The bass pulsed around us as my adrenaline rose, the moment between us stretching thin.
I calculated how quickly I could end this, taking notice of everyone surrounding us. My muscles coiled at the ready, but to my surprise, he looked at me at once before turning away. I watched him until he disappeared back into the crowd, just to make sure his decision was genuine. I turned back to face Ember feeling a sharp impact against my shoulder.
“What the hell was that?!” she snapped.
I looked down at her slowly, letting my pent-up fury meet hers. Closing the gap between us, I held her gaze. “What the hell is thatmask, Ember?” My voice dropped to a dangerous level. “Do you even know what you’re doing—what you’resayingto everyone here?!”
She recoiled, letting out a sharp, disgusted sound directed straight at me. Hearing that come out of her mouth lit up every nerve in my body, and red bled into my vision.It’s time for her first lesson.The thought disappeared as my body moved on auto pilot. I bent down and hoisted her over my shoulder in one swift motion. She screamed out at the touch, clutching her camera and securing it against her chest before it could fall. “Hey! Put me down, asshole!”
I locked my arms around her, ignoring her kicks and twists. Maneuvering her legs, I pinned them so she couldn’t hurt anyone as I carried her through the crowd and up the stairs. Masks turned, and whispers followed us, but no one said anything, and I realized why—it was my mask.That’swhy no one tried to stop me.Thatwas why the man from earlier left without a fight. They knew I was the owner.
Halfway up the stairs, I caught Kyrin’s gaze through the crowd. He’d witnessed everything and moved quickly to follow us as I jerked my chin up toward my office.
Once inside, she only fought harder. Adjusting my grip, I heard the door click shut behind me. Kyrin entered just as I set her down. She spun immediately, her fist aimed toward my face. I caught her wrist, spinning and pressing her chest against the wall. I stepped in close until I was pushing into her back. I wanted her to be scared of what could happen. Ineededher to understand, to feel my presence caging her in.
I lowered my mouth to her ear, deliberately clipping my voice. “You are not allowed to wear any mask besides that of a Watcher.” I pressed into her harder, pulling a small grunt from her as I flattened her against the wall. “Better yet—you are not allowed to return hereat all.”
She scoffed beneath her mask, the sound sharp and fearless. Somehow, it only fed my need to tame her. Gripping her arms, I swung her around and placed her back against the wall. Taking both her wrists, I pinned them above her head and watched herpulse start to escalate in her throat.
I swallowed down the exhilaration she was giving me and forced myself to stay calm. Breaking her would take time, and multiple efforts, but that process would be starting right now. She was no longer allowed to do whatever the fuck she wanted, and I would make sure of it.
Lowering my forehead to hers, our masks met with a soft clink. “Do you really want to experience being a Volunteer?” I asked quietly. “Or did you show up in that mask just to piss me off?” My voice was a hardened replica of my normal one, but even this low, it came out absolute.
I tightened my grip for a moment, deciding to release her and take a step back. In the foot of space now between us, I presented her with just enough room to think she could run. If I were smart, I would use this space as an opportunity to retrain certain parts of her, but right now, that was not what I wanted—not yet, anyway.Tonight, I wanted to test her fire.
“Take your dress off.”
Every muscle in her body tensed at my request, sending a jolt of excitement through me, one I didn’t expect. For a second, I watched as she remained absolutely still. Even without speaking, I guessed at exactly what was happening behind her mask. Her anger started to fizzle out, and the heat she felt toward me was now transforming into something else entirely. Confirming my thoughts, her chest began to rise and fall in a steady rhythm. Adrenaline flooded her system so strongly I could practically taste it. Still, she stared at me through her mask, defiant anduncertain all at once.
I tilted my head and lifted my hand to her bare shoulder. Carefully, I traced a finger along the skin above her left collarbone before pausing and moving to the other side. “I know you chose that mask on purpose, Ember,” I said, letting my fingers lazily drift over the fabric on her chest. “So don’t make me ask again.”
