Page 147 of Hunt Me

Fierce, deliberate, mine.

I kiss him back like I’m drowning, and for a long moment, that’s how I feel, sucked under by a current pulling us both along toward some end I can’t see coming.

When he finally eases back enough to let me breathe, I gasp, clinging to him, staring at him as if I could memorize this moment. “How?” I whisper. “She said?—”

“She said to treat you like my enemy.” His grin is deliciously deviant. “And this is how I’ve treated you as my enemy since the moment we met.”

I laugh, my relief turning to joy and escaping my body into the cold, dampness surrounding us. “Hells, you’re right. She has no idea what she just said.”

“None.” His grin dims, and his gaze cools. “If her first order had stood, I might have killed you.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” I assure him.

But we both know he’s probably right.

“How are you doing with all this? With her? And…him?”

“I am better now,” he says quietly. “I needed to see that you’re safe.”

“I’m okay,” I assure him. “But this symbol blocks my magic. Otherwise, I would have used whatever roots lie outside these stone walls to tear this place to the ground.”

“Hmm, maybe dial that back until we’re both out of here.”

I grin. “I’ll do my best.” My smile fades quickly as I say, “I’m sorry your parents are assholes.”

He grunts, amusement flashing across his face before being replaced by somber shadows. “I should have killed her on that mountain.” He looks at me, his palm cupping my cheek. “I’ll fix that problem soon if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Don’t talk like that,” I tell him.

“I resisted her order for me to fight for her tonight,” he says. “The blood vow didn’t work. It’s why she made the bargain to let me see you.”

My eyes widen. “Does that mean the vow is broken?”

“Not broken. But… the call toward you was strong enough to let me resist.”

“That’s great news. Right?”

He sighs. “It wouldn’t have lasted. I could feel the blood calling to me. My resolve would have crumbled eventually. I managed to get down here before that happened, but… it’s not exactly a long-term solution. Besides, it ended with her carving into me, and I wouldn’t have resisted that order.”

I bite my lip, knowing he’s right. We have the stolen moments she’s given us, and that’s all. For a fleeting moment, I wonder if she knows about the loophole in her words or that the curse is broken between us. I wonder if she did this on purpose, knowing one night in Legion’s arms is going to make watching him go that much more painful.

“Do you think she knows I can touch you?” I ask.

“No.” He sounds certain. “She would kill you if she knew.”

“Why?”

“Because it would mean we would be free to do this.”

He strokes my cheek again, and the answer slams into me. My chest expands with my sharp inhale of breath. I study Legion, my heart pounding, as I consider it. As I consider whether he’d ever agree to giving himself over yet again.

“What is it?” he asks, studying me intently.

“Claim me.”

“What?”

“Claim me as your mate. Bind yourself to me. It’s the only way to break their hold over you.”

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