Page 77 of Land of Monsters

Her gaze went to the window, picking absently at the dried blood on her hands, her lips pressing together.

Since we escaped the castle, the elephant we ignored had grown from giant to colossal, weighing down the room and thickening the air with strain.

Between what happened on that mountain and theunbelievablesex, likeI thinkshe broke mesex, tension clouded the space between us, signaling something far deeper than I wanted to go.

My cock hardened painfully at the idea of being inside her again, but fear made me step back, pushing me toward the brandy.

“Please.” I took a huge swallow of ?uica, keeping my back to her. “There are too many against us. Do this for me.”

“Exactly why you need me more!”

“No!” I whirled around. “It’s why I can’t protect you! And if anything happened to you—” I cut myself off, anger bristling off me, staring to the side.You will destroy what is left of me.

“Look at me, Ash,” she demanded.

I shifted on my feet but didn’t trust myself to do what she said.

“Look. At. Me!” Her dominance yanked my gaze to her green eyes, bright with emotion. “Do Ilooklike I need your protection?” She opened her arms, displaying torn clothes, her skin caked with other people’s lives. “All my life, I’ve worn pretty dresses and put on a smile for the most dangerous people in the world, including my own family, knowingIwas the thing they should dread the most. All my life I have tried to control it, to keep myself in check. My obscurer desires death, while my dweller craves their blood.I amthe monster they fear. And I bow to no one.”

“You bow to me.” The statement came out of my mouth before I could stop it.

“What?”

“You. Bow. To. Me.” I stated firmer. Setting my glass down, I sauntered back to her until my boots hit hers, my body looming, my lips about an inch from hers. “Theybow to me.”

Her cheeks flushed while her lids tapered. She looked ready to fight me.

“You can’t lie to me,” I whispered hoarsely. “I am theonlyone they succumb to.” I felt it in my soul, could sense them. Read her like she could read me.

Slowly her head dipped in agreement, our breaths starting to labor, the tension circling the room like prey. “I’m scared I’ll go too far.”

“I’m not. I don’t fear them.” My voice dragged across the ground. “They want to unleash their fury… they unleash onme. They crave blood… they tastemine.” My thumb slid over a bit of dried gore on her cheek. “You need to bring yourself back from the brink? I am what you anchor to. They need to fight, fuck, or kill?” My hand slid to the base of her skull, knotting my fingers through her hair, yanking hard on the strands. She let out a gasp, which my dick felt down to the veins, throbbing with need. “They take it out on me, understand?”

“Yes, but—”

“There are no buts.” I pulled her head back more, my mouth ghosting over hers.

“There are always buts.” A fierce growl rumbled in the back of her throat. “We’re in this together, okay? I am not leaving. Discussion over. Understand?”

Staring down at her, I realized how truly fucked I was. I would never win a fight ever again. She owned me in ways I had never understood before.

“You’re not cutting your hair,” I mumbled, tightening my grip on her stands, Minotaur blood soaking it.

“Should we talk about what happened?”

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” I slid my thumb over her bottom lip.

“Not especially.” She sounded breathy. “I need a shower.”

“Do you?” I cocked up an eyebrow.

“I’m still pretty weak and unsteady.” She peered at me through her lashes. “I might need help.”

“Well, you’re in luck.” I leaned closer. “Tree fairies are exceptional at assisting people in need.” I gripped her chin. “Especially those hard-to-reach places.”

“Good.” She went on her toes, her lips grazing mine in a taunt. “Because my pussy is a place I can’t seem to reach.”

“Szar,dziubus.” A sputtered cough moaned out of my throat. “You are killing me.”

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