Read Online Dark Matter by Christie Rich - Free Book Online

the human realm.”
    His smirk deepened. “So you begin to
see?”
    “ What I see is a group of
people that will not follow their own blasted rules.”
    He chuckled. “That is why Tabitha
started the tournament of lords and the wild hunt. She meant to
appease those of us that do not wish to have an Elemental handed to
us. She is a very wise woman.”
    I nodded. “So why didn’t you just take
my—that woman you claim is my mother from Theran then?”
    He didn’t comment on my near admission,
but his eyes glistened with mischief. “I was going to, but she
became even more withdrawn. That was how I knew something was
deeply wrong with her. She would disappear for days and eventually
had to have a royal guard assigned to keep track of her. I didn’t
see her much after that until the day she came to me and begged me
to get her out of the fae realms.”
    “ Why?”
    He narrowed his eyes at me. “Because
she was pregnant with you.”
    “ You can’t know
that.”
    “ She tried to deny it from
the beginning, giving me an excuse that she missed her family and
wanted to visit for a time, but I knew something was off. I have
always had a deep connection with Alithea. I became increasingly
suspicious when she disappeared right after I took her to see her
sister.”
    “ You see?” I interrupted. I
found myself shivering, so I wrapped my arms around my chest. “It
can’t be the same person. My mom’s name was Sharon Tate. I already
told you. She’s dead.”
    Jett came a few steps nearer but
stopped when I stiffened. “Call her what you want. She is the same
woman.” His eyes became wistful. “A woman I once loved.”
    I kept my gaze locked to his even
though it was rather uncomfortable. “If that’s true, why aren’t you
bound to her? You could have done it. Why did you let her go back
to Theran? Why don’t you just take her now?”
    He shook his head mournfully. “That’s
complicated.”
    “ Stories about love usually
are,” I said flippantly.
    He laughed. The sound was bitter cold.
“She was the first Elemental I allowed myself to want.”
    “ So this is about your
pride?” I accused.
    He shrugged lightly. “Stories about
love usually are.”
    Maybe in his messed up life, but not in
reality. Well, if I was being fair, that wasn’t really true. A
romance could easily turn into a tragedy when pride was involved.
“I won’t let you have me, Jett.”
    He stared at me, his eyes void of
emotion. “It appears you may not have the convenient option others
of your kind enjoy.”
    “ You don’t know that for
sure,” I spat.
    He scoffed lightly. “Neither do you.
You demonize me when you know nothing about me. Would it surprise
you to learn I actually want to give you a choice?”
    What was his angle? He had to have one.
He was too conniving of a person not to. “It might.”
    “ I do not care to spend a
small eternity with you knowing you hate me, Rayla.”
    The sound of my name sent a ripple of
fear through my body. Even though I didn’t like the custom, I
hadn’t heard my name much lately. I waited for the compulsion but
none came.
    Jett sat next to me and took my hand in
his. The edges of our knees touched, but I couldn’t angle myself
any farther away from him.
    I searched his face. “What do you hope
to accomplish with me that you couldn’t with any other
Elemental.”
    He laughed. The sound echoed off the
stone of the castle making it ten times more menacing. “I realize
you have led a sheltered life, little one, but really, you could
not be so naïve.”
    I gritted my teeth. I knew it. “So it
really is all about power for you?”
    He ran a distracting finger slowly over
my wrist. “I may be the only one of my brothers who would admit
this to you freely, but yes.” His gaze shifted to mine. “You
needn’t worry, though. We are compatible. You could be happy with
me if you gave it a chance.”
    “ I’m in love with someone
else,” I said forcefully. Two someone else’s to