“She’s not yours to give.” My voice is deathly calm despite the roaring in my ears as my monstrous side demands this man’s blood. “Watch your tongue before I rip it out of your mouth.”
He yelps as I shift my weight into my foot hard enough to bruise. Hard enough to crack a rib. “Stop! No, please.”
Crushing this sniveling excuse for a man under my heelwould be so easy. I bet I could cave his skull in with a stomp. But he doesn’t deserve that quick of an end. And as much as I want to rid the world of this fucker, it’s not my choice to make.
“What do you want me to do with him, Princess?”
“Wh-what?” Ada’s eyes widen as I turn to address her. Henry has his body between her and the man pinned on the floor, growling any time he says something, and ready to defend her with his life. She’s trembling. The desire to go over and wrap my arms around her so she knows she’s safe wars with the violence surging through my blood.
There’s no sign of injury on her save the bruise on her temple from before. That doesn’t mean anything. I know what he dreamed about. If he touched her, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop until the walls of this room are painted red with his blood.
“Did he hurt you?” I growl, pressing more weight into his chest. There’s definitely a crack this time, and Tom’s cry of pain feeds the ravenous beast inside me.
She shakes her head. “N-no.”
“See,” Tom gasps, fighting for air. “This is all a misunderstanding. I was trying to keep her safe. I was being a good guy. Tell him, sweetheart.”
Ada stiffens at his appeal, then releases her hold on Henry’s neck and stands. In this cramped cabin, the stark difference in our heights makes my pulse leap. She’s so much smaller than me. Sobreakable.
The thought of breaking her has a distracting heat coiling in my stomach. I want to take her apart, piece by piece, until the deepest, darkest parts of her are laid bare. I want her to surrender to her nightmare, then be the one that helps her find her way back to the light.
“I’m not your sweetheart,” Ada bites out, anger radiating off of her petite form. “You forced me to come here. Atgunpoint.”
My cock twitches at her fury. My princess may be breakable, but that doesn’t mean she’s weak.
“Th-that’s not what h-happened. The bitch is lyin—” Tom’s words cut off with a shriek as I bend down and haul him up by the throat, slamming him against the wall and pinning him there like the insect he is.
My fingers tighten around his neck, and I lean in. “Disrespect her one more time. I dare you.”
The scent of piss joins his stale body odor. Disgusting.
“Are y-you…going to let this psycho…k-kill me?” Tom wheezes.
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” I growl, turning my focus over to Ada. Her jaw is tight, hands still trembling.
Fuck, I need to get this over with soon. The sooner Tom is taken care of, the sooner I can go to her side. Hold her until the shaking stops. Map every inch of her skin with my hands to erase this pig’s greasy touch. Make her forget any thoughts about nightmares other than me.
“I…” Ada swallows hard, her eyes locking on my mask instead of the man feebly trying to claw at me to let him go. “No.”
Relief and disappointment wash over me.
“I’ve already made you do terrible things. I… I won’t make you a killer.”
Her words lance through me, striking me directly in the scarred cavern where my heart should be. I release my grip on Tom and let him crumple to the floor.
“It’s okay, Princess.” My throat is so tight with emotion that it’s difficult to speak.
Tears spill down her cheeks. I want to taste them from her skin and soothe away her sorrow.
I loom over Tom. “You’re going to get in your truck and leave. You’re never going to come back here or get within a hundred-mile radiusof Ada. If you do, I’ll know. If you do anything like this to someone else, I’ll know. You can’t hide from me. I’ll find you in your dreams and finish the job.”
The fucker opens his mouth to speak, so I kick him in the ribs. “Now.”
Henry growls as Tom struggles to his feet, following him with teeth bared as the man limps toward the door.
“Shit, he might have his gun in his car,” Ada gasps.
Fuck. I race out the door to find he’s tripped in the snow and only made it halfway to his beat-up truck. I walk past him as he whimpers and groans at my nearness, searching through the cab of the truck until I find the gun in the glove compartment.
