“Mercy,” I whisper.
“A word you’d never use.” His lips quirk. “And your limits?”
“Mouth, yes,” I whisper, turning and sinking my teeth into his knuckle. “I’m a little curious about the taste of your cock.”
He hisses.
I kiss the sting away. “You want my cunt? Then it is yours. Always yours.”
Bael tips my chin up with slow pressure on the leash. “Ass?”
Butterflies flutter within me, but not those of nerves. “Does it hurt?”
“Not if I do it properly.”
I kiss his knuckles, rubbing my cheek along his hand. “It’s not a no. I don’t know. I will admit to a certain amount of curiosity. I will leave the choice to you. I trust you.”
It seems to infuriate him even more, for he growls under his breath. “Whips? Chains? Pain?”
“Is that what you like?”
“I enjoy making a woman submit,” he admits. “But I’ve never been one for inflicting strong pain.”
“And what about… your belt?” I whisper, meeting his eyes.
I’ve shocked him once again. He quirks a brow. “You want me to take my belt to you?”
“You were right. I am a little fascinated with your belt. And you did promise a spanking.”
“I will chain you up, Zyla. I’ll mark your beautiful skin, turn it pink. But not as revenge. I’ll mark it to show you who you belong to.Mine,” he growls, capturing my lips in a hot, open-mouthed kiss. “Before we are through you will belong to me in every way possible.”
Oh, he’s so mine.
I smile as I kiss him back.
The Crystal Cavern is a palace built within a cave, and if it wasn’t for the fact of its nature, I might have found it beautiful.
Music pulses and both hunters and their chosen dance to the beat. Everywhere I look there are women in leashes, their eyes downcast and the odd bruise marking their flesh. A striking brunette is on the stage at the far end of the cavern, her arm drawn back as she whips a man in chains. He cries out, but the sound doesn’t strike me as one of pain.
I have to jerk my gaze away.
There’s no sign of Rhykus, nor of Kari.
Gods, I hope we’ve made the right decision. If Rhykus went elsewhere, we’ll never get her back.
“Here we go,” Bael says, gesturing me to the right. “Here comes the baron. Remember… We have to play the game to get in, no matter how much we might dislike it.”
A man appears, his hair and pointed beard dyed blue. He’s wearing a black velvet coat with nothing underneath, and a pair of leather trousers that are positively indecent. It would look ludicrous, if not for the dangerous look in his eyes.
“Well caught, my friend,” the baron muses, circling me, eyeing the huntress mark. “I’ve heard tell of this one. She’s killed many men. How did you tame her?”
“What makes you think her tame?” Bael’s smile holds teeth. “I told you once. It’s not the tamed ones that interest me, it’s the taming itself.”
I glance at him, but we already discussed the role he’ll be playing. He’s used his reputation in the past to create a mythos for himself.
“Exquisite.” The baron reaches for my breasts and a soft growl fills the room.
“Mine,” Bael tells him in a quiet, but firm voice, his grip on the leash tightening. “I’ll allow you to look this once, but she is not to be touched or I will fill these halls with blood. And once I have her through the portal, she will be locked away at my castle, where no one will ever see her again.”
