"That and you aggravated me instead of talking to me." Delphi looked at him and saw him smiling at her, unbothered by her jab. "You're not afraid of what I'll become if I do learn about my power? The stories made the old witches sound pretty terrifying."
"No, and it won't matter if you do become terrifying. You will still be mine, and between the two of us, no one will ever dare to harm you again." He said it so simply and matter-of-factly, meaning every word.
The truth of it all hit Delphi in the chest. Tenebrys really didn't care who her parents were anymore. He would protect her until she was strong enough to protect herself.
Delphi had never been in love, and she didn't understand it, but she thought that the way he would protect her and want her despite everything had to be pretty close to it.
"And you will wait until I've wrapped my head around this mating thing?" she asked uncertainly. "It may take a while for me to go from thinking you want to kill me to you wanting to marry me."
"I've waited a lifetime to find my mate already, Delphi. I can wait some more," Tenebrys said, and his eyes flashed with heat again. He added in a softly seductive tone, "In the meantime, I can work on proving that I would be a good mate to you in any way that you want me to. I believe we are compatible in at leastoneway."
She held his gaze, and again that intangible link between them began pulsing. It went beyond simple lust. It was like he could set her on fire with a mere glance.
Delphi's body was still angry at her for having no release in the bathtub, and if he kept looking at her like that, she wouldn't be able to think straight.
Was this the mating bond? Would it always be like this between them? She had never been particularly interested in men or women outside of business transactions. Maybe it was because she had been made for him all along.
"I don't know what is going on in that busy mind of yours, little flower," Tenebrys growled. "But if you are thinking of trying to run again, I'll hunt you down and keep you chained to me if you dare."
Delphi's pussy clenched and her nipples hardened, her treacherous body betraying her. Tenebrys's answering smirkwould have probably terrified anyone else, but it made Delphi's heart flutter with excitement.
"Does the thought of me hunting you excite you?" he asked, raising a brow.
"No?" Delphi eyed the door on the far side of the room. Would she make it in time before he got to her?
"You're a little liar, Delphi, but I'll make you a deal," he said, his wicked smirk widening. "If you make it to the door, I'll let you go back to your own rooms for the night."
Adrenaline burned at the back of her neck, warning her of a trap. "And if I don't make it?"
"Then I'm going to do whatever I want to you all night long." Tenebrys gestured at the dinner they had abandoned. "Stay in the chair, and we can continue our civilized conversation or?—"
Delphi was up and running before he finished. She pulled the back of her chair down behind her, and she heard the crash of wood as he swiped it aside.
She didn't look back, dodging around the other furniture. She dove under a table, his fingers just brushing her robe but missing her. She got out from underneath the table a second before he landed on it, turning it into splinters.
Delphi's hand reached for the door. Her fingertips almost touched the handle when Tenebrys pounced and pinned her stomach down to the rug.
"You're fast, but not fast enough, my little flower," he laughed softly into her ear, making her tremble. His hot tongue licked her cheek. "Now, you'remine."
21
Tenebrys could feel the rapid thrumming of Delphi's heart under him. He rubbed his nose against her neck, inhaling her sweet scent of adrenaline and lust.
"Do you like it when I chase you?" he teased, his fangs running against the skin on the back of her neck. He ground his throbbing cock against her soft ass. "Answer me."
"Y-Yes," she admitted breathlessly.
Tenebrys's teeth caught on the collar of her robe, tearing the fabric just enough for him to grab either side with his claws and rip it in half. Delphi gasped but stayed very still like the clever prey she was.
"I can appreciate that you like to play games, little flower, but I also know people have taken away many of your choices in life," Tenebrys said, trailing his knuckles down her spine. "When it comes to us, even now, you have the option to back out. At any moment, if you want to stop, you speak up. Understand?"
Delphi whimpered something he didn't catch, so Tenebrys gently turned her head to look her in the eye. "I need to hear it, Delphi."
"I understand," she replied, with a nod. "Please, just let me come this time."
Tenebrys laughed softly. "Only if you're very good for me."
He hadn't taken the time to study her properly when he undressed her for her bath. Now he had permission to look and touch, and he intended to get his fill of both.