Within seconds, her breathing slowed, and I could tell she was ready to ignite. Lifting her hands, she began to peel the dress from her shoulders. I carefully watched every inch of skin she exposed, the energy between us catching sparks with every movement. The more fabric she pulled away, the harder it was to stop myself from touching her. When she stopped at her chest, she paused to look between me and Kyrin.
Time to light the match.
“Keep going, baby.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, her gaze locked on to mine, and I knew I had her. I’d chosen that specific term of endearment, not because I wanted to encourage, but because I wanted to enrage. Right away, I could tell that one simple word had done its job. The unwelcome nickname helped push her past whatever had stalled her, and now she was back to herself. There was no hesitation now as the yellow fabric slid down, revealing her chest to me. I kept my attention on her mask, imagining her eyes and how right now, they were probably glowing with no remorse. I wanted to witness it, and even more so, I wanted to make them roll back for me. I fought thethought and the need to remove her mask. At this point, the need to ruin her had begun to shift into something else, and that was problematic.
I needed to stay focused.
I zeroed in on her movements, my eyes locking onto her perfect body that was now completely free from her gown. This was the first step in making her vulnerable. In the first few moments, I thought I had succeeded. She seemed uncomfortable, maybe even afraid, but then things changed. Slowly, she dragged a finger along the dark lace that clung to her skin—the lingerie she’d chosen to wear underneath. The way her finger moved made me feel like she knew she’d be showing them off tonight, and I hated how that made my mouth water. As the fabric caught the low light, she pulled them down slightly and my heart rate spiked even further.
What the fuck was happening.
Before, I’d only witnessed one side of her—the side that caught my attention without my consent, due to her infuriating ability to be so damn loud and obnoxious. The woman standing in front of menowwas the same person, but in a different way. This part of her still claimed attention, but it was like she was pulling it from the shadows around her. In the darkness surrounding us,mydarkness, she remained absolutely radiant. The more I looked at her, the more something dark and possessive twisted in my chest.
Fuck. I needed to feel her skin.
I crossed the space again, but this time, I didn’t trap heragainst me. Angling my body, I positioned her in the corner, turning her just enough—so that from Kyrin’s position in the room, all he could see was my back. The movement looked casual, almost accidental, but it wasn’t. Initially, I’d allowed Kyrin to be here as part of the lesson, but now I needed him here to keep me from completely devouring her.
The voices in my head began to scream for her, and I no longer had the control to fight them.What I needed was to see her explode.Lifting my hand to her throat, I gripped the skin and turned her head to the side whispering into her ear. “You don’t look away when you fall apart for me, do you understand? Welcome to your ruin.” In the next second, my fingers moved on their own as they slipped beneath her mask and pulled it up over her head. I immediately locked in on those brown eyes that had haunted me. There was no sign of fear, just pure anticipation for what was coming next. My pulse thrummed in my ears even louder as I realized the emotion within them,excitement.
I looked down at her through my mask, trying to contain myself in every way possible. The inferno within her was intoxicating, and if I wasn’t careful, I would be burning tonight. I slowly dragged my fingers over the skin of her thighs before letting them rest for a moment. Next, I pressed my palm against the inside of her legs, clearly signaling to her exactly what I wanted. She took a moment to debate, as if granting me access was a choice. I smiled at that, knowing her reasoning was now futile. She didn’t have a choice in what happened. If anything,I would make sure she felt exactly what she was doing to me. When I had my way, she would be burning right alongside me.
I leaned into the curve of her neck.“Do as you're told, Ember.”
Her eyes dilated at her name as a shudder ran through her body, goosebumps scattering across her skin. Under my mask, my smile grew as she finally opened her legs for me. I moved slow at first, taking in the fact her breathing had turned shallow. When my hand finally rested between them, she held her breath as I traced the thin fabric covering the space there. Small, light moans soon filled my ears. Those sounds encouraged my fingers to explore, circling the area. Each time I swirled them, the lace under my fingers became slightly more wet.
