Ways Iyearnedto.
But as quickly as the warmth he brought bloomed, it vanished, replaced by a bone-chilling cold as his nails dug into the back of my hand. Trying to tear myself free, I hissed under my breath as his hold became nearly unbearable, my blood pooling to the surface beneath his touch. His natural ease in leaning into cruelty revealed the depths of his soul, the cracks in his mask shining brighter than the appeal that incessantly radiated from him.
“Your ability to listen is just about as useless as your mouth.” With a shove that felt too effortless—toonatural—he sent me sailing back onto my ass, feet away from whereI’d been.
Pain erupted through my spine, forcing me to bite my lip hard enough that the sharp tang of iron greeted me. Swallowing the cry that threatened to fall, I watched as he placed his hands on his muscular thighs, pushing himself up to stand. As he stepped back, I rested my hands flush against the floor, scooting myself further from the bars and away from him.
“Let me remind you of something,Rohen Levitte.” The corner of his mouth curled, and the enjoyment that emanated from him, along with the knowledge he revealed, caused my stomach to drop. “You are nothing but a cunt I purchased for my men’s pleasure, with a hefty amount of coin, might I remind you. So, you’re going to be an obedient little bitch and do as they wish when they wish. Because believe me, the last thing you want is me finding out that you’re causing issues.”
My shoulders rocked, a manic laugh rolling from my throat to fill the space. “Oh no, I’m so scared. What’re you going to do,Captain,kill me?”
A darkness consumed his irises, causing them to shift from their usual vibrant crimson to a shade far closer to black. He craned his head to the side, bending down just enough to grab the candle from its position on the bench, most of the wax having melted during our engagement. With his glower pinned on me, he smiled, raising the flame inches from his face.
“Oh no, my little siren. What I have planned for you when it comes todefiancewill have you begging Elaros for even the smallest moment of reprieve.” His tongue trailed over his lips as he savored every word he spoke. “You’ve kissed the earth beneath Malrik’s feet for quite some time, but I can promise you that the ways in which I handle things will be far moreunbearablethan any ‘punishment’ you’ve experienced from his hand.
“I am not gracious. I am not kind. And I am sure as fuck not gentle. In all honesty, compared to your previousowner,I am vexation and wrath reincarnated. Where Malrik is brutal, I am unforgiving. My presence is feared in ways you will never be able to comprehend. So, if I have one piece of advice, it’s to avoid pushing metoward the abysmal depths of my subconscious. Because once I get there… There’s no going back.”
He blew out the flame, leaving us in a sea of never-ending shadows, his rasped tone amplified by my lack of sight. “I mean, sure, you can run, but you’ll never be able to hide from meagain.Our souls are intertwined like overlapping oceans, little siren. And because of that, escaping me is nolonger a viable option.”
CHAPTER 11
Chained Sin
CASPIAN
My palms greeted the smooth oak door of my captain’s quarters. Groaning, my forehead landed between them for a moment of reprieve as the influx of mixed emotions continued with their incessant, internalized torment. It wasn’t just billowing agitation, but a deep-seatedyearning, a longing wrapped so tightly with convolution that I couldn’t begin to decipher its purpose.
There was just something aboutherthat threatened to drive me fucking mad.
“Oh, by the grace of Ellira,” I mumbled to myself, a deep exhale filling the cabin.
I was going insane. There was no way?—
“Oh, Cas, you sound like a damned soul.” The melodic hum came from behind me, belonging to none other than the other woman who’d nearly been the death of me more times than I could count.
“Careful, Saph,” I growled. “I am far from in the mood to deal with your antics,especiallyafter the sparring session earlier today.”
“Antics?” she mewled, her fingers ghosting against my spine before beginning their trail up toward the nape of my neck. “What antics do you speak of?”
Driving my heel into the planked wood of my quarters, I spun, my palm meeting her throat as our positions switched faster than she could comprehend. My grasp tightened, and I shoved her back. As she collided with the wall, my veins ignited with incomprehensibleneed—a need I knew Saph would never fill, but a temporary fix could satiate me just long enough.
As our gazes locked, there wasn’t an ounce of fear emanating from her caramelized eyes, only fervency. We’d shared countless intimate moments, the two of us bathing in one another’s need for release and control. Our shared need for harsh slaps, sharpened bites, and mind-numbing asphyxiation highlighted the concepts of love and longing we lacked. Outside of her title of navigator and mine as her captain, our sexual engagements were merely that—a means to keep our demons at bay.
Darkened swirls danced up both of her bronze arms, trailing across her collarbones with edges that sank beneath the cut of her light linen top. The material made her nipples easily visible, and the under the breast corset she wore did nothing to conceal them. The patterns were ones I’d found myself curious about, but I refused to ponder too long. It was an exchange that would require me to open the doors of my own haunting recollections, including the reasons I had lightning inked along my entire left arm and across the expanses of my chest and back.
With her neck pinned beneath my hold, she shook her head. Espresso-colored bob swaying, her heart-shaped lips curled into a knowing smile. “Did I hit a nerve,Caspian Vayne?”
“Why would you assume such nonsense?”
“Someone seems a bit more…” her hand landed on my hardened member, palming me as a grunted moan tumbled from my throat, “tensethan usual.”
My chest hitched, my words coming out encased in a snarl. “If you wish to test the?—”
Silencing me, her mouth collided with mine. It was a kiss molded by heat and near-desperation, lacking tenderness. She worked to consumemy soul in ways only she could, her tongue sweeping from molar to molar as our breaths merged as one.
Driven by her passion-infused touch, I slid my hand upward, my fingernails digging into the underside of her jaw. Yanking her forward, our connection intensified, the space between us shrinking further. Her pebbled nipples landed flush against me, the chill of the chain dangling between my pierced nipples sinking into my solar plexus. The frigidity of the links reminded me of its presence, one I often forgot, but one that’d become a rein she’d happily tugged before.
Without wasting another breath, her hand slithered beneath the hem of my shirt, moving across my hair-covered abdomen before finding the very thing my mind had briefly settled on. Twisting the metal around her forefinger, she pulled down with an intentional yank, pain searing across my chest as I hissed between clenched teeth.
