Page 79 of King of Storms and Feathers

He stepped closer, his fingers threading through the shorter hair on the right side of my head, tugging on it. “Why do you keep asking Ari to shave this side?”

I licked my dry lips. “I… don’t know for sure. But I assume I used to wear it like that back home. The way it is now feels… wrong.”

One side of his mouth curled up as he sifted through longer strands of my hair. His expression could be mistaken for the fondness a rich lord shows for their favorite pet, but I knew better. Thrilled by finally seeing fear shine in my gaze, Arrow delighted in watching me tremble.

As if in response to his mood, a storm gathered outside. Lightning flashed through the arched windows, veils blowing in a gust of wind, followed by the bone-shaking crash of thunder.

“Are you causing that fuss?” I asked, nodding toward the windows circling the half-moon of his bedchamber.

“Not intentionally. I know you won’t believe this, but my purpose isn’t to scare you. I want you to admit you’re at my mercy. Say you’re mine and no other’s.”

“That makes no sense. I’m human. You hate me.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Do I?”

I sucked in short, fast breaths, yet I couldn’t seem to get enough air in my lungs. “Why would you want that from me?”

A king who looked like… that could demand obedience from countless others who’d act the part with greater conviction than I ever could.

“Not your business.” He pushed my legs apart, knelt between them, and all sensible thought evaporated.

His thumbs stroked the edges of my gold pants, dipping under the material, teasing me. “Leaf?” his deep voice rumbled.

“What?”

“Tell me who you are.”

As his torso pressed my thighs apart, I moaned—whether out of fear or pleasure, I wasn’t sure. “I don’t know.”

“Stop lying.” Warm breath caressed the shell of my ear, bumps prickling over my skin. “Confess, and I’ll reward your honesty.”

Confess? If I suddenly realized my identity, in a moment of madness, I’d probably shout it from my pavilion, and the whole Light Realm would know it, too.

“How will you reward me exactly? Set me free? Or help me find my home and my people?”

“No. The person you were is your past. This is your present, here, with me.” His lips pressed against my throat, hot kisses moving downward. “You’re mine to torment, Leaf. Mine to pleasure. Only mine. Understand?”

“If that’s true, then why should you care who I was before you found me?”

His chuckle vibrated over the notch between my collarbones. “Someone wanted you to disappear. They took your life away, your memories. Hurt you. Sold you. And that person must pay. Tell me who they are. Tell me everything you remember, and I will ensure they can never hurt you again.”

“I barely remember anything,” I said, sighing. “A forest, a family that may already be dead. That is all. I promise you, Arrow.”

“Liar,” he breathed, his hand wrapping my throat as the other one traveled lower.

Calloused fingers slid through my mortifying wetness, and he groaned at the discovery.

I hadn’t lied. But I’d omitted the information about Ash, my green-eyed twin. Whether he was dead or alive, nothing good would come of giving Arrow his name.

I couldn’t satisfy the Storm King with information about my identity, but I could say other things that might please him.

“The only name I have is the one that you gave me. You named me, and as you've said—now I’m yours.”

Squeezing my throat, he kissed me hard, his fingers stroking and teasing below to build a tumultuous storm inside me. Oh, gods it was horrible. My head spun as my stomach muscles coiled tighter. Shaking with need, I gripped his wrist, not sure if I wanted to remove his hand or keep it there all night long.

Chuckling, he slid his fingers from my pants and held my face between burning-hot palms, slanting his mouth over mine, demanding I succumb to his control. With a needy sound, I surrendered, giving in to the desire that snaked through my veins, giving in to him—to the Storm King.

This time, I tugged his wrist with a manic focus, certain of where I needed his attention. Where his touch would relieve me from the pulsing ache that wound through my core.

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