There’s nothing.
I turn, startled by the silence, and watch as she walks up the staircase. The dim moonlight filters through the dusty glass, illuminating the silver strands of her hair and the rigid line of her shoulders.
Damn, I want to fuck her senseless.
I want her back to arch beneath me and hear her scream my name.
“Are you coming?” she asks, resigned.
I nod and follow behind her, staring at her ass as she makes her way to my quarters. It’s stunning and she knows it. The sway of her hips is deliberate, a silent taunt that makes my blood roar louder than it should. By the time we reach my rooms, I’ve barely reined in the impulse to press her against the door and remind her who she belongs to.
She steps inside without waiting for an invitation, her sharp eyes scanning the room as though expecting a trap. It’s barren but functional, a contrast to the chaos swirling between us. The fire in the hearth casts a low glow, shadows flickering across her face as she turns to face me.
“Well?” she asks, her tone clipped. “Are you going to explain, or are you just going to keep staring at me like that?”
My jaw clenches, every nerve screaming at me to push back, but the fight in her is too raw, too personal, and damn if I don’t find it beautiful.
“I told you, Malric’s test is unavoidable. If there was another way, I’d take it.”
Her laugh is cold, devoid of humor. She crosses her arms, defiance etched into every line of her face. Her breath catches, her chest rising and falling as she stares at me, her composure unraveling. It makes me want to wrap my hand around her pretty little throat and throttle her until her lungs burn and run out of air.
“He doesn’t get to touch you, Zara.”
I step closer, my hands curling into fists at my sides. The thought of anyone, especially someone like Malric, touching this girl has me itching to rip his heart out with my bare hands and feed it to him before he takes his last, pitiful breath.
My hands curl tighter as the thought claws at me. I push it down—barely—and take a deep breath. I need to approach this carefully. If I lose control, if I push her too hard, she’ll slip through my fingers entirely.
I unclench my fists, though the tension thrums just beneath the surface.
“You seem uneasy, kitten,” I say, my voice quieter now, deliberately even. “Are you having second thoughts about undoing the blood weave?”
Zara blinks, caught off guard for a moment, before that steel edge returns to her eyes. “Of course I want it undone. Why wouldn’t I?”
The sharpness in her tone stings more than it should, but I don’t let it show. I nod slowly, buying myself a moment tothink. I need it, and I bite back the emotions tearing through me as my instincts scream that I should make it clear who she belongs to. I own Zara, and it’s just a matter of time before she realizes she belongs to me. Her body. Her soul. Her perfect little cunt and the pleasure it brings the both of us.
I shouldn’t have asked.
I was hoping for at least a moment’s hesitation, for her to waver just a little and admit this bond between us might be worth holding on to. But Zara is Zara. She wants her freedom. She wants to break every chain that she’s ever known, even the one binding her to me. The witch won’t give me what I want easily, and I’m going to have to force it out of her.
I shouldn’t want this fucking blood weave.
But I want to keep her. I want her tied to me in every way.
I want to know she’s mine and I want to control her.
She shifts, her expression unreadable, though the bond between us hums with her restrained frustration. It’s an interesting development, and I wonder if the little minx is beginning to have second thoughts.
“Why are you asking me now?” Zara says, suspicion lacing her voice.
I step closer, letting my eyes lock on hers.
“It’s never too late to change your mind, Zara. I could learn to live with the blood weave if trying to break it is too much for you. It won’t be pleasant for you, and although I’ll feel some of what you’re enduring, it won’t be as bad for me.” I let the words sink in, my voice dropping lower. “But if you’re not sure, if there’s even a slither of doubt, we stop this here and now. I won’t let Malric touch you unless you’re certain.”
The words hang between us, heavier than I intended, and for a second, just a second, her resolve falters. But then she shakes her head, that fire in her gaze reigniting.
“I’m not changing my mind. I can’t live like this, Kade. Whatever happens with Malric, it’s better than this… this thing between us.”
My chest tightens at her words, but I force myself to stay calm, to keep my face impassive. Inside, though, a storm rages.
