Page 89 of Stalked By Seduction and Shadows

She finally looked at me, her heart slowing.

I held her face in my palm and fed warmth into my eyes. “You would be better than them, that I am certain of.”

Sudden, slippery guilt coiled around my heart, knowing that this precious girl was mine. Because I saw the way her eyes had lit up at my words, her hope warming my skin. I was turned; I’d relinquished my ability to have children.

Yet the idea of her carrying anyone else’s made the whole room go dark, the air cold as ice.

We reached for each other at the same time. Our lips locked in another kiss that made me forget who I was before I’d met her, before I’d felt her body come undone at my touch.

I kissed her selfishly, my tongue invading her mouth, my fangs teasing her bottom lip. The mere idea of allowing another to touch what was mine had me unraveling like I was nothing more than a beast. If not for Sadie’s training, I might’ve entered full-blown bloodlust.

That was how insane Scarlett made me feel. And she had no idea. She’d only tasted a drop of my obsession on her cunning tongue, seen just a glimpse of how enthralled I was by her beautiful mind and her sweet darkness.

“You are perfect,” I reminded her. I kissed the corner of her lips, then her jaw, her earlobe. She shuddered, bucking when I finally went in for her neck. I flicked my tongue over her jugular, and she moaned and arched into me. “Mmm.” I sighed, holding her tight with one hand as my other roamed her curves.

I lifted and studied her eyes, ensuring there were no signs of dissociation. They only burned with lust, the scent of it filling the room and driving me deeper into heady madness.

“Is this okay?” I asked, just to be sure. I was confident in my ability to read what belonged to me, but I could never be too careful with Scarlett after all she’d endured. I’d meant it when I told the witch she could kill me if I ever harmed her.

She nodded, her confusion flitting to irritation. She knew I was asking because of what had happened to her last night. She didn’t want to think about her trauma, that much was clear. The way she’d buried the pain deep wasn’t healthy. Without integrating it, the wounds were bleeding out beyond her conscious awareness, whenever triggered. But now was not the time to help her. We had all the time in the world.

“Wipe the disrespectful look from that pretty face or I’ll give you something to truly be angry about,” I growled at her.

Her irritation melted away, and I nearly let my mask slip and smiled when her eyes filled with rage.

“Don’t move, and don’t speak either,” I commanded, rising to my feet.

Scarlett grew flustered as she studied me, her lips parting. I waited for a moment, watching her mind churn.

“I wonder if your desire to be a brat will outweigh your drive to be my good girl, my perfect little toy,” I murmured. I saw the words bubbling up, her body tensing as she debated breaking both rules at once. “Deny it. Tell me you aren’t my human pet, my doll to dress up in pretty dresses and feed from my hands.”

Now she was downright livid, her lips curling and eyes flashing ire. Unfortunately for her, I could also scent how desperate for me she’d become, her arousal stronger than ever.

“Obey me, and I’ll let you come on my tongue while we listen to music,” I said.

A muscle in her petulant jaw ticked.

“Don’t, and the only sound in this room will be your screams.” I smiled. “Choose wisely, because both options sound equally gratifying to me.”

42

SCARLETT

The sadistic fucker wanted me to disobey him. I could see it in his eyes, the way they’d lit up most when he talked about me screaming. He’d created a double bind. I lost either way.

My core ached. My nerves screamed for his touch. But even through my lust, I recognized that only one option included music. And my unquenchable desire for more melody to flood this room full of stars was much stronger than my desire to win.

When I only stared back at him, motionless, Rune’s smirk grew.

He nodded. “Good choice.”

I couldn’t see what collection of songs he’d picked. I could only listen to the sound of his steady footsteps, his soft hum.

When I realized he was humming the song he’d heard me sing, more embarrassment flooded my system. I’d never been more mortified. Rune had said that my voice was his new favorite sound, but he had to have been just being nice.

My parents had liked when I sang for them at first, but Isabella had told me they were just being nice too. She’d called my singing noise. I once told her I wanted to be a singer. She’d said that all but the best artists were penniless, homeless losers, and I was certainly not good enough to be one of the best.

Memories of both Isabella and my parents telling me to quiet down, to stop begging for attention, faded from my mind when a spark of magick charged the air. This time, it was some string instrument I’d never heard before, along with a piano. A man began to sing, his voice carrying a twang that reminded me of some shifter merchants who sold leather goods. He sang of loving a woman who loved the rain. Missing her, yearning for her when she was gone, but the rain continued to pour.

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