Page 27 of Seduce Me in Shadow

“Sabelle?” I question, grateful in that moment that my brother can’t hear me.

“I’m all right. Stay back.”

“Female,” Lucan purrs as he buries his face in her neck. His lips skim her skin as he pants, his chest rumbling with sounds of approval. Then he roams her body with his nose, taking advantage of the slack in his chains to squeeze her breast before he cups between her legs. “Anka?”

When Lucan pants and bites at her neck, she shudders. Her eyes slide shut. Is she repelled? Aroused? I can’t tell. But watching them is horrifying. Not only that, I’m invading mybrother’s privacy. He’d be furious if he was in his right mind. But I can’t abandon Sabelle.

Instead, I stare vigilantly, digging my fingers into the wood as I resist the nearly overwhelming urge to rescue her.

I was against magical mating before, but witnessing this nightmare seals the deal.

Sabelle wraps her arms around him and strokes his shoulders, filtering her gentle fingers through his hair. Like a lover would.

Wait. Is she pretending to be Anka…or does she have feelings for Lucan?

“That’s it,” she whispers. “More.”

Lucan can’t hear, so he doesn’t respond. Sabelle urges him even closer by gliding one palm down my brother’s back while she spreads her legs and arches closer.

With his hands roaming her pale flesh, Lucan tries to claim her mouth. I hold my breath as Sabelle dodges him, offering her neck.

Finally, Lucan gives up, then drops his mouth to her breasts and ravishes them, all but inhaling her nipples, sucking, nipping, biting…

This is fucking uncomfortable to watch.

“Anka,” my brother breathes against Sabelle’s skin, fisting his hand in her damp hair. “My Anka!”

Lucan’s inner beast begins to come free from its chain. He writhes, thrusting his hips at her. I recoil, but for Sabelle’s safety I can’t turn away. I need this to work. Even so, every instinct tells me to protect her. And watching my brother take from Sabelle without a thought or care utterly guts me.

“Stop,” I demand. “You don’t have to do this.”

Sabelle turns to meet my stare. “I do, but if you can’t stay, I understand.”

Is she mad? “Who will be your safety net?”

“He’s chained. Go on. I’m all right.”

“I won’t leave you to face this alone. We don’t know what he’s truly capable of.”

Her expression is akin to a shrug as she strips away Lucan’s briefs, leaving them both naked.

With an animal growl, my brother covers her greedily, his much bigger body all but swallowing her up. Chains rattling, he grips her hips and lunges for her mouth. Again, she dodges him before he can fuse their lips together.

Still gripping the door frame as I watch this unfolding horror, my fingers turn numb.

“Give me!” Lucan roars.

“That’s enough.” I lunge for the bed again

An imploring glance from Sabelle stops me. “No. He thinks I’m her. That’s all that matters now. I’m so close to?—”

Lucan clutches her face and forces her mouth under his. My heart jumps in my throat, and I curse myself for distracting Sabelle, even for a moment.

My brother overpowers her as he lowers his head to seize her mouth. Sabelle has no choice but to press her lips together, wriggle her body against his, and try to distract him.

But I see her beginning to panic.

Frustration and fear gnaw at my gut. “Will kissing him turn him more feral?”

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