He wasn’t really trying to kill me. He wouldn’t. Hell, I wasn’t entirely sure he even could. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that, but the longer he held me down, the more my need to survive drowned out any kind of logic or reason.
He leaned down until his face was inches from mine. The amber rings in his eyes exploded to life. “Do you feel the threat now?” he growled.
Fuck me.I’d forgotten how intimidating he could be. Goosebumps sprang up all over my body, but instead of cowering back or nodding, power surged inside me, and along with it came a kind of fury that demanded action.
“Almost there,” he said.
A strange sound vibrated from my chest in response to his voice. The need to get him off me clawed at my insides, but the fucker would not relent. I closed my eyes and thrashed against him, but for as strong as I’d grown, I was still no match for him.
“Open your eyes, Never.” The command in his voice was like throwing fuel on a fire.
My eyes snapped open and my need to protect myself fell away. What replaced it was a bone-deep desire for violence. Istopped digging at his wrist and struck out, catching him in the jaw with my right fist and scratching at his throat with my other hand.
“There it is,” he snarled. Blood dripped down his neck as his grip disappeared and he hauled himself off me.
I was on my feet a second later, gasping and gagging even as I threw myself at him, intent on destruction. He flashed away before I could get my hands on him and I whirled, frustration rumbling out of me.
“Breathe, Never,” he said.
A growl that felt like it started in my toes vibrated my chest. It was the only response I could manage because the emotions roaring through me were too strong.
Violence. Blood. Destruction.
That was all the beast inside me wanted.
I lunged and he flashed away again. I spun, emitting an inhuman howl as I did.
“Come on, love. You can do this,” he said. “I need you to breathe. Deep breath in.”
I was panting, humming with unleashed power, but I also heard what he was saying despite the primitive part of my brain trying to drown it out. With a hell of a lot of effort, I managed to suck in a lungful of air.
“Good. Now, look inside yourself. Find your control.”
More animalistic sounds rolled out of me, but on the inside, the human part of me was clinging to his words.
Find my control.I searched, found a tiny thread, and pulled. It seemed like an impossibly small thing, like trying to rein in a raging bull with a piece of twine, but little by little, I was able to push the mindless fury down.
It wasn’t until my chest had stopped heaving and my nostrils had stopped flaring that I realized my connection to Hook was wide open.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“You felt all of that, didn’t you?” I asked, still a little out of breath even though the physical damage he’d inflicted was completely healed.
He nodded. When he stepped toward me, I stepped back. I expected him to respect that I needed distance the way he usually did, but he just kept coming.
“Stop running from me, Never. Let go of whatever guilt or hesitation you’re feeling. It’s just you and me out here, and I assure you, no matter what happens, we will both be okay.”
When he wrapped his strong arms around me, I was torn between shoving him off and giving into the ridiculous urge to bury my face in his chest and have a good cry. “Did my eyes turn red again?”
He pressed his lips to my hair. “Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
He pulled back without letting go. He didn’t want to tell me. Reluctance was written all over his face.
“You’re not seriously thinking of holding out on me after the stunt you just pulled, are you?”
He searched my gaze before responding. “I suspect the power we share is amplifying the demon blood running through your veins.”
