My Nightmare surged forward, elongating my hands into claws, sharpening my teeth. The surrounding forest shrank back from the shadows and decay that spread out around us. I hated that I harmed them, even for a moment, but the passion coming off my mate was irresistible to my monster. Her violence called to him, kicking open the mate bond I refused to let latch. Genuine anger spiked with it, wrapping my claws around the lovely column of her throat.
How dare she try to kill us. I barely contained my Nightmare’s frenzied lust and rage as they melted together into hot danger. The impulse to squeeze the life out of her right then hung between us. My monster didn’t have a terrible strategic idea for once. Watching the light die in her eyes would surely kill this bond trying to form. One calamity off my list. I couldn't be a mate and the King of the Elves. I wouldn’t crumble to dust like my mother had.
Common sense tightened my hand around her throat, but once I committed, my Nightmare and the bond retreated rather than actually hurt her. His anger fizzled out to leave only my amusement with the whole thing.
I clutched her to my chest instead, rubbing her face in the mess shemade, containing her flailing attempts at further murder. Her crystal-covered fist smashed down on my thigh, and I let her go at it for as long as I could contain my Nightmare. He greedily devoured the vivianite crystals she left in our skin as consolation for not bonding with her. He could be an emotional eater.
“Pumpkin, we have to stop meeting this way. You’re going to give me the wrong idea,” I growled into her hair.
I rubbed my face in the delicate strands rather than grind my erection into her soft thighs. She felt it regardless, judging by the way she stiffened against me. Maggie gassed out fast for being so athletic. The muscles beneath my now clawless hands twitched.
“To what do I owe the pleasure? Should we have had a goodbye fuck instead of a goodbye kiss?” I lied. I knew why she was here. Her revenge perfumed the air and I was feral for it.
“Let me go and I’ll show you which.”
The wrong thing was hard to resist. Any pain dealt by her was the greatest pleasure. I might have told her why I had ended her mentor’s life, but I didn’t want her to like me. What if it grew into something uncontrollable? I already couldn’t stop consuming her hate.
Instead, I released her, and I braced for her next assault. She shocked me into the saddle. Maggie slipped off the salamander, scooped up her pack in the bramble, and ran down the path before us. Smart woman. At least she dressed appropriately for a run. Outfitted in sturdy Bakh hide boots, a tight pair of leather pants anda linen shirt under a dark leather vest with plenty of empty loops for weapons. I watched Maggie grow smaller and smaller, listening to the trees giggle and whisper, until the dense foliage forced her right, out of sight.
I waited, tossing the salamander a few centaur beetles for a snack, measuring the sun’s progress through the sky. This was an annoying delay, but the thicket was too excited by our presence, and not even my magic would let us pass if it wanted to keep us here. Better to play nice - for once.
I tapped my fingers against the saddle and was about to get down when I heard her pelting footsteps along the path. The thicket spat her out, with her travel pack, just a few feet from where she started.
I opened my arms. “I know you can’t resist me.”
Maggie’s eyes grew wide, and she looked for the path she had just exited only to find it missing.
“What is happening?”
“You won’t get back to the Keep without me. Hop on.” I patted the saddle in front of me.
“I’m not going back there like a coward. You will answer for your crimes.”
My, my. She did have a high opinion of her skills. “You’re zero for two. I hope your motivation is holding up.And if I were a coward, I would have stayed and weathered your tender affections. But I would rather regain my throne if I have your permission.”
Did she know she stepped closer? “You have my permission to go straight to the seven hells.”
“You don’t want to be tangled up in this. This is far above your pay grade. King business and all. Not for common witches.” Another step closer as we argued.
Close enough to grab. “Like hells I will. I might have been worthless with these brass knuckles, but I won’t stop.”
I admired that about her. Focus to the point of stupidity was something we both had in common.
“You’re not worthless.” I snapped my mouth shut.
That wasn’t exactly what she said. I scooped her up into the saddle to cover my error. She fought harder this time. My kidney absorbed a blow that actually hurt. Her foot wedged under my chin, tipping my head back, all while she sat upright. Goddsdamn, how flexible was she? Her wriggling tumbled us to the ground. When I looked up, she was halfway down the path, bolting again. Mistake.
The urge to hunt her down flushed through my veins. My claws lengthened into the dirt. My Nightmare wanted to grow as many arms as we needed to chase her to ground. But I resisted. I didn’t want her to die of fright running from me. Few witnessed my Nightmare and stayed sane. A partial shift to speed my hunt would have to suffice.
I would rather have her see me in all my Elven glory, with a crown on my head, my palace framingmy splendor. It wasn’t at my disposal at the moment, but she wouldn’t see me any other way if I could help it. We settled on a burst of speed that ripped the leaves from the trees. We pounced a bit too gleefully on Maggie.
She stared up at me, limp on the ground, but ready for another round.
“Don’t run if you don’t want me to chase you.”
“I thought you wanted me out of your hair,” she said.
Was she going to touch my monster? Her eyes flitted to the extra hands by her head. Her mouth still fought. Would she bite me if I ran my tongue along it? I leaned down to taste and noticed the shine in her eyes and grit to her teeth. This pushed her to her physical limit. I tilted back.
