Kacie
“Would you consider sharing him?” She asks. Before I know what I’m doing I’ve lunged over the table, hopped onto Clara’s table, my hands are wrapped around her neck, and a loud snarl fills the room.
Clara stares up at me, unafraid, her eyes lock with mine. I hate how calm she is, how okay all of this is for her. How could she? How dare she. Athena’s taken control of me, and even though I know acting this way isn’t right, I don’t fight her for control.
I want to make her fear me. I want to make her bleed. I want her to hurt as I hurt. Arms wrap around my waist and we turn to our mate.
“You dare?” She growls at Viktor. Her hands remain on Clara, she thinks he’s protecting Clara.
His eyes search her eyes, “Wolf, please give your human part control.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t, she isn’t,” she says. Strong, she says mentally.
“Remove your hand’s, wolf, or I’ll remove them for you,” Clara says nonchalantly. The air around us turns cold, icy. Something isn’t right.
“Bitch,” Athena seethes.
A noise behind us, lets us know that Viktor is making his way to us.“We’re talking, Kacie needs to be here for this,” Viktor says pulling us into his arms.
Athena whimpers before facing him, her hands let go of Clara and she turns to face him. Looking through Athena’s point of view, I feel her loyalty, I feel her yearning for him. I feel her love for him.
The thought of sharing him is out of the question. She won’t stand for it, she’ll kill Clara before she’d let him go to her. Viktor’s hand comes down and caresses her cheek distracting her from her thoughts.
“Please give me Kacie.”
She stares at him a little longer before she withdraws and pushes me forward. She slides to the back of my mind, her tail tucked. Her heart bleeding.
“What do you mean by ‘sharing’?” I ask Clara as I take a seat. Her eyes twinkle and I fight the need to gulp. She didn’t so much as blink when Athena’s hands wrapped around her throat.
Leaning forward Clara puts her elbows on the table and wraps her hand around the other. The coldness withdraws.
“Everything that it implies. He’s your mate but he’s also my destined. There’s nothing wrong with me spending time with him. I have the option to reject him but I would like the chance to get to know him first. Unlike wolves who can get a second chance mate, witches don’t get a second chance.”
The confusion must be clear on my face, “It’s Viktor or no one else for me.”
“I still don’t trust you. How do we know you don’t have some other motive for being here?” I ask her.
“What would wolves have that would make me come out of hiding? It’s dangerous for me to even be here. Why would I put myself in danger if not,” she turns to Viktor, “to find and be with my destined?”
Viktor shifts uncomfortably.
“Just as you two were made for each other, Viktor and I, were made for each other,” she says. When I look at Viktor, he’s staring at her, uncertainty in his gaze.
I bite my lip and taste blood.
I hate this but…. “If he’s meant to be ours, he won’t go anywhere,” I tell Athena.
I’m met with silence.
“Okay. I’ll give you three weeks. You two can plan… dates… where you can get the chance to talk… get the chance to get to know each other,” I say. For the first time tonight, I’ve shocked her. I don’t miss the way her eyes widen at my words and I sure as hell don’t miss the way her eyes linger on Viktor.
His grip on my thigh tightens.
“But when those three weeks are done, you both will need to decide on whether you stay or if you two reject each other,” I say, successful at keeping the pain out of my voice.
Clara nods.
“When does this start?” She asks.
“It can start tomorrow if you want. Three weeks, the two of you will have three weeks.” I fold my hands under the table, my nails dig into my hand. I will my breathing slow down before I look up at Viktor.
“Does that sound okay?” I ask him quietly.
He hasn’t said much doing this meeting. A big part of me wants to ask what he’s thinking, what he’s feeling but another part of me doesn’t want to know anything. I don’t want to know if she makes his heart beat faster. Doesn’t want to know if she affects him.
Viktor just nods and I feel my heart break a little because he didn’t say no. I don’t know if I can take this for much longer. I need to get out of here. I need fresh air. I need to breathe. I need… I need to run.
“Are there any rules?” Clara asks cautiously.
I shake my head. “No, Clara. There are no rules to attraction. Talk to him, set dates, set a schedule. Get to know Viktor, search your soul fervently, so you can know without a shadow of a doubt if you love him or not.”
“Do I get any nights with him?” She asks and I can feel my heart shatter. My stomach drops to my feet and I want to curl into a ball. I want to disappear.
Instead, I hold my head up high and stare at her. “You have three weeks,” I said before standing.
Before she can ask another question, I need to get out of here. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I need a break from… all of this,” I almost cry. Viktor’s hand wraps around my waist and he pulls me close, his face pressed against my torso.
“I need to go,” I plead. He looks up at me before his hands drop to his sides. I don’t look at Clara as I leave the room.