“They would have been dead with one swipe,” he says, holding up his hands where his talons are out, and I can see the sharp teeth in his mouth. My heart skips a beat, and I move closer to the bars, pressing myself against them.
“Mmm, why does you sounding so pissed turn me on?” I whisper.
He cocks a brow. “You don’t want me anywhere near you when I’m pissed, trust me,” he murmurs, his eyes running down my body, lingering on my breasts that are pressed between the bars. I smile when he swallows, my core knotting with hunger for him again.
“I think it’s exactly where I want you… But there is something I need to tell you,” I begin, my heart sinking.
He moves back and goes over to the padlock, picking it withshocking ease before slipping inside. “What is it?”
“It’s the curse… we’re mates, aren’t we?” I whisper.
He stiffens and looks away for a second before nodding. “Yeah. I always wondered why you couldn’t tell.”
“My father had a spell cast on me because apparently the curse will affect my mate.” Guilt eats at me as I quickly explain what Father had told me. “He didn’t want to risk my finding out exactly what the curse entailed, knowing I would stay away from my mate. I’ve been poisoning you. The longer you are around me, the weaker you become – and yet I let you be around me again!” I say, frustrated that I thought only of my own desire again!
“Hey, it doesn’t matter; no curse is strong enough to bring me down. I feel fine.” He wades towards me, but I move back, shaking my head.
“For now. He said it’ll begin to affect you, and to break this curse, I have to kill you.” He grabs hold of my arm and pulls me close.
“But you also said if anyone else kills you, that the curse will transfer?” he asks, his eyes glinting. I nod, wondering why he’s asking, when he smirks. “Then, that’s perfect. They need you to kill me, and no one can kill you, so we’re safe here. I will kill Morcant, and we’ll be together.”
“But this curse, Kai-” He puts a finger to my lips.
“Doesn’t matter. You’re mine, and there is nothing, not even death, that can take you from me. Let’s focus on what we need to do. Do you really want me to kill your father?”
I look up at him, my heart thundering. “If I said no, would you really let him live?” I ask.
He smirks, one that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Probably not.The more I learn about him, the more I hate him.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head against his chest. “I want him dead for everything he has done. He allowed my mother to be abused and murdered. I can’t ever forgive him,” I whisper.
“With pleasure, darling. He will die.” His words are sharp, promising me the vengeance I have sought for years. He rests his head on top of mine.
I close my eyes, knowing I could never kill him. I’d rather die myself; I don’t care if Maerina or Kalina have to carry this curse. I will not kill Kai, because Varindor needs him.
To protect him, I’ll do anything.
He looks down at me. “So we need to make this believable, you need to convince your father that you will kill me,” he says quietly.
I nod as he caresses my neck. “And I think it’s time we marked one another. It’ll help if we are able to communicate.”
My heart skips a beat. Marked? Meaning we’ll be bonded to one another fully. Leaving him would hurt even more…
“So, what do you say, my Little Liar, ready to allow me to claim you?” he whispers.
“Yes.” There’s no doubt in my mind about that. I arch my neck, giving him complete access as I submit to him. He caresses my jaw, kissing my lips lightly, before brushing his lips across my jaw. I feel him shift, feel his talons come out once again, feel his power around me and then his sharp teeth sink into my neck.
I gasp at the sting of pain that’s followed by a wave of euphoric pleasure that washes over me, and I wrap my tail around him. He extracts his teeth, flickering his tongue across the small wound as a ripple of blood mixes with the wateraround us.
Well, hello there, darling,he murmurs in my mind as he moves back.
I smile up at him, kissing his lips softly. I can’t respond via the mind-link until I’ve marked him back, but I can’t… I won’t sentence him to damnation.
“Now, your turn. Mark me,”he whispers seductively in my ear as he lifts me by the waist, so I have better access to his neck.
“I can’t, Kai, if my father sees it, he won’t believe that I am willing to kill you. We have to make it appear real,” I say smoothly.
He searches my eyes for a moment too long, and my gut twists. It’s almost as if he knows what I’m thinking.
