Page 71 of Hell Storm

“Speak, or I swear on everything I love, I’ll rip your throat out with my teeth,” Aaric warned, promptly reminding me of the danger that nearly slipped my thoughts. Something about the way he said it led me to believe he would have enjoyed that tremendously.

“You don’t want to feed on me right now,” I reiterated, trying to speak and stare at the same time, remembering what Levi told me to do if it came to this.

Aaric seemed almost bored with my excuse.

“For once tonight, you actually got something right. Idon’twant to simply feed on you.” A smile parted his lips. “I have every intention to kill you. There’s no pity in my heart for liars.”

He leaned in to finish the job.

“What lie did I tell? What did I say?” I pleaded, feeling the tile press into my wrists whereoneof his large hands had the strength to keepbothof mine pinned to the floor.

“How long have you belonged to Levi?”

I tried to wriggle free, feeling how tightly he kept my waist locked between his knees. It was no use. “You said you were cut off from the broadcast a little more than a month ago. You would have barely missed the announcement.”

Does he buy that?

Which of the many lies I’ve told here this evening has he seen through?

“Interesting,” he crooned. “There’s just one small problem with that.”

I waited with bated breath for him to finish.

“You say he indulges your curiosity with the races, but I have it on good authority you were a part of the races long before the prince took you in as his pet. Now, isn’t that right … Specter?”

That breath I held disappeared when he referred to me by my racing name.

He knows. I’m not sure how much or how damning the evidence against me is, but … he knows.

“One does not forget the girl who’s dominated his races for more than two years now. And imagine my surprise when it was brought to my attention that my champion was not only a woman, but …human.”

I wasn’t sure which of those attributes he loathed more.

“So, tell me who you are,” he demanded. “Who youreallyare.”

There was no answer I could give that wouldn’t invite him to kill me like he originally planned. So, instead, I said nothing.

“Very well then,” he smiled. “I take no issue with you dying a nameless nobody.”

I tensed when his teeth grazed me again. “Okay, wait!”

He sighed, but didn’t pull away. “Change of heart?” His lips were still resting against my skin when he asked, and I detected amusement in his tone.

He wanted me to submit, to tell him my whole truth. Only, I couldn’t give him that.

“Not a change of heart,” I replied, “but I can assure you, one taste of my blood, and you’ll drop dead within seconds.”

I wasn’t sure if he sobered out of fear or curiosity, but I guessed it was the latter. His lips dragged over my throat when he reared back to peer into my eyes. I was still in shock as I stared at him, taking in the brilliant, silver shimmer of his. However, now wasn’t the time to ask questions about that. Not when he was a breath away from ending me.

“You have my attention,” he said, tilting his head to listen.

“You were right about me, at least in part. If you go through with this, you’ll not only have to deal withoneprince … you’ll face the wrath of all four,” I explained. “So, if you touch a hair on my head, I guarantee they’ll all rain down hell on yours.”

My chest heaved with each labored breath I took, awaiting his reaction.

Had this been another lie? Yes. I was one-hundred-percent certain Roman wouldnotgo to bat for me, but I had it on good authority the other three would. Aaric didn’t need those details, though. All I needed was for his concern for his own life to outweigh his concern for mine.

It was my only chance.

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