Page 26 of Horns for the Holidays

And fuck me, I wanted him too.

Shame and arousal warred within me as I watched him. This was insane. He wasn’t himself. He’d already chased me to hell and back. I should be terrified. Not... not...

A low growl rumbled from Kotos’ chest. His head snapped in my direction, eyes burning with predatory hunger.

I bolted.

My feet pounded against the ancient stones as I raced through the twisting passages. Every turn led to another dead end. Every corridor circled back on itself.

Behind me, his growls echoed off the stone. The sound vibrated through my bones, sending bolts of desire straight to my core. Fuck, how did he still manage to turn me on like this?

I pressed my back against a wall, chest heaving. This was insane. I couldn’t outrun him forever. Couldn’t outsmart a creature born to rule these passages.

A memory flashed—Kotos’ voice from the Shadow Daddies party, explaining minotaur mating. The pure desire in his eyes.The words of praise he slathered over the recommendation letter still sitting in my inbox. He’d offered me that shield of protection, along with his promise of a future.

I wanted that future. I wanted him to touch me again and again. Day and night. Wanted to hear those whispered praises in my ear when he filled me to the brim. Wanted to be the only one able to ease his stresses at work and at home.

I wanted to be his mate.

The stones beneath my fingers grew warm. A deep rumble shook the corridor, and I stumbled back as the wall before me rippled like water, folding in on itself. The grinding of rock against rock filled the air as a new passage emerged.

I hesitated a split second before slipping down the corridor. The space was narrow, barely wide enough for my shoulders, but the faint light at the end gave me hope. Maybe this was finally my chance to escape. Or, if not that, perhaps my chance to make Kotos realize who I was.

I spilled out into an enormous circular chamber, easily a hundred feet across. Flickering torches cast shadows over faded carvings depicting scenes of... Heat flooded my cheeks as I realized what they depicted. The positions. Lust and pleasure. The size differences. Holy shit.

Geometric patterns separated out the carvings, then flowed down the floor. The lines marched to an altar in the center of the chamber, carved from black marble veined with gold.

I flicked a glance back to the carvings. Legend said a minotaur guarded a king’s treasure at the center of the labyrinth, but the only treasure I saw were mates.

A slow scrape on stone flooded my system with adrenaline. I spun, realizing my mistake. There was only one way in or out of this chamber.

Sparks rained down in the wake of horns dragging along stone. Hooves rang out with the steadiness of nails driven into a casket.

Then Kotos filled the entire archway.

He’d shed the last remnants of his tattered clothing, leaving him gloriously, terrifyingly naked. Muscles rippled beneath his skin as he stalked toward me, nostrils flaring as he drank in my scent. His massive cock jutted proudly before him, his hand lazily stroking its impressive length.

I scrambled backward until my ass hit the edge of the altar. Trapped. Nowhere left to run.

But I didn’t want to run. Not really. The frantic energy that had sent me tearing through the labyrinth with a giant minotaur on my heels drained away, leaving behind a different kind of heat. Something wild and desperate to be devoured like the women in the carvings.

I was still prey, yes. But I could be so much more than that.

I could be the prize for him to claim.

I licked my lips, trying to ignore the heat pooling between my thighs. “Kotos?” My voice came out as barely more than a whisper. “Can you hear me?”

He cocked his head, something flickering in those alien eyes. A low growl rumbled from his chest, but he didn’t charge. Didn’t attack.

Progress, right?

“I know you’re in there.” I took a deep breath, willing my voice to stay steady. “Remember last night? How you made me feel? How perfectly we fit together?”

Another growl, but softer this time. Almost... curious?

“Please,” I tried again. “You have to remember. I’m Laramie. Your...” I hesitated, the word catching in my throat. “Your mate.”

Kotos lunged, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. His massive hands gripped my waist, effortlessly lifting me onto the altar.

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