Page 70 of Hell Storm

It didn’t take long to realize I’d hit a nerve.

How’d I know?

The dark blur rushing straight for me was a dead giveaway.

With a mighty gush of wind, Aaric’s ascent caused each candle he passed to simultaneously lose its light. One by one, their dancing orange flames faded into smoke. He made it to my end of the table in what felt like half a second, maybe long enough to blink. My lungs burned when I sucked in a rapid breath, one I barely had time to release before a large foot hooked the bar beneath my chair, tipping it with so much force I feared it would shatter upon hitting the tile. I was so certain of it, I braced for impact.

Only, the loud crash and pain I anticipated never came.

It should have been impossible for him to have time to catch me before I hit the floor, but he had. Instead, it was lowered with control, until the back touched down with a gentle thud.

Strands of my hair settled over my face, moving with every breath I took. Lying there, I gripped the arms of my chair as Aaric’s presence covered me.

He lowered, snatching both hands above my head where he pinned them, straddling my waist next, locking me between his powerful thighs. I was completely at his mercy, restrained beneath him as I breathed in his scent—mint and leather.

“Is this what you wanted?” he asked, breathing the words against my ear as I panted, unable to speak or even move.

“No, no, no … don’t turn away now,” he taunted. “You provoked the beast to rise. Well, here he is.”

The depth of his voice shook me to the core, striking fear in me that I didn’t even know I was capable of feeling. Sweat dampened my skin and I wanted to open my eyes.

Wantedto.

But Couldn’t.

“Look at me,” he seethed.

When I failed to comply, his firm hand took my chin, jerking my face toward his.

“Look at me!”

Shaking, I couldn’t will myself to obey, defying his loudly spoken demand. It wasn’t until I felt his breath against my throat that I envisioned exactly what lie ahead for me.

A violent and bloody death.

“Stop! Please … stop!” My voice quivered, and to my surprise, he halted but left his teeth braced over my skin. “You don’t want to do that, because I’m … I’m not who you think I am,” I shared hesitantly, a last-ditch effort to convince him to spare my life.

“I’m … not just a Doll.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Corina

My revelation caused Aaric to retreat, and in a sudden rush of courage, I willed myself to finally look at him.

Slowly lifting my lids, I overcame the fear within me. At first, I couldn’t make out more than an outline of his features—vague shadows and infrequent glints of moonlight on pale skin. But then, I reallysawhim.

It shouldn’t have surprised me that he was beautiful. Mostof them were, but he’d been particularly cruel, which painted a terrible picture of him in my head. I now knew that image had been wrong.

Hair the color of sand was cropped low on both sides, but a mess of short, untamed curls seemed to fight for dominance at the crown of his head. I wasn’t sure before, but now knew he was young. Low-trimmed stubble framed his plump lips, also emphasizing a wicked jawline so chiseled it kicked his ferocious appearance into overdrive. But those striking features weren’t even what captured my attention.

It wasanotherdetail, something that left me thinking I was losing my mind. Like, for real this time.

His eyes, they shimmered in that catlike way I’d seen before, boasting the rare silver I now knew so well.

“But that’s not … that’s impossible,” I stammered.

I’d nearly forgotten that my life was in danger as I wrestled with this new piece of information, wondering if it was some sort of trick, or—

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