“Earlier, I could feel your energy, and it was strong then...” he said, his gaze flashing to my lips. I watched as his tongue darted out to lick them, and my cheeks reddened.
“But now... now, it is so much more pronounced. It feelsbig.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling somewhat self-conscious at this revelation.
Once again... I was different, when all I wanted to be was the same.
Bane’s tone softened as I broke his gaze.
“That’s not... a bad thing,” he said.
Magic hummed beneath my surface, and I could feelhim,that irrefutable desire to look at him, into those dark eyes and find the answers to the universe.
“Tell that to the rest of the world,” I said bitterly.
“Violet,” he said my name solidly.
“What?” I said as I hugged myself, trying to fight looking at him. I didn’t want to see the look of disapproval, of sympathy there, knowing I’d never forget it.
Resistance was futile though, as I glanced at him from underneath my lashes.
I could see his shoulders sink, his gaze steady as it held mine.
Like before, I felt frozen in place.
How does he do that?
“Do notevershrink yourself because you feel therest of the worldcan’t digest you. Let them fucking choke.”
My insides warmed at his words, the way he said them.
Because he said them with such conviction, such truth it was hard not to believe him, to not be inspired by the verity of his declaration.
My stomach decided to protest once again, shaking off the weird tension that had built between us.
Bane let out a sigh.
“Come. Follow me,” he instructed, the deep tone of his command vibrating my bones and stirring my blood, making my heart race.
The innatedesireto do whatever this man asked was prevalent, and I swallowed as I tried to get a grip on myself, nodding in response as he sauntered through the low-lit tunnels.
When I’d followed Norman and Wanda down here, I hadn’t really paid all that much attention. The walls were made out of stone, and the air was blissfully chilly—something that helped quell the heat that had started to bristle beneath my uniform.
The lanterns that lit our way were covered in cobwebs, and I got the feeling that this place was just as ancient as the castle that existed in the grown over forest.
“Norman and Wanda said that this place is top secret,” I said, figuring talking would help distract me from the sight of Bane’s arse wiggling in front of my face.
Just because I hadn’t been with many men didn’t mean I didn’t have preferences. I’d always found a pertinent tush a turn on, if I’m being honest. The immediate thought caused my loins and my cheeks to flush with warmth.
Focus, Violet!
Bane casually glanced at me over his shoulder, his dark eyes captivating against the amber light, against the creepy old interior.
“It is. Only legacies know about it, and it isn’t quite the place to bring visitors,” he said, twisting his lips as if he was debating whether or not to continue. “For obvious reasons,” he said as he turned away.
“You mean because of the creepy forest with the killer vines?” I said as I stepped over a tree root that spurted up from beneath the ground.
The ground...
