Her hands flew to his, her fingers clawing to rid her mouth of his disgusting flesh, but the one to her right snatched them down, gripping hard at her wrists and shoving them between her legs while he hurled insults.
“Looks like we’ve got a fighter!”the blond scoffed as though she was pathetic and, willing him from her line of sight, she closed her eyes, holding her breath, so she didn’t have to breathe in the scent of whatever was on his mate’s hand.
“Reckon she likes it rough,” another of them barked, and she opened her eyes in time to see the dark-haired one unzipping his flies.Let’s see, shall we?”
Ignoring the smell of the repulsive skin plastering her mouth, her lips parted, and she let out her frustrated fright as a long, horrifying scream.The noise was muffled by the stranger’s hand, yet still disturbingly able to convey her absolute terror.
Frantically, her focus flitted past her attackers, hoping beyond hope that someone—anyone—would be walking along the street and able to come to her rescue.
“Ain’t no one coming to save you, princess.”The blond one’s cruel laughter whipped past her ears.“No one gives a shit.”
“Wrong.”
The voice that came from behind them was deep, stern, and definitely male.She couldn’t see who it belonged to.The adrenaline flooding her system made it difficult to focus on anything except the revolting skin blocking her airways and where her next breath of fresh air was coming from.However, when the dark-haired thug pressing himself against her was wrenched away like a rag doll, a chink of hope suddenly swathed her.
Kris watched as the jerk lurched into the air and landed on the cold concrete, his aggressor still unknown, and her heart hammering so fast she was sure it would exit via her still gagged mouth.
“Hey!”The one with his hand over her mouth flew to face her unseen rescuer, finally relieving her of his palm.“Who do you think you are?”
The resonance of the response that flew back to where she was standing was so low and rumbling, Kris swore she felt it in her body.
“I’m the reason you’re going to wish you’d stayed at home, pretty boy.”
Chapter Six
Kronos
Kristina had Kronos’ full attention.In fairness, she had captured his focus some time before, her clipped rudeness stirring him and forcing him to concentrate.
What kind of a mortal would speak to him that way?
He was Kronos.
Some had called him King, others, a deity.Worshipped for thousands of years, he had many names and existed in many cultures.
To some, he was a god and a powerful ally, while to others, he was a masterful bane.No one could deny what he really was, though.Kronos was a creature who wielded the power of life and death in his hands.
It was true, Kristina didn’t know who she was tangling with, but even given her naivety, Kronos had found her language provocative.One thing was obvious, though.His plan to lure young graduates had clearly paid dividends.He’d invested a lot of time in Shelley in recent months, but he sensed it was time to spread his net in search of someone new.Shelley was a gem, but she was closer to The Advancement than she realized, and despite their chemistry, he knew she would leave him.
Kronos was never without a paramour, one he could keep on her knees while he managed the salient business of ruling.Whether Kristina was the right fit, he couldn’t have said yet, but her recklessness had enticed him from his current weary captive and lured him to that dark street.
He had watched Kristina in her home, viewing her from afar, and he knew she had everything she needed there—warmth, food, and safety.The small box she’d chosen to reside in was not as alluring as the world he would take her to, but at least it was shelter.What had possessed her to leave that sanctuary and venture out onto the ice wasn’t clear.She’d mentioned the desire for pizza—a high-calorie food that he would never allow—but nothing about her explanation was logical.
He knew she still had the meal the other female had prepared for her, a far more nutritious spread as far as he could tell, so there was no reason for her jaunt into the darkness.He had watched her wrap up and leave the house.She was blissfully unaware of how much trouble she was in as she wandered off in search of unnecessary nourishment.
Free will.
He shook his head.That was the problem with humans.
Given the choice between what was sensible and what delivered immediate gratification, the vast majority of them chose the latter.
He had no doubt that with the right conditioning, though, he could sculpt the feisty female making her way out onto the frozen roadside into someone far more compliant.
Someone who would kneel and beg at his command.
Just look at the magic I’ve worked on Shelley.
Shadowing Kristina, the pleasing thought occupied Kronos for a few moments before her fate became clearer.He had seen the threat of the puerile men approaching, running the potential scenarios forward in his mind to assess the multiple outcomes, and none of them looked good for Kristina.In one, she’d been beaten and raped there on the street, while in another, she’d been taken to a second location.
