I placed both my hands to his cheeks, grasping his face to force him to meet my gaze. “I. Need. You. Don’t you dare think you are dispensable.”
“Aren’t I?” Darkness and misery clouded his eyes. “This kingdom needs you, Eira. But it doesn’t need me. I’ve done nothing but destroy lives. Perhaps it’s time for me to atone for that. If my sacrifice helps you get your throne back, it will be worth it.”
“Don’t say that! You are not defined by the role that was forced on you, Theron. Once Calista is defeated, you will have the freedom to choose the life you want. You will have the chance to be different. To do better.”
“I don’t deserve that freedom!” he argued.
I lifted my chin. “Well,Isay you do. And I’m the rightful queen of this realm, so my word is law.”
He didn’t smile at that. Not even a glimmer of amusement shone in his eyes.
“Theron,” I tried again. “If it weren’t for you, I would be dead ten times over. You may be a hunter, but for the past two days, you have used those skills toprotect me. You aren’t a killer; you’re my defender.”
He only blinked at me, his eyes dark and fathomless. He was drowning in his self-loathing, and nothing I said would reach him.
I would need to try something else.
My hands fisted his shirt, and I pressed my mouth to his, fierce and desperate and bruising. His lips parted for me instantly, as if he’d been waiting for this.Yearningfor this. My tongue met his, the two colliding with desperate urgency. He sucked on my lower lip, then nibbled it. I let out a strangled noise as my blood turned molten.
And in that moment, I decided I was done fighting whatever this was between us. I didn’t care that I was human, that he was an assassin, that our bargain might doom us both. I didn’t care that I was dying or that we had a mission to fulfill or that Calista would likely kill us.
There was only him. And me. Alone in this forest.
His chest was now flush against mine, but he stepped forward, backing me against the trunk of a tree. I gasped as every hardened plane of his body angled perfectly with mine, our hips meeting as he pinned me to the tree.
“Theron,” I breathed, grinding my hips against him, urging him closer, though there was no space left between us.
He lowered his hands, teasing the waistband of my trousers. I gasped as his cool fingers met my bare flesh. The icy air nipped at my skin, but blood and ice, I was on fire. Even if I was naked in this snowy forest, I still wouldn’t have felt the chill.
With his other hand, he slid his fingers under my tunic and roamed along my stomach and abdomen. I hissed in a sharp breath, breaking our kiss to tilt my head back, reveling in his touch. He brought his mouth to my neck, his tongue gliding up and down the column of my throat. A moan poured from my lips.
I gripped his belt, cupping him through his trousers. A low, feral sound rumbled in his chest.
“Tell me you want me,” I whispered.
“I want you,” he rasped against my neck, his hand lifting higher until he grazed the underside of my breast.
My fingers slipped into his trousers, stroking his length. Gods, he was so hard. Just envisioning his fullness inside me made my mouth go dry.
“Tell me you’lllivefor me,” I commanded, running my fingers up and down his length.
He groaned, the sound ragged, as his teeth clamped down on my throat, firm but not hard enough to break skin.
“Tell me, Theron.”
He withdrew from my neck, breathing heavily. “Shivering bones, Eira, what are you doing? Would you let me take you right here against this tree just to get me to promise not to get myself killed?”
I lifted my chin to meet his gaze, my nostrils flaring. “Yes, I would. Not just to get that promise from you, but to show you how much I need you. I would have you take meanywhere, Theron. Here in this forest, or in the middle of the street in front of dozens of witnesses. Even covered in blood and grime, I do not care. I need you. I need your touch.Now.”
My hips rolled again in silent demand.I forced my eyes to hold his, daring him to continue. Would he stop now? Or would he meet my demands?
He held my gaze, desire bleeding through the gloom that had lingered in his dark eyes for too long. Then, his hand under my tunic lifted, cupping my breast completely, his thumb pressing against my hardened nipple.
Oh,gods…
My eyes closed as flames roiled within me. He caught my nipple between his fingers and pinched it. Moisture pooled between my legs, my breaths coming in sharp pants.
With his other hand, he slid lower, beneath my trousers and undergarments until he found my slick center. I bucked against him, and he grazed his fingers along the moisture gathered there.
