Page 42 of Brutal Birthright

Her pointed chin tipped up in silent confirmation of his suspicions.

“That day…” She paused, chewing on her bottom lip.

“I know what happened.” At that admission, her eyes widened. “The guard you allowed to leave his post the day of the coronation. I know all of it.” He dipped his head lower as he gritted out those words. It seemed to surprise her, but it really shouldn’t. Did she truly believe he wouldn’t know everything that went on when it related to those under his command?

The plump curve of her lips dropped open as he could see her mind scrambling for a retort. But he wouldn’t let her lash out and escape this time.

“You disobeyed a direct order that day, Oriana,” Rowan growled. “While you thought you were helping out that guard and doing him a favour by relieving him of his post—even though it was well-intentioned to allow him to search for his missing family—you put the entire coronation in jeopardy. There is no room for rash decision-making when it comes to war. Success can only come from trust in those by your side, and you proved that trust was the last word in your vocabulary when you went against the chain of command.”

She had to fucking learn.

There was no avoiding the raw, bloodied truth of a fight.

If there was nothing else he could do to protect her…

Her body slid along the wall, attempting to escape him. Inching closer to the alcove where the rest of the armoury was set back from the main arena. Oh, she thought she’d be able to hide in there? Well, she had another thing coming. There was nowhere to run to. He’d make sure of that.

He stalked after her as she rounded the corner. Both of them stepping into the enclosed space lined with racks holding a vast assortment of blades, bows, and shields.

“If you’re always looking for a battle, you’re only ever going to be armed with blades.” She was breathing hard. Wide eyes locked on his own and holding him captive with so little fucking effort it was pathetic. “And to someone who is only ever looking for a fight, every problem can be solved at the tip of a sword.” Her voice was quiet now. Barely a murmur.

Either the fire inside her was about to fizzle out, or suddenly burst into a raging inferno.

To illustrate her point, the sharp tip of her blade pressed against his sternum. A gentle pressure, but one that could so easily dig in and leave him bleeding within a second. The exact moment the metal touched him was like the air ignited between their bodies in the confines of the alcove.

Inferno it was.

In an instant, she was all lust-blown eyes and soft panting breaths. His cock pressed hard against the front of his pants at the sight of her crowded before him. Flanked on one side by the arched doorway to the arena, and on the other by a rack of broadswords. His hungry gaze consumed every inch of smooth bronze skin along her shoulders and neck and chest. Expanses of soft flesh that he wanted to leave covered in his marks.

“Don’t think I won’t use this on you.” Her breathy fucking voice was going to undo him entirely.

He studied her from beneath hooded eyes, devouring the telltale way her pulse hammered in her neck. With one hand he reached forward and wrenched the sword out of her grasp. His fingers flexing for just a second over her own, before he tore the weapon from her and fisted it in his own grip at his side.

“Oh, you think you’re in charge here, do you, little faerie?”

She stared up at him with her head tilted back against the wall, and a soft whimper left the back of her throat. Shit.

Do not fucking touch. Do not fucking touch.

Repeating those words didn’t seem to be working.

Keeping his hands to himself was nearly impossible. Not when she looked at him like that. Not when he knew she was just as close to crossing the forbidden line between them as he was.

But there were other ways he could get this obsession out of his system.

The command left his mouth before he could take a second to think about the consequences.

“Turn around. Hands on the fucking wall.”

Chapter 14

“Hands on the fucking wall.”

Ri’s body shuddered under the weight of his dark command. Lightning shot through her veins and surged down to her toes. She spun around immediately.

Every second they’d drawn closer and closer out there in the training arena had left her insides burning up in a frenzy of angst and wanting and a heady potion of raw desire.

Her palms scraped against the rough stone wall, and she could feel the heat of his body surrounding her from behind. Just like the last time they’d been in this position. Only now, they were hidden away in the dimly lit alcove of the armoury. The heavy wooden door to the training arena was wide open—but somehow that made the whole thing more arousing.

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