My answering snort catches in my throat.
“You don’t understand. People close to me turn to ash.”
“I’m already close to you and I’m already ash,” I snap.
“No, you’re not,” he says, heavily shaking his head.
“I am alive but I’m not living, Sitri.”
“Is that what this is about?” His eyes turn sharper and more severe as he jerks his head toward the Magi’s unconscious body. “Living?” he asks, mockingly.
He’s too distractingly close, fingers warm against my chin. I grab his wrist with the intention of yanking him off of me but once I feel that contact my skin against his I can’t bring myself to pull away. I do the next best thing and dig my nails in. His pupils expand, instead of appearing annoyed he looks…affected.“What do you care?”
His eyes bulge. “Really, Pandora? Of course, I fucking care,” he snarls, voice echoing through the otherwise silent clearing.
“Careful, Sitri, someone might hear you.”
He stiffens, tossing a paranoid look around the clearing and I snort again.
“Do you know why I said it was obvious that he didn’t know who you were?”
“Because I’m a nought,” I spit. I pull back finally finding the will to release him with the dash of anger.
He swiftly flips his arm so it’s my hand captured in his grip. I yank, and he gives me a firm tug, wrenching my arm up over my head.
“No.” There’s an edge to his voice that makes my heart skitter in my chest. I let out a grunt, struggling to wrestle free and his grip tightens painfully around my wrist.
His expression darkens as he leans forward. “Becauseno onewould knowingly fuck withwhat’s—mine,” he says, those last two words coming out in a venomous rage.
The utter audacity of that statement leaves me in a gaping fury. “I am not—just because—you don’t get to claim me—“
“You—are—mine,” he snarls. “You were givento me.”
He can’t be…serious and yet his face isdeadlyserious. Another humorless and indignant laugh escapes me. “You’re a lunatic and you didn’t even want me. I’m not yourpossession. I’m not yourpetand I’m not in any wayyours!”
“Really?” he asks, all arrogance.
“Let go of me,” I snap, trying to wrestle free once more. He reels me in even closer. I lodge my other fist at him and he catches it and strings it up over my head too. I let out a startled yelp as he yanks, hauling my body flush against his. I buck my hips forward and freeze when I feel his erection, sharp like a blade prodding my belly.
It’s the perfect weapon, the only one that could bring me down, igniting like a fire in my body. I’m so aroused I feel mad with it. We’re both rigid and then he moves, his grip loosening as his thumb draws slow circles over my wrist. The sensation echoes between my thighs. I collapse forward, angrily smashing my face into the hollow of his chest. Resting against his large powerful, warm body, as I breathe him in with a small groan.
I can’t fucking help myself.
I feel each rise and swell of his chest against my face as my breasts expand and sink against his abdomen.
His mouth finds the top of my head, breaths puffing against my hair as he leans down to find my ear. “Is this what you want?” His voice is low, hypnotic but there’s still an edge of taunting that leaves me afraid to answer. “Is thisliving, Pandora?”
I thrust my hips forward, drawing a hoarse grunt as I mold my body around his shape, lifting one knee to slide it over his leg. “Answer me, pet.”
“Yes,” I gasp out.
His lips coast over the crown of my ear, hot breaths sending shivers down my spine. “You’relivingbecause ofme, Pandora. You exist becauseIhave kept you alive. Whether you want to believe it or not, everything I do is in order tokeep you living.”My body tenses as the tone of his words morph, each speared with careful precision. I inch my hands back and he binds them like vices.
“But if you would like to keep--other--people--living,” he hisses. “I suggestnot—repeating—this.Because if you ever let someone touch you like that again, next time,I’ll—fucking—kill—him.”
He releases me and steps back so abruptly it sends me stumbling forward. I catch my footing and whip around. “You’re insane,” I gasp out. “You’reactuallyfucking insane.”
It’s the blazing smugness flashing in his eyes that has the full weight of the trap I just fell into washing over me like a cold breeze.
