It didn’t matter.
Saer drowned himself in their pride, ate it up, stole it from their cores, and forced them into a state of utter worthlessness and self-loathing, even as lust crashed through their bodies.Until that moment, he’d known he could stoke pride, but never siphoned it.
He gave the sin one final jerk, and the men sobbed, prostrating.
Saer’s venomous glare darted to Neyu at the sound of her disapproving growl.“Release them, Pride.”
“You don’t command me,” he said, the words grating.
“Release them, Pride.”
The males wept, shuddering and pathetic, on the ground.
Saer severed his hold on them and turned with a hiss of disgust, unwilling and unready to digest more of Neyu’s disappointment.
He put as much space between them as he needed to quiet any further sounds they made.And while he did escape her reproach, he couldn’t distance himself from the persistent bitterness at the back of his throat.
Saer found a tree to lean against, putting its broad trunk between himself and the trio he’d left behind, the village all but forgotten.His anger seethed, scalding enough that he wondered why the tree didn’t catch flame.Wrath burned inside his chest, different from Hellsfire, but no less deadly.
Hours passed.
The sun continued its arc over the clear, blue sky, heating the atmosphere enough for Saer to draw minuscule comfort.His eyes unfocused while staring across the endless plains, enmeshed in his thoughts and agonizing, in silence, over what he couldn’t see or control.
A layer below that agony, he brooded on why he fretted in the first place.He’d witnessed jealousy amongst humanity but never experienced it with the same ferocity.Wisps of possessiveness struck him now and again, but never to this degree.
Until today.
Until that man moved to touch her like he held a claim to her.Thieving the moment from them.From him.
Again and again, the scene played in his mind.Saer unleashed another wordless scream and slammed his fist into the tree he leaned against.
“Does it help?”
He hadn’t heard her approach.Hadn’t been aware of any of his surroundings.Saer released an aggravated breath and turned towards Neyu’s voice as she moved next to him.She still wore the blanket from before.It didn’t look touched from when he’d wrapped her in it, but he couldn’t bring himself to gain any solace from the observation.
Hellsfire, she was beautiful.
He pushed the thought away, hidden behind his glare.“I’m not sure what you mean.”
She didn’t appear pleased while assessing him.“Punching structures that can’t fight back.Do you feel better?”
Saer scowled and tore his gaze away from her in answer.
“Saer—”
“What?”
Neyu paused as though reanalyzing her approach.“Why are you angry?”
“I’m not.”
“Hrm.”The small sound carried a hint of wry amusement, and Neyu’s bare feet crunched over the grass, drawing nearer.One of her hands rested on the trunk of the tree.Her other reached up to brush along one of Saer’s silver crescents and his heart squeezed at the gesture.
“Talk to me, Dearest,” she said, voice soft.
Saer growled behind his clenched jaw and leaned away from her touch.“We’re here to perform a duty.You are doing so.Our maker will be pleased.”The words left him in a deadpan voice.He refused to meet her eyes.
Neyu’s hand paused, then lowered to her side.“I don’t care about pleasing him right now.”
