The anger inside of me was a living thing, lighting me on fire. “If you’re royalty from another kingdom, you have no jurisdiction here. Unless the king and queen fromthiskingdom have given permission for you to capture and detain one of their constituents—and from what I gather, they most certainly have not—you’re here without sanction. Granny was in good standing with our royalty, as was—is—our product. You’re operating outside the law, just like Iwas. You have no right to invade, to murder, and to kidnap. You’ll be hanged for this.”
His smile pulled his lips wide. “You’reverysmart. And correct. We’re going to have to smuggle you out of here?—”
“Hadriel, that’s enough.”
The voice was like a whip-crack of pleasure that puddled in my core. I turned my head slowly to find the handsome stranger stepping into the light. Each movement of that stellar body was graceful and sleek, effortlessly hiding the coiled power contained in that robust frame cut with thick slabs of muscle. He didn’t wear any clothes, nor did he exhibit any embarrassment or shame about that fact. It seemed he felt nudity was completely natural and free. I’d bet he was an amazing dancer; hismovements were strong and sure but gentle, like his fingertips under my chin last night, lifting my face to look at him.
No, to be inspected by him.
I shivered with the memory. A moment later, though, I remembered what he’d done. Remembered what he had planned for me, the way he’d barged into my village like I was the criminal when he and his people were the ones not allowed. Bullshit, all of this.
And on the path with him? What the fuck was that? He knew he was going to abduct me and decided he’d get his cock wet while I was willing? While I was transfixed by this strange feeling pulsing deep within me?
What was this feeling, anyway? Why did it feel like his presence tugged at my middle? Yanked at me, more like. The sensations his proximity gave me felt like something akin to one of my creations. On the path I had been sure that it was. How was he creating this feeling? Because there was no way he could’ve administered something to me that night without me knowing. The Moonfire Lily was the only abnormal thing I’d been working with, and I was now sure it hadn’t created these effects.
None of this made sense.
But then, it didn’t really have to, did it? When traveling a journey on one of my stronger products, nothing ever made sense. It was important to flow with it, accepting what was until you could alter your reality.
I stared up at his startlingly handsome face, cataloguing all his features. Looking down at me from above were slate gray eyes cut from granite. Sharp cheekbones cut angles above his hollowed cheeks, and he had a small cleft in his strong jaw. His dusky brown eyebrows settled low, nearly touched by his long black lashes. His dark blonde hair held sun-kissed streaks andcurrently fell to the sides of his forehead and around his ears, longer than he liked it.
I had no clue how I could know that last bit. And yet, I’d bet a good fortune on that knowledge.
I’d walk in this criminal’s journey, no problem, until I could alter my reality. When I did, only one of us would be walking away: me.
“Get up,” he commanded.
He was the alpha of this pack, obviously. A man no one said no to.
I wasn’t in his pack, and I didn’t give a damn what he wanted.
I stared at him impassively, allowing myself to go numb again. He would feed off my anger, off my rebellion. I knew it. Instead, I’d give him nothing to work with. I’d give him a shell of a woman.
He stared back, his eyes heating until they were spitting fire. Currents of electricity sizzled between us, flowing over my body in a way that frazzled my mind. I didn’t balk, though, pushing the feelings down with my emotions.
“Slap my dick and call me jumpy! This whole situation just got a whole lot more interesting,” the man in the colorful jacket said, looking between us.
“Hadriel, you may go,” the alpha said, his eyes not leaving mine.
“Goodie-goodie cum-drops.” Mr. Colorful Jacket—Hadriel—set down his spear and stood from his chair. “She doesn’t have a weapon, sir, but I’d watch her. I’ve known my fair share of wild women and they have this habit of conjuring weapons out of thin air. Access to her animal or not, she’ll chop off your nuts if she gets half a chance.”
“Go,” the alpha growled. My small hairs stood on end with the viciousness in his tone. Hadriel shivered.
“Okay but... be nice to her,” Hadriel said before turning. “You’re not the judge. Keep her alive until she can grovel to Queen Finley. Finley is a lot more reasonable than you are when it comes to”—he affected a strange accent and tone—“duty and honor.”
Now the alpha did tear his eyes away, his gaze finding Hadriel slowly.
“Fuck!” Hadriel flinched, hunching down on himself. “I haven’t felt the need to terror-shit my pants in forever. What an unwelcome change.” He looked at me and nodded a goodbye before heading away.
“This is the last time I will tell you.” The alpha’s focus came back to me. His cock was jutting out, hard and huge. “Get.Up.”
I remained unmoving, trying desperately to not remember how that cock felt. How it tasted. How much I wanted to feel it again.
The air blistered with heat now, raking across my flesh. He felt it; I could tell. A sheen of sweat suddenly coated that fine body.
The rushing in my ears turned into pounding in my core. The desperate need to do what he said ate away my resolve. I didn’t dare give in.
Instead, I did what I knew would incite him most of all. Nothing. I did and said absolutely nothing. I continued to kneel as I was, quietly defiant. Challenging him to a battle of wills. I was a prisoner now; I had all the time and patience in the world.
