Read Darkyn's Mate (#3, Rhyn Eternal) for Free Online

you,” she cried. “Tell
me what you want or just leave me alone!
    “I did. I want you to accept that you belong
here, and I want to hear the words.”
    “What words?”
    “The ones where you tell me you’re
mine.”
    She shook her head.
    “You’ve started to admit the truth to
yourself,” he added. “I want to hear it out loud.”
    “If I say the words you want, are you
manipulating me into this bond, the same way you did to get me into
Hell?” she demanded.
    “You’re mine either way.”
    “No, I’m not. I’m Gabriel’s,” she
retorted.
    Darkyn gave a slow smile. “How certain are
you?”
    “I’ll never say those fucking words, and
I’ll never be blood bound!”
    “My bet is that you will do both before the
hourglass runs out.”
    “I’m not about to be tricked into another
bond or whatever it is you’re trying to trick me into,” she
replied.
    “No tricks,” he said. “How about this. A
private deal, just between us. If we become blood bound, you say
the words.”
    “If we don’t?”
    “You don’t,” he said with a shrug.
    “What about the unwritten terms?”
    “None. Simple deal.”
    She studied him. She’d never let him blood
bind her, but he wasn’t someone who took no for an answer, even if
it was allegedly voluntary. Double-bound, though, meant she was
fucked as far as Gabriel.
    “I’m not playing your game,” she said and
turned away again. Her body was trembling. She didn’t know why,
couldn’t get control of either her emotions or the hunger in her
blood. They left her beyond confused, terrified and certain she
didn’t want anything to do with Darkyn right now.
    “You know I’m right. You know Past-Death
will stop at nothing to get what she wants,” Darkyn said. “I
foresee you winning your deal. I also foresee Gabriel refusing to
kill her. He cannot. She’s his mate by Immortal laws, and we both
know how seriously he takes his duty. He will protect her, as is
his obligation. No one will challenge Death to kill her. Which
leaves you here. With me. For eternity. My informal deal is one
week. At the end of it, if you’ve not bound yourself to me, then
the deal expires. We can spend eternity together and you never say
the words.”
    Darkyn was right. She knew Gabriel. He’d
sworn to protect her, even while pushing her away. He followed the
laws. She found no flaws in Darkyn’s logic, which only made her
despair soar.
    “Are the words part of the blood binding
rite?” she asked. She was almost ready to say whatever he wanted to
get rid of him. Her world was crushing her; she needed to be
alone.
    “No.”
    “It must be voluntary?”
    “On both our parts.”
    “Why are the words so important? Me being
your mate isn’t enough?” she guessed. “You want complete
surrender.”
    “You did that last night, no matter what you
choose to remember.” The husky laugh made her stomach flutter.
“Mentally, you are holding out. I spent my life at battle. There is
no such thing as half a victory. I won’t let you think there’s a
chance this isn’t real or permanent.”
    “So, that’s it?” she asked.
    “That’s it. Private deal. One week.”
    The idea that it bothered him enough to
provoke a deal made her brow furrow. All she had to do was make it
a week without agreeing to the blood binding. There had to be a
catch with Darkyn’s deal. She didn’t see it, though, unless he
intended to force her to do it, in which case, she was fucked
anyway. The words would mean nothing to her at that point.
    “Fine,” she said, at the end of her rope
with him. “Will you leave me alone now? Please.”
    “Not quite. I came to feed as well.”
    Deidre heard him approach from behind. She
tensed, waiting for the flip to switch and him to grab her. He
touched her, trailing his hands down her arms. Her body responded
to him in a way that made her angrier. He nudged her head to the
side to reach her neck, and she pushed back, refusing.
    His hands on her arms made her body