Page 42 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“I have to do this, Luka,” she said softly.

He stayed quiet.

“It’s bigger than me and Theon,” she added.

Still, he didn’t utter a word.

“We were always meant to destroy one another.”

Silence.

“I can’t help with Axel, and even if I could, it would be pointless. I don’t…” She trailed off before she said, “Can you say something?”

“There’s nothing to say, Tessa. You made your choice. Don’t come to me seeking validation for it,” he answered.

“I’m not,” she snapped, her tone going icy as she rolled away from him.

He sighed again, staring up at the ceiling as he said, “You either want someone to make decisions and choices for you, or you don’t, Tessa. You wanted control. You have it. That makes you responsible for the consequences. No one else. I’m not going to be the one to make you feel okay about those choices. Theon is the one to seek out when you need someone else to make decisions for you so you don’t have to feel the ramifications.He’sthe one who’s going to take on that responsibility so you don’t have to, because he’d do anything to keep you from harm. He’s the one who will protect you from yourself. I’m going to be the one who lets you decide whether you’re going to crawl, run, or fly, and I won’t catch you unless you ask me to.”

“A balance,” she muttered, shifting once more. “In all things, there must be balance.”

The quiet grew between them, and he knew the moment she drifted off to sleep because she rolled into him, draping a leg over his thigh and nestling into his side. Her breathing was deep and tranquil, her hand resting lightly on his abdomen.

And he made a choice as he curled his arm around her and tugged her closer.

He made a choice knowing there was no one to catch him when the consequences came.

9

AXEL

He cupped his hands together, letting the warm liquid pool in them. Thick and sticky, it smelled like copper. He could practically taste it as it rained down around him.

At some point he’d been moved from the dark room they’d been keeping him in and shoved in here. Another day, another hour, another room. It didn’t matter. The dark was the dark. He’d sank to the floor, finding his way to a wall to lean against. His hair was still plastered to his brow from sweat. He’d been lost to the need for what felt like years now. His entire body ached, and his mouth was beyond dry. His power was screaming in his soul. Then again, that might have been him screaming. Maybe that was why his throat was scratchy and raw.

They hadn’t chained him again. There hadn’t been a need to. Locked away in a place where he couldn’t see, there was nothing he could do. Not that he hadn’t tried. He’d stumbled around that room as though he was intoxicated, running his palm along the floor and every wall. He couldn’t even tell where the door was. He had, however, found a small drain. That had been useful for taking care of his needs and for the vomiting. It’d done nothing for the smell though.

Eventually, he’d stopped noticing the stench.

Eventually, all he could think about was the insatiable need that would never be quenched. Not until he could find her.

He hadn’t noticed the fresher air in this space when they brought him here, but he’d noticed when it started raining blood.

He was going to savor this. Every last drop. Just like he was going to savor it when he got out of here and found her. The red against her dark skin was going to be so fucking beautiful. He could already see it sliding down her neck. He’d lick it up with the tip of his tongue before going back for more. He’d take every last drop from her. She was all his anyway.

His to have.

His to take.

His to do with as he pleased.

That was what she was for.

He smiled, thinking of her lovely dark curls and those bright amber eyes. How could he take from her and watch them dim at the same time?

Droplets continued to splash onto his face, down his bare arms, his chest. It was almost time for him to feast, and he was going to savor it. Gorge himself on this blessing that had been bestowed upon him.

Until the liquid seeped through his fingers, and he panicked. He couldn’t waste any of it! Lurching forward, he brought his cupped hands to his mouth, drinking it down and?—

---