Lycan Contempt, S. Yule [important books to read txt] 📗

trivial. They are hideous, and every woman I’ve been with has left me because of them. You’d do the same.”

“Are you kidding me? You would have the nerve to rank me along with the obvious idiots you’ve dated before me? What a low opinion you have of me.”

“It’s the truth. After a while, you’d grow tired of them.”

“I’m insulted, Kish. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m blind. I’ve had people whispering and staring at me my whole life. And yes, I may be blind, but I can feel them staring at me all the same. I don’t need eyes to know it’s happening. I would never subject someone else to that kind of pain because of a defect. Nor would I be shallow enough to allow my feelings for someone to be tarnished by some scars.”

“You’d get tired of them,” he said resolutely.

“Once you could see the way they stared at me . .

.”

“You really do believe you can restore my sight, don’t you?”

“I told you I can.”

“But to do so, you’d have to change me?”

“Yes.”

“And then what? I’d become a lycan like you and what? Be a booty call or something along with all the other little groupies you’ve changed along the way? Why would you care? You obviously have a low opinion of me and didn’t plan on giving any type of relationship with me a true chance.”

“Georgia.” He took her hands in his. “I can only change those with the scent.”

“The scent?”

“Yes. Females who are destined to become lycan mates have two scents. The main scent and the mated scent. While all lycans can smell the main scent, only the destined mate can smell the mated scent. I detect both on you. You are my mate.”

“Y-your mate?”

“Yes.”

“What you are saying to me is that since I carry this scent, I can be changed at any time by any lycan?” She shivered.

“Yes, but I would never allow that to happen unless you agreed.”

“Oh my God,” she whispered.

“It’s not something you need to worry about. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Not something I need to worry about? Really?

How about if I choose to go back to my normal life tomorrow and forget I ever heard about any of this lycan stuff?”

“You have that choice, but I will always watch over you from now on to keep you safe.”

“What do you mean? I’ve taken care of myself for a long time and nothing has ever happened to me. I’m perfectly capable.”

He smiled. “Yes, you are, but this is different.

There are some of my kind called rogues who do not abide by ancient laws. They believe that any woman who carries the main scent is rightfully theirs.”

She swallowed hard. “As in I could be taken by one of these rogues?”

“Yes, technically, but not now. I won’t let that happen.”

“How am I supposed to deal with this, Kish?

I’ve struggled my whole life to be normal, to overcome my blindness, and now you are telling me I can have my eyesight in exchange for becoming something else that is not normal?”

“It’s normal to me. It’s not the same. A handicap is an impairment, being a lycan is not an impairment. It is something no one but other lycans would ever know about you. You would appear as normal as the next person. There are quite a few advantages to being a lycan.”

“Such as?”

“Healing ability, heightened senses, which I guess would be less impressive to you because you already have them, but not to the degree I have them. Strength, speed, exhilarating freedom from the confines of humanity.” Her hands shook and he covered them with his own. “Don’t be afraid, Georgia.”

“I’m overwhelmed.” She snorted. “I don’t even know why I’m getting so bent out of shape. This is only a dream.”

He leaned close to her ear. “Sort of.”

“What?”

“Mates share a special bond. We can visit one another in our dreams. Everything in our dreams is as close to reality as reality can be. Except if we are harmed in our dreams, that harm doesn’t follow us when we wake. Just like any injuries we may have while awake do not hinder us in our dreams. I know it’s hard to comprehend, but everything we do in our dreams is real on another level. A psychological level we cannot tap into while awake, if you will.”

“Why are you telling me all of this? What does it matter?”

“You are my mate. You deserve to know, and . .

. I love you.”

“You love me, but you have no intention of trusting that I will not turn into some callous bitch in the future and shun you because of some scars?”

His heart ached with each beat. “Deep down I know you aren’t like that, but that voice in my head will always be telling me you will turn out like that.” He rubbed his thumbs over the smooth skin of her hands. “I also told you because I need you to understand that I will always be around to protect you. I need you to accept that.”

“You are asking for my trust, but unwilling to trust me in return. Isn’t that a tad bit hypocritical, Kish?”

He frowned. Yeah, it was, but he didn’t know what else to say.

She sighed and reached slowly for his face. He instinctively took a step back.

“No!” she cried out.

He froze.

“If you expect me to entertain anything you’ve just told me to be the truth, you must show some faith in me. I need to touch you, Kish. I’ve needed to since we met.”

His gut clenched when the tears pooled in her eyes once more. She looked like a goddess sitting on the railing under the bright moonlight with her arms stretched toward him and her white nightgown softly fluttering in the breeze. She seemed ethereal almost, as if she’d fade away under his touch. Too perfect for him.

He had to do this for her, had to prove to her that he didn’t think her a callous bitch that would shun him