“Neverapologise for staking your claim.” Julien’s voice rumbles and when I lift my gaze, I find eyes black streaked with burning red, darting from my mouth to my eyes.
“I’m yours.Bepossessive.” His warm fingers brush the nape of my neck, lifting the edge of my hair, and every drop of blood in my body is scorching.
“I apologise for not considering the implication. In the future, I will ask your permission first.”
“The future?” I bite off that final word, eyes narrowed.
He watches me carefully, then leans in, lowering his voice to a deadly whisper only for me. “You want all of me, mon désir? Every single drop?”
Then he grins. No. Not another smile. Not with those words.
All my carefully constructed chagrin wants to vanish because when Julien smiles like that—with the faintest hint of fang teasing me, promising me something… I just want to give in.
“You have me.”His fingers trace the back of my neck again. “No one else.” They skim the top of my spine.“Every piece of me is for you and you alone.”
Except the pieces festering inside some stupid Lead Commanders. I manage to keep that comment in, but my face must say plenty.
“Are my words not enough?”His fingers become firmer at my nape, coaxing me to turn and meet his gaze fully.“Let me show you. Let me show you that I bleed for you and you alone. Crave only you.”
“Julien.”Kane’s voice penetrates the air and more slivers of shadow crawl across my skin. One brushes over my knee, almost chiding.
Julien blinks down at me, his fire cooling as he registers the flickers of shadows.
The moment shatters, and I lean back, just out of reach.
“So, guess we won’t be using that serum anymore.” Sai smirks.
I stare at my hands clenched around the tablet, trying to remember what we were even talking about before I claimed Julien’s blood like some kind of feral creature.
I grimace.
Sai’s voice lowers. “Hey, don’t worry, Red. We still have Zeek with his freaky mind games, Daddy Darkness keeping the worst in line, and I’m an expert in my… area.”
My head snaps up. “And what is yourarea?”
Can I sound any more bitter? But I already know what Sai is an expert in. Had firsthand experience. Felt it. With his words, his mouth, his hands…
Is that what he’s implying? That he seduces loyalty? With his body, his voice, his eyes?
Does he speak to others like that? Speak to them in that same low, flirt-drenched tone? Does he look at others the way he looks at me? All smirking confidence with those damn piercing eyes?
Myeyes.
He smiles as he watches me, like he knows what I’m thinking, like he’s waiting for me to burst and claim him outloud too. It’s a sly, deviant expression—one dimple flashing as he finally says, “I’m very good with my hands.”
I glower at him. My burning rage so acute it must surely singe him, because I feel it, like a firestorm breaking through my skin.
“Sai, enough.” Kane’s voice is clear, sharp, even over the pounding in my ears.
His cooling shadows tighten around me, soothing me again, and I meet the calm of his dark gaze.
“If necessary,” Kane expands, “Sai is skilled at physical persecution.”
The heat vanishes like a snuffed flame as I turn back to Sai. “Youtorturepeople?”
His second dimple appears—mocking, darkly amused.
“When that guy was screaming for help… on the phone that time…” I mutter, lost to the memory. Sai speaking in dirty, heated whispers while a man wailed in agony.
