She thought about disobeying, and in that split second, she could tell he thought she would too. “Why?”
“Because my fucking heart seems to beat for yours, despite everything.”
“Ridiculous,” she whispered, the wind whipping her hair, the violent crash of the waves below a perfect metaphor. “How can you forgive me so easily?”
“What’s to forgive? You do what you have to, to survive.” His expression was intense. “But the thought of him, or anyone else hurting you makes me want to destroy the fucking earth.” His eyes swirled liquid silver, the colour fascinating and beautiful at the same time. Except in a blink something else looked out, something dangerous, predatory. “I’ll torture, maim, and fucking annihilate anyone who thinks they can hurt you.”
Rae tried to swallow past the rushing emotions, her lungs under strain each breath a struggle. “You think that scares me?” She finally pulled the blade away, studying the straight scarlet mark down his cheek.
“Yes.” The cut stopped bleeding instantly, and within a few seconds it had healed entirely. “I think it terrifies you to let someone close, because all you’ve known is disappointment.”
“Stop it.” Her voice cracked.
“But that doesn’t matter.” Titus pushed forward, backing her up against the barrier. “Because I’ve already told you, you’re mine.”
Chapter27
Titus
He’d fucked up. He knew he’d fucked up from the way Rae’s face had hardened, eyes empty when she’d turned away. She was always so open, her every emotion clear like one of his favourite books. So raw in her reactions, so chaotic that seeing her close down like that had panicked him. Panicked his beast.
“Not yours,” she said, tone not so acerbic. “This is just sex.”
He’d fucked up by interrogating Gerald alone, taking that away from her, and it wasn’t a mistake he’d repeat.
“Mind blowing sex.”
Her upper lip quirked, painted a startling red, the same shade as her hair. “You have a high opinion of yourself.”
“You’re not denying it though.”
A laugh, her usual fire returning. “Men and their egos. You think I’d drop everything for some good dick?”
No hesitation. “Yes.”
Her eyes narrowed, seemingly to wait for him to continue. “Hilarious,” she finally said, dragging her fingers though her hair, trying to tame the strands against the wind. “This is fucking crazy,” she muttered. “This was never supposed to happen.Youwere never supposed to happen.”
“And yet here we are.”
“You’re just an assignment. Once this is over, you’ll be gone, and I’ll be right back to where I was. Well, with less money, and probably a different guild.”
“You really believe that this has an expiry date?” He forced himself to give her space, to not bracket his hands on the barrier, trapping her in between. “I say we need a new truce, one where we don’t try to kill each other.”
“You want another truce?” She shook her head, flipping the dagger in her hand. “You sure have a death wish.” She was teasing him, he knew it from the way her eyes glistened, the way her lip twitched.
Titus couldn’t keep himself back any longer, reaching forward to cup her jaw. “I’m sorry about interrogating Gerald without you. It won’t happen again.”
She pursed her lips, disbelief darkening her eyes.
“You’re not some princess to keep locked in a tower.” He tilted her head, thumb sliding between her lips. “You’re not even the knight. You're the fucking dragon, queen of the ashes."
She bit his thumb, not hard, but enough for him to feel her teeth.
“Do that again,” he whispered, lips feathering over her ear. “And I’ll bend you over my knee in front of everyone.”
His cock hardened at her reaction, her tongue licking against the small hurt as her pupils dilated simply from his words. She may have protested at being his mate, but he knew she was addicted to him, as he was to her.
She pressed her ridiculous blade against her red lips, still stained with his blood. “Try it Mr Liu Wood, and we’ll see who survives this dance between us.”
