Page 52 of Sticks and Stones and Broken Bones

“Alice Raathmore, you dare threaten us? Your magic is nothing compared to the power we wield.” I gripped her chin and let my magic pour from my fingers. “No more words shall leave these lips, thy voice belongs no more to thee.”

She gasped and sputtered as I let her go. Her lips moved but no sounds came out and I soaked up the fear that bled from her soul. Gods, that tasted fucking divine.

“I don’t think that was necessary,” Korbin said as we left the house.

“I thought it was fucking hot.” Hawk swatted my ass as he strode past, and I had the sudden urge to punch him in the face. He was really starting to get on my fucking nerves.

Nox let out a low groan. “Enough with the sexual tension. Leather pants don’t make for a comfortable erection.”

“Do you ever think about anything other than sex?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied with an innocent grin. “I quite often think about the joy violence brings me.”

Hawk laughed and Korbin heaved a resolute sigh.

“Let’s get home. I want to make sure our girl is okay,” Nox said with a smile as he skipped off into the sunset, humming a tune and twirling his knife. The guy was a fucking loon.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Raevyn

Iawoke to the sensation of fingers carding through my hair and I was snuggled into something solid and warm.

“If you keep doing that, Lilac, I’m not going be responsible for my actions.”

My eyes flew open, and I realised I was apparently rubbing myself all over someone’s crotch. Someone’s very hard, very erect crotch.

I tilted my head back and found Rook staring down at me with a lazy smile. Heat flushed my face at how close he was.

“Hi,” I squeaked. Cool, Raevyn. Cool.

“Hey,” he whispered. “How you feeling?”

“Fine?”

He breathed a laugh. “You sure?”

“Mm-hm.” My gaze dropped to his lips and that ridiculously cute smile. His smile widened and jeez, fuck, he had dimples.

His large hand cupped my jaw and I saw a hunger bloom in his green eyes, darkening them to a deep emerald that sparkled in the low light. “Do you want me to kiss you?”

I went to answer but he placed his finger against my lips, halting my words.

“Make sure you’re convinced in your answer. Because if you say yes, and I really hope you say yes, I’m not going to stop. I’m going to absolutely devour you and there’s a chance I might not be able to control myself. Yes, I can make you feel euphoric, but I might hurt you, Raevyn. There’s something in me that reacts to you in a visceral way, and I can’t—” He swallowed, stumbling over his words, “—I can’t risk hurting you.”

“But what if you don’t hurt me?” To be honest I was having trouble getting past the whole making me feel ‘euphoric’. I wanted that. Wanted to feel that. I craved that.

“But what if I do?”

I smiled hesitantly at him. “I spent my life dreaming about ‘what ifs’. I don’t want to spend my death thinking about them too.”

“Raevyn…” he groaned, and my name sounded delicious in his mouth.

“But if it’s any consolation,” I said as I trailed my finger over the curve of his cheek, “I don’t think you would hurt me. I think you’d stop yourself. I trust you.”

And I did. I had to believe that whatever this connection between us was, it would protect me from his darker nature. The connection felt like it wanted to thrive, so I had to trust in it and Rook.

“You really want this?” he asked again, giving me a chance to back away, but I didn’t need it. I knew what I wanted.

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