”Don't f.u.c.king touch her!” Thunder shot to his feet as well. Two of the males grabbed each of his arms, another wrapped his arms around his chest. ”Blaze!” he yelled. ”Don't let them touch her.”

”I'm sorry,” Blaze paused for a moment, ”it's going to be a long night.” The Fire king shook his head. ”Take him to his chamber,” Blaze commanded the warriors. ”Make sure he stays put.”

Tammy was trying to pull free from the fourth warrior. ”Take her to her chamber,” Blaze addressed the warrior.

”Get your f.u.c.king hands off of her!” Thunder roared.

His female screamed his name, the sound was filled with anguish.

Adrenaline pumped through him and he fought against the three males but together they were too strong for him. They dragged him from the chamber. His female kept screaming for him all the while. The male who was holding her grunted. ”Stop kicking,” he ordered.

”f.u.c.k you!” she screamed, before shouting Thunder's name. Each time she said it, it was like a silver-tipped spear to the heart.

Chapter 22.

There was a knock at the door. Tammy pulled the pillow over her head. It wasn't Thunder and she didn't care about anyone else. She didn't want to see anyone else, so she buried her head even deeper. She went from feeling like an idiot for letting Thunder go, to feeling angry they had been torn apart because of some ancient rule.

The pillow was tugged off of her head and a sympathetic stare greeted her. ”I'm so sorry this happened.”

”I don't really want to talk about it,” her voice broke and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't think it would be possible for a person to cry this much. Tammy rolled onto her side and away from the other woman.

”That's too bad because we are going to talk about it.” Roxy's voice was stern.

Tammy turned back. ”Thank you for your concern, but ...”

Roxy narrowed her eyes. ”I am not here to show my concern or to rub your back and dry your tears.”

Tammy could feel she was frowning. She used the back of her hand to wipe her nose.

”I'm here to kick your a.s.s.” Roxy lifted a hand. ”Not literally.” She looked down at her belly, which was rather large. ”Obviously. I am due pretty much any minute, so I would appreciate it if we kept my stress levels down.”

”Go right ahead,” Tammy snapped. ”Do your worst. There is nothing you could say to make me feel any more s.h.i.+t than I do.”

”You love him. Why couldn't you just admit it?” She took a seat on the edge of the bed.

”It's too soon for that.” Why did these people keep making her repeat it? It was getting annoying.

”You wouldn't be reacting like this,” Roxy made a flourish with her hand, ”completely devastated if you didn't have strong feelings for him.”

”I do have strong feelings for him, but marriage ...” she pushed out a breath. ”We're not ready to take that step.”

”We?” Roxy raised her brows and c.o.c.ked her head. ”Really, Tamara? Are you sure you can speak for him when you say that? Have you even asked him how he feels? Asked him his opinion on all of this.”

”Yes, we agreed on this. We agreed we would take it slow. Thunder has told me more than once that there's no rush.”

”Did he tell you that because it's what he wants or did he say it for your benefit?”

Tammy lifted her eyes in thought. She went over their conversations. ”It may have been more for me, but he was fine with it ... more than fine. What are you trying to get at?” She sat up.

”I can safely say that Thunder is more than ready to mate you.” Roxy rubbed her belly. Her back was straight.

”I know that he would mate me in a heartbeat if it meant keeping me here, but he might regret it.” Her lip quivered so she bit down on it. ”We both might end up regretting it. I don't know him that well yet. He hardly knows me. I would hate it if he regretted the decision. Either one of us for that matter.”

”Would you ever blatantly hurt the guy or cheat on him or ...?”

”No!” Tammy yelled. ”Of course not.” Softer this time. ”What are you trying to get at?”

”You say that he hardly knows you, but I can guarantee that he knows enough. He's a dragon s.h.i.+fter. They know pretty quickly when someone is for them.”

She shook her head. ”He just thinks he knows, but-”