Page 36 of The Death King

How did he sense that? Why would I?

He spared you from an unbearable existence.

He’s the reason I was there in the first place.

Indirectly.

No. Directly.

Khazmuda was quiet for a while. I understand why you feel resentful, but I hope that’s temporary.

Fuck no, it wasn’t temporary.

Talon is a good man, and I know you’ll see that eventually.

I had dinner alone, sitting at the small dining table in my chambers, reading a book for company. My dinner used to be eaten across from General Titan, who inhaled his food like a dog and then looked at me like I was dessert. I was usually not hungry, disgusted by what would come next after we finished.

The only reason I ate alone by the fire was because King Talon had taken me away, and it was hard not to feel grateful for that. I had far more power under the thumb of a king than I did with a general. I did have a choice, and that gave me the first surge of power I’d felt in a long time.

The door opened without an announcement, and King Talon entered in his dark lounge pants, his chest and stomach bare, little shadows in the grooves between his muscles. He approached the table as his dark eyes locked on mine, his presence filling every corner of the room. He helped himself to the chair across from me, glancing down at my empty plate before he looked at me again. “You enjoyed your dinner.”

“It’s gourmet compared to what I had in the Arid Sands.” My eyes dropped down to my wineglass, and I traced my finger around the edge, slowly spinning in a circle, wondering if I could shatter it and stab him in the neck.

His stare was hot on my face. I could feel it without looking at him.

“What are the black diamonds for?” I noticed he wore no jewelry, no amulet around his neck or a ring with the material in the center. My eyes lifted to his, wanting to gauge his reaction to the question.

A shadow was across his jawline, a darkness because he’d skipped the shave. And with every passing day, it became darker. “Have you considered me?”

My fingers stilled on the glass. There was no denying King Talon was an exceptionally good-looking man, not just because of his handsome face, but because of the strong body that was constantly flexed under his skin. But whenever I looked at him, I thought of things I wished to forget. “You said you would share with me freely.”

“I will,” he said. “But I wanted to know if you were upholding your end of the deal.”

“Yes, I’ve considered it,” I said quickly. “And the answer is no.”

His eyes narrowed in more than disappointment.

“I can tell you aren’t used to rejection.”

His arms crossed over his chest as he sank into the chair, his arms looking even bigger when his elbows were bent. “I don’t consider your answer a rejection. It’s no tonight, but it may not be no tomorrow.”

My eyes dropped back to the wineglass, a small puddle of red wine at the bottom.

“And I hope it’s not.”

I refused to look up, to meet that demanding gaze. He’d claimed this continent as his own in a sweeping victory and had the power to do anything and everything he wanted, but he still didn’t force me to comply.

Maybe he wasn’t completely evil. “So you came here tonight hoping I would ask you to fuck me?” My eyes lifted to meet his.

That unflinching stare was latched on to mine like the jaws of a hungry wolf. “Yes.”

My eyes moved back to my wineglass.

“And you can still ask.”

I smirked slightly. “I’ll never ask something like that.”

“Once you’ve been with me, you will.”

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