Page 168 of Winter Gods & Serpents

“Darling, the world hates, fears and wants to either use me or kill me. Those I love either dead or in danger, my worth nothing or precious depending again whether one wants to use me or kill me. Do you truly recon unicorns and sirens from your prophecy sprinkled spirit dust over my crib?”

My teeth scarped my bottom lip, suppressing a smile and an entire laugh. “Wolf, dragon and thunderbird.”

“Yes, yes,” she said, waving her hand in the air. “Beasts of the same sort.”

“You are not cursed.”

“I certainly am something but not blessed. Do you prefer I keep the contortion of the unnatural metaphor?”

I gripped her jaw, tilting her head to me, and her eyes shot wide. “You do hold onto things pretty tightly. You want me to beg and apologize on my knees for calling you that? Tell me, and I’ll get on my knees for you again.”

A smile grew over her pretty lips. “Yes, but not on your knees otherwise I’ll want you between mine.”

Yes, I’d probably want to do that too. I leaned over to her ear. “Forgive me?”

“Alright.”

I faced her full of doubt. “Alright?”

She nodded. “Yes, alright. Want me to spell?”

“You let go of that quick.” Even I had not forgiven myself for all I’d said and done to her. Perhaps I’d never forgive me.

“That comment only inflated my ego it did not offend me. I let it go the moment you said it then, I just wanted to see if you would really ask for it. Ask for apology.”

“You know I would.”

“I knew,” she said confidently. “But it’s different to hear it. I like hearing your thoughts.”

I thought she hated my thoughts. I let go of her face, and she ran her fingers over her jaw. “I’ve never been into this before, but you have my vote.”

“Is that all you think about?”

“Come now,” she purred low. “Don’t you? It’s not like we can act on it. What will a little thinking do?”

“At times.” That little thinking did a lot, more than it should.

“Night times?”

I sighed, rubbing my eyes deep in frustration that was turning something on the lines of arousal. “You tire me.”

“And you bore me.” Her hands met my chest as she eagerly blinked up at me from her shorter stature. “So? Only at night time, is there some sort of rule for you sort?”

“You have some interesting conceptions on my people and our traditions.”

Her eyes narrowed for a moment. “So it is not only at night?”

I cupped her shoulders and pushed her a step back before I lost all sense propriety. “No, not only at night.”

She approached me again. “What sort of thinking?”

I took another step back. “What is it that you want to hear?”

She glanced down to my crotch. “How do you think of me? Silencing my mouth or making me scream.”

Fuck. “Hells,” I said, blowing a heavy exhale, my head dropping back. “Enough, Snow.” I hated that she hated the thought of me touching her, it was all I wanted to do. I hated how my body reacted to her despite knowing she hated being touched by me.

“Ask Krig, why are you asking me? I don’t control the skies I am not the cloud dove of storms.”