Page 5 of Her Possessive Minotaurs

My lips curl in disdain.Why would a monster feel pity for me?

The ideaof them ending me here and now should fill me with relief. But all I feel is rage. If they’re going to eat me, I’ll make sure they remember me. The anger gives me strength to defy them.

I glare at them,my eyes burning with defiance. “Do it then,” I rasp out. “But I won’t make it easy for you.”

Thalos tilts his head,curiosity flickering in his dark eyes. “She has spirit,” he muses.

The one calledIrix me effortlessly, slinging me over his shoulder like a sack of grain. Pain flares in my body again, but I grind my teeth and refuse to cry out.

I struggle hard against him,kicking and screaming as much as my strength can muster. My fists pound uselessly against his back as he carries me deeper into the forest.

“Feisty little thing,”he remarks with amusement.

“She’ll tire soon enough,”Thalos says coolly.

“I wouldn’t mind breakingher in myself,” Irix adds with a dark chuckle.

Their banter fuelsmy anger further. I twist and thrash with every ounce of strength left in me, but their grip remains unyielding.

If this ishow it ends, at least I’ll go down fighting.

_____________

4

IRIX

Idrop her like a sack of rice. Her body hits the ground with a dull thud, and she scrambles to move, trembling but with eyes still full of defiance. Despite her injuries, she still has energy. I can’t help but admire that fire. It’s not often we see such spirit in humans.

I circle her, my golden eyes gleaming with curiosity. There’s something about her—something that pulls at me, though I can’t quite name it. She’s small and fragile, yet she radiates an inner strength.

"You don't look like much," I say, crouching down to bring my face close to hers. "But you've got fire in your eyes. I wonder how long that will last."

She glares at me, and I almost laugh at the absurdity of it. A human glaring at a minotaur. Bold.

“Monster,” she spits out, her voice hoarse yet filled with venom.

I lick my lips, savoring the word. “Monster? Is that what you see?”

“What else would you be?”She retorts, trying to push herself up but failing.

I lean back on my haunches and chuckle. “A minotaur,” I say simply. “And those are my brothers, Thalos and Kael. You can call me Irix.”

Her eyes dart to them, widening in fear but quickly snapping back to me with renewed anger. “What do you want from me?”

“Want? Now there’s a question.” I reach out and tilt her chin up with a finger. Her skin is cold and clammy against mine, yet there’s heat in her gaze. “We found you half dead in our territory. You’re lucky we didn’t leave you for the wolves.”

“I don’t need your help,” she snaps, yanking her chin away.

“Oh, but you do,” I say, amusement coloring my tone. “You’re not going to last long out here on your own.”

“Better dead than with you,” she says through gritted teeth.

Her words hit a nerve, but I hide it behind a grin. “Such spirit! It’s almost... refreshing.”

She looks taken aback by my response but quickly masks it with defiance again. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Liar,” I say softly, leaning closer so our noses almost touch. “I can smell your fear.”

---