Quinn
Those boundless eyes, a lazy lopsided smile, and a cat-like squint. A beautiful savage vampire had just proclaimed his undying love. And yet her lungs seemed to compress. A dispel of air rushed out from a sudden confession. A confession that seemed to come from another place, another time, not in a world where Omegas hated Alphas. Not in a world where death was at the end of every path.
Insanity.
In her world, she would be flattered, giggly from alcohol padding through her veins, possibly deeply in love. But here? Her body could only freeze—cold flooding all over, a stuttered breath, a sinking feeling of horror. A jail cell was enclosed around her figure.
He must be lying.
Everyone lies.
Quinn laughed, laughed like it was a fucking joke, laughed because he couldn't be serious, laughed because she was scared. She couldn't afford to believe anything they said, even if Icarus did seem to care. "Don't," she choked out, wiping tears. "Please."
"I'm serious." His eyes were hard now, a stony sapphire that had turned almost obsidian. His face was pinched into rage. She'd seen how his expression had fallen. And cruelly, she'd relished in his destruction. "I'm fucking serious."
"Be honest with me," she murmured, shaking her head.
"I'm being fucking honest!" His expression was stormy, jaw clenched tight, tension thick in his veins.
"Would you like me to tell you why this wouldn't work?" She raised her brow, and he looked away, nostrils flaring, cheeks hot with shame. And Quinn sighed. Damage control was essential. "I'm flattered, thank you."
"I don't want your fucking thanks." His embarrassment bounced through him and the vampire pulled back.
"Icarus." She stopped him, a hand on his wrist. "You have six mates."
"I know." He twitched, fangs showing. "So what?"
"You can't give them all up for me, and you won't. Why would you? The risks would outweigh the benefits. You wouldn't do this just because you love me. You're not a romantic like that. You've always been calculative, logical."
"Maybe I am a goddamn romantic," he butted in hotly. And he pulled her closer, eyes locking with hers, voice dipping into a low, angry snarl. The heat of his body grew, enveloping her, consuming her. "Do you know what it takes to run a rebellion while under Euodia's lock and key? To conquer a world meant for women. To live a life yearning for the tyrant that murdered my people because of a goddamn fucking spell?"
"You knew what you were doing," she answered, fear suddenly twisting through her veins, panic lacing her voice at his words.
"I risked everything for love, for my mates, and I can do it again for you," Icarus murmured, his fury roaring in his eyes. "My life was always at stake. I trust my heart. And I'm telling you now, my heart wants you." His voice was growing in pitch now, desperation suddenly twisting in his throat, a choked-out whimper.
"Keep it," she said, the first to pull away. "Be happy with your men."
"What the fuck—"
"Don't be fucking stupid," she told him, her rage spiking, anger twisting from her throat. Her fury was molten hot, swirling between them. "You don't understand what it was like to be convicted for things I didn't do." And then the lump in her throat was there, a sour vinegar that flooded her tongue. "To be treated like a criminal when all I've ever wanted was to be left alone." Her voice trembled, tears burning at the back of her eyes. "Icarus, I've lived my whole life under the feet of Omegas. I don't want to be chained like that, not even to you."
A chagrined scoff rippled from his tongue. "I just said I love you. Is that not enough? Quinn, you're breaking my goddamn heart." Breaking his heart? God, that had her so fucking mad she almost wanted to spit in his face. Quinn had worse things to worry about, things that were beyond the realm of emotions, of simple crushes, of romance.
"Zen wanted a fucking ring on my finger, and look where he is right now," her smile grew. "I don't fear you all, not anymore. Not after everything. I'm at rock fucking bottom. There's nowhere else to go. But I'd rather die than give my heart to you." Her eyes were glazed, all wet, breath escaping in heavy pants. "It'll be the last thing I'll ever do. It's the only thing I can fucking control. My feelings, they are for me."
"Leave," his voice was hard, too soft, too angry. The words had her startled, had her frozen on the bed. She knew it, she knew that he would be like this. And yet it hurt to have him say it to her. "You've wasted an opportunity to be protected, to have an ally."
"If you see it like that," her answer was sharp, biting, angry. She lashed out with a snarl. "Was it even love?" His breathing was hard then. Her words seemed to have him silenced, and he stared at her, blinking, squinting. A strange look ghosted over his face. "Thought so. You'll only use me. You wanted to keep me in check, didn't you?" Her smile grew. "You wanted to protect Elysian."
"Quinn," he ran fingers through his hair. "The confession was real." And it was odd that his lower lip trembled, that his eyes shifted, almost as if confused. His voice quaked, shaking, a nervous swallow. "I didn't lie."
"Then keep them to yourself." She stood going for the door, something seemed to dislodge in her chest, a crevice forming with the absence of her mate. She could almost feel her soul howling for touch, for love, for her fake mate. And yet she had to refuse what must be fire and death. "I'll pretend this conversation never happened."
He snatched at her wrist, dragging her back. And Quinn fell tumbling, head on his lap, eyes to his face, chest all warm. She looked at him now, stared at the sudden rush of vulnerability in lilac eyes, the quivering dance of pupils as his brows knotted upwards into a strange look of twisted despair.
"Let me go," she hissed.
"I fucked it up," he admitted.
"Icarus—"
"Please listen."