The sharp bite of teeth. The hot heat of his mouth—
Something surged inside me like a sharp winter tide, full of icebergs and snowflakes, cutting straight through the fever in my blood. Instinct had me reaching for it. To wrap myself in the crystal coolness while Lucien burned me alive.
For one impossible second, the world felt fragile. Like I could freeze it, shatter it, and send it splintering into shards. Entire glaciers frosted around my bones. Snow blanketed me like a cape.
I wasn’t cold.
Iwasthe cold—
But then...PAIN.
The chill turned against me, hollowing me out as it rebounded with raw, excruciating agony.
I cried out as Lucien suddenly jerked against me.
A hiss tore from his throat as if he’d felt my misery but then smoke...
The acrid scent of smoke tainted our kiss.
I tried to see.
To stop.
Buthedidn’t stop.
He went feral.
His lips captured mine so hard, so rough, he drew blood.
His body burned against mine and not metaphorically. It was like being pressed against a living star. A pyre. A cremation—
A gasp tore from my throat as more smoke billowed. “Lucien. Wait—”
He tore his mouth from mine, breaking the kiss with a sharp, ragged breath.
His eyes were wild and unapologetic, seeing everything and nothing. He stumbled as if I’d stopped his heart, backing away from me in horror.
I wobbled against the wall, my entire body tingling. For one terrifying second, I saw exactly what kind of man he could become without being chained by pain. What sort of nightmare he could be without his leash—
But then, my jaw dropped.
I wanted to rub my eyes because...it’s not possible.
Heatwaves contorted the air above his shoulders. Actual steam rolled off his bare skin with pale wisps.
His jaw clenched so hard, the tendons in his neck stood out. His already dark eyes were pitch black as he struggled to breathe, locking onto the wall behind me.
Staggering backward, his hand planted right over the metal disc. Between his fingers, no lights glowed. No red illumination to hint he was about to be punished.
So why was he so afraid?
I followed his stare and almost dropped to my knees.
A single strip of wallpaper had ignited with hungry flames—the edges curling and charring—the silvery flower pattern engulfed as the fire continued to climb toward the ceiling.
How?!
With a savage curse, Lucien lurched toward the bathroom. Whisper streaked after him, keeping pace as Lucien returned with the glass bowl that used to hold tiny toiletries for guests, now full to the brim with water.
