For myself.
For her.
I close my eyes and feel. All of it. The air and the ground, her skin and her soul. The warmth that radiates from my palm and the gentleness with which it spreads is a revelation. My eyes snap open and Zara’s hair shimmers, rippling as if it were liquid moonlight. The strands dance as the knots come undone, and I stare in disbelief, unsure if I’ve ever seen anything as ethereal before.
Her head lifts and she blinks herself awake, those emerald green eyes dazzling me with their intensity. They sharpen and their green darkens as they connect with me and her mouth turns inward.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
My simple act of kindness appears to have surprised Zara as much as me. She will have to learn some manners quickly if she knows what’s good for her. I’ve never allowed a woman to be attached before, but now this witch is, and I’m absolutely certain that I won’t allow her to be badly behaved.
“Cleaning your hair.” My voice is clipped and that should be enough of a warning.
“Don’t bother.”
Apparently it wasn't enough of a threat.
“It was dirty.” My tone turns sharp enough that even the most stupid of witches would know I’m pissed.
“Of course it is. It’s been near you.”
My eyebrow arches and Zara smirks. She thinks she’s scored a cheap point and she’s about to walk herself into a world of trouble if she isn’t careful.
“Get your fucking filthy hands off me,” she spits.
My hand finds her upper arm and the girl tries to wrestle free. I hold her and she writhes while I smirk, delighted she can’t use her magic yet. It’ll return as mine has started to, but the absence of her magic is a gift—a temporary reprieve—but I’d be a fool not to use it while I can.
“Behave,” I snarl, my tone dripping with venom. It’s enough to make even Zara pause. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
She rolls her eyes, the gesture so insolent it sets my blood on fire. “You’re never touching me again. I don’t care about the ebon chain; I’d rather die than go through that again.”
“Then I guess I’ll be fucking a corpse,” I sigh, smiling with satisfaction as her mouth falls open.
The silence that follows is charged, her wide eyes darting to mine as she scrambles to form a retort. The stunned expression on her face is delicious, but it’s the flicker of uncertainty beneath it that I savor most. Zara hasn’t been lost for words in the short time I’ve known her, and seeing her stumble like this is a victory I’m savoring.
“You’re disgusting,” she finally hisses, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and something else she probably won’t admit.
“And you’re exhausting,” I counter smoothly, my grip loosening just enough to let her pull away. “But here we are, bound together. Isn’t that poetic?”
Her nostrils flare, and for a second, I think she might strike me. Part of me almost hopes she does, and it would give me an excuse to put her in her place. Instead, she pulls back, her chest heaving as she struggles to rein in whatever storm is brewing inside her, and I decide to hold off on the spanking she’s earned.
“Go to hell, Kade,” she snaps, her voice cracking just slightly on my name.
“Already there, darling,” I reply, my smirk widening. “You’re my plus-one.”
The fire in Zara’s eyes glares and she’d gladly burn me alive if she could. Her shoulders sink as she exhales and for a moment, it looks like she’s finally figured out how powerless she is. But Zara reverts to her type and behaves like the insolent, defiant witch she is, refusing to accept the reality around here.
I rake a hand through my hair, forcing my irritation down. “We’ve got bigger problems than your pride, darling. We can’t run away from each other or the repercussions of ourblood weave. My brothers are the least of it, Zara. The rest of the warlocks are going to be fucking furious that a witch like you managed to ensnare me, and they’ll come for us. Galen and Darius might join them unless we’re careful.”
Her face pales slightly and I’m sure I’ve hit a nerve.
“I don’t care,” she mutters, almost to herself. “This chain is unnatural. Twisted. You need to undo it, Kade.”
Her words claw at me, each one laced with venom, but I’ve had enough of her ignorance. I snatch her wrist, yanking her attention back to me.
“You think I want this?” My voice is low, a warning rumble. “You think I chose to be shackled to you?”
Her glare hardens, fire burning behind those emerald eyes. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t do this.”
