I wrapped one arm around her so she could see the pinky finger I held up.
“Fucking hell, Ezra.”
My little finger wiggled again. “You have to mean it. You remember what happened the last time you broke a pinky promise.”
There was heat in that warning. I desperately wanted her to misbehave. Spanking her was the highlight of my summer so far and, dammit, I was just waiting for her to give me a reason to do it again.The catch in her breathing told me she remembered, too, and maybe was just as excited as I was to see if I’d follow through.
Her delicate finger wrapped around mine. It might as well have been her whole hand around my cock, that’s how good it felt. I backed away several steps to give us both breathing room. This conversation was going to get more volatile before it was over.
Rani slowly turned around, her hands braced on the counter behind her in a fierce grip. Her face was flushed, and her eyes rippled like a molten pool, but her fury was in check. She wasn’t going to break her promise. Bummer.
“Things are different now that you know,” I started. “Our laws state that you’remyresponsibility above all others; that includes your parents, your faction leaders, and even the tribunal.”
“How completely archaic.”
She had no idea.
“It’s my responsibility to protect you and teach you all that you need to navigate our world. Our laws, our government… the dangers that you now face.” She rolled her eyes, but I set my expression into a firm scowl. “There’s nothing I take more seriously than your safety, Rani.Nothing. So, some things are going to have to change.”
Those eyes narrowed, each becoming an arrow she’d like nothing more than to fire at my face. “What kind of things?”
This is where it was going to get complicated. I knew her trauma, respected what she’d been through, but we were running out of time. The tribunal was coming, and she needed to be trained, or at the very least ready to flee, as soon as possible. That meant we had months at best—weeks at worst—to somehow get her ass into that ocean. Escaping that way would be the last possible resort, but the one place the tribunal’s hunters couldn’t follow her.
“For one, I’m going to oversee your training from now on. All of it. Cova will leave me some notes to reference, but it's clear that working with him is a waste of time. You react better to me.”
I smirked, she didn’t. It was another benefit of the bond, that inherent trust.
“We’re going to resume physical training in the mornings, followed by magick practice in the afternoon. Bathtub therapy every evening, and we will eventually graduate to more difficult steps.”
Her body began to tremble as it registered what I meant bymore difficult steps. I felt her racing heart as if it were my own, that bond between us tattling on the emotions she was trying hard to control. Head swiveling back and forth, denial was on the tip of her tongue.
“No,” she swore. “I’ll reject the bond before you can make me. Eryn said I could, that it's not permanent. I can say no.”
I nodded. “That’s all true, but you already tried, which makes me think that you don’t really want to, do you, babe?” She was still shaking her head, but I pushed on. “You want to see where that pull in your chest leads you?” I stepped closer, not caring if she broke her pinky promise and lashed out. “Right here. To me.”
The bond thrummed between us, stretched thin despite how close we were. I was once again within striking range of her fury, and thatwasfury building in her eyes. Poor savage siren, soused to getting her way. I checked in on the bond once more to try and get an idea of how bad this was going to turn.
Rani had gone completely still; in anticipation of finally breaking her pinky promise or to contain her rage, I wasn’t sure. I picked up on mixed waves of arousal and disbelief before they were swept away under outrage and determination.
She relaxed her shoulders and her grip on the counter, letting her arms fall loosely at her sides. Her chin dipped, losing that stubborn firmness. Even her eyes softened, like she’d given in. Given up.
I didn’t buy it for a second. She was too wily to not be up to something.
“Why do you even care?” she asked quietly. “The bond is forcing you into this responsibility. It’s making you attracted to me, but maybe ifyoudeny it first—”
“Oh, don’t even try it,” I interrupted. “I’ve been obsessed with you long before you got those cute scales on your ass.”
“I donothave scales on my ass!”
I gave a dark chuckle. “Should we check?”
Her scream was a release of frustration that manifested in a roar down the bond. A burst of magick simultaneously shook the foundation of the pool outside and set the waterspout on the refrigerator to leaking. Such a temper. And gods, was it was attractive as fuck. I felt that scheming energy build within her once more, and widened my stance, ready for battle.
“Come on, give it to me,” I dared her. “What’s your next excuse?”
“What?”
“Might as well get them all out of the way now,” I shrugged. “Because nothing is going to deter me from bonding you. Itwillhappen, but as a gentleman, I’m fine with you deciding when.”
