“This is helping?” I pull against the shadows. “This is imprisonment.”
“You won’t listen to a thing I tell you.” He shoves a piece of fruit forcefully into my mouth, as my teeth clash together. “I’m doing thisforyou.”
“Liar,” I cough.
“You stubborn—” He cuts off. “You know, I could be like others and see a defenseless woman and use her as I see fit.”
“Don’t you dare?—”
A growl slips between his lips before he leans into my face. “According to the customs of my land, you are nowmymate. Thatmeans you are mine to do whatever I wish. Including using your body to fulfill whatever carnal desires I have.”
“You’re disgusting.” He pinches my mouth shut, shoving more food between my lips, tsking softly. The first trickle of fear wraps into my belly, only to be doused by rage.
He’s treating me like a misbehavingdog.
“Ah, you say that, but you remember what it’s like to be mine, don’t you, Max?” He smirks as food lodges into my throat. “To be completely used by me? Held open wide, as my cock stretched you? How you screamedonlyfor me? Gods, you were so wet, I had to fight for control. I was surprised there wasn’t a line of shifters ready to take you from me.”
He pinches my nose. “Not like they could. I’d slaughter them all if they had tried.”
Furious tears water my eyes as I glare.
“Swallow,” he growls, nails digging into my face.
I can’t breathe. I can’tmove.
Stubbornly, I try one last time to shake him off, throwing my hips, but he doesn’t release me. I have no choice but to listen or risk suffocation.
Slowly, I do and he nods. He has the nerve towink. “There’s my good girl.”
My body shudders and I exhale, coughing past the tears, the frustration and the burning in my chest and between my thighs. He thinks he can win, get under my skin, but I won’t let him.
“Let me go, Kaden,” I rasp. Desperately, I try to appeal to his decency. “I’m of no use to you. You’ve bound my magic, imprisoned me. What kind of tool can I be to your father in this state?
Those demonic eyes rake over my form as I push on.He’s getting it.“You must know, your father would never be able to use me. Not like this. Let me go and the world can be safe, and you can find another mate. Someone whowantsto be here,” I plead.
A pain erupts at my breastbone and I wince. It feels as if a hotpoker has been wedged under my heart, and I fight the urge to cry out.
The heir leans his head against mine, lips ghosting over my cheekbone. “Oh, kitten,” he coos. “You don’t know meatallif you think I would let you go.” Those lips trail up to my earlobe and I recoil. “My father might have you as a new tool to utilize, but it isIwho owns you, Max. You’re exactly where you need to be.”
“But you can’t—” I whimper as the pain explodes.
“Do you remember what I said about the bond?” He interrupts, lifting another piece of food to my face. Turning away, I hear him huff.
“That pain in your chest?” he asks, deadly calm. “That utter breathless agony that erupts whenever you think of leaving me? That’s the bond reminding you, you cannotescapeme. And it will only grow fiercer, the longer it is ignored. The longer you ignoreme. It’ll continue to hurt, until you’re begging me to end it.”
As he forces the fruit between my teeth, I bite and my fingers respond, throbbing with pain.Gods, this is a cluster of a situation.
Chuckling, Kaden looks to his fingers, pride shining in his eyes.
“I’ll never beg you.”
“You did once.” He shrugs. “And you will again.”
Jutting out my chin, I narrow my eyes. “I’d rather be given to Griffin on a silver platter.”
He pinches my cheeks together, body tight with fury. Finally, there’s an ember of anger and I lap it up greedily. If I’m burning in rage, I want him to be an inferno.
“That can be arranged. Or did you forget, he’s still out there, hunting for you?”
