I landed in front of him, the glow of the forest highlighting his empty gaze.
“How’d you sleep?” I mocked, circling him.
“Like I always do.”
“Right.” I socked him in the face and kicked in his knees. He slammed into the ground with an unsatisfactory soft thump. Should’ve hit him harder if he was going to be so damned annoying. “Why are you still here?” I demanded.
“You told me to be.” The pet tried to push off the ground. My boot stomped on his chest, pinning him.
“Please tell me you have at least one brain cell left. Why are you here?” I spat, grinding my heel into his squadron uniform. His ribs flexed beneath the pressure, and my shadows coiled in gleeful suspense. Just a little more force, and I could break them. Tempting. So unbelievably tempting.
“Because I deserve it.”
Damn right he did. Still wasn’t the right answer. I pressed harder, digging in like he was a disgusting bug I needed to kill. His ribs shifted. The pet gasped, I grinned, and Rune growled, sending me a feeling of reproach.
I snapped my head up. She gnashed her teeth at me, prowling closer.
“You’re late. And this hardly warrants your attitude. Save it for later.” I most likely only bruised his ribs, possibly fractured one or two. Sam could heal those in a couple hours. “We’re just getting started.”
She sat, the shadows woven through her fur stilling, preparing. Unlike with the hellion, I couldn’t block her from feeling me. She knew I edged the line between doing what served him and what served me.
Removing my boot, I waited to see what state I’d put the pet in.
He pushed to his feet with little struggle. Bruised, then.
“Is she going to join in?” He nodded toward Rune.
“No.”
“Then why is she here?”
His question didn’t deserve a response.
“If she’s not here to help you, then she’s either a spectator or a buffer.”
“And?”
Blue flames flashed in his irises. “I don’t want a buffer.”
A cruel grin stretched across my face. “I don’t give a shit what you want. If you came for pain, I’ll give you pain.”
That seemed to satisfy him. Superb.
Now, would he give me what I wanted, or would we be at this for weeks? Months? The thought sickened me.
He stood there like an eager, miserable sacrifice. What did the hellion see in him?
I gritted my teeth and split his lip with my fist. Then hit the same spot again, harder. It reminded me of Alexei’s treatment with me. The pain had woken me up. It helped focus my attention on the present and away from the horrible memories. It had given me relief, as I imagined it did for him.
He fell, grunting. Then stood for more.
“Why do you keep getting up?” I slammed my fist into his injured side, forcing him to sink to his knees.
Rune growled again. I suppose I shouldn’t break his ribs.
“I already told you,” he snapped, spitting blood from his mouth.
Hmm. I could work with that.
