Page 42 of Claimed By Midnight

The heat of anger rises in me. I know it's what he wants and still I can't reign it back In. It surges up through me, both at being called entertainment and at the thought of being replaced.

"You want a fight?" I slam my palm against his chest again. This time he lets me push him back a step, probably more from surprise than my actual strength. "Fine."

I duck under his wing and yank a vase from a nearby table. I hurl it at his head, trying to ignore just how much it really does feel like the first time we met.

He catches it with insulting ease. "Throwing things? Really?"

My blood burns hot in my veins. Everyone always sees me as the soft one, the weak one, the one who needs protecting. But now, I'm not even worth that. I'm easily replaceable, and that coupled with his dismissal a few days has fury and embarrassment burning through me - but I know the hurt is lingering underneath, waiting to escape.

I need to get away from him.

Turning away, I try to stalk toward my room, needing distance between us. His wing sweeps out, blocking my path. The feathers brush my skin like steel wrapped in silk.

"Running away?" His smile grows crueler. "How disappointing."

"I'm choosing my battles." I spin to face him, backing against the opposite wall to keep space between us. "That's not weakness - it's strategy."

"Strategy?" He stalks toward me, each step deliberate. "Prove it."

I wait until he's almost on me before grabbing a pitcher of water from the same table and hurling it at his feet. The glass shatters, spreading the liquid across the stone floor. His next step falters.

Taking advantage of his momentary loss of balance, I shove past him. His hand catches my arm, but I manage to twist just enough for me to slip free.

"I don't need magic." I back away from him, my chest heaving. "I don't need to be a demon. I can think my way out of trouble."

His wings flare wide, casting strange shadows in the forge light. The perfect angles of his face sharpen with interest. "Maybe there's some fire left in you after all, little demon."

"Stop calling me that!" He backs me up to a wall and my blood is now pounding through me.

His smile shows teeth. "Make me."

It's so unfair how gorgeous he is, how he scrambles my mind. It's unfair how he makes me want to prove myself and makes me feel worthless at the same time.

But I know there is one way for me to come out on top, the only time that Uriel has ever seemed to be as out of control as I am.

I grab the front of Uriel's shirt, tugging him down as I rise onto my tiptoes. Our lips crash together, a violent clash of teeth and tongues. His lips are firm, demanding, and I meet his force with my own. It's a battle, a fight for dominance neither of us is willing to concede.

He growls against my mouth, one hand gripping my hair, the other sweeping under my legs to lift me. My back hits the stone wall, his body pressing against mine. I wrap my legs around his waist, locking my ankles to pull him closer. His wings spread wide, cocooning us in a world of soft gray feathers and dim forge light.

His scent fills my senses, and I sink my teeth into his lower lip, a challenge, a dare. He responds with a nip to mine, harder, pushing the boundaries. A gasp escapes me, and he takes advantage, deepening the kiss, exploring my mouth with an intensity that makes my heart race.

Fuck, I've wanted this. I've wanted him.

And that's why his dismissal hurt so bad.

I cling to him, my hands gripping his shoulders, feeling the hard muscle beneath his shirt. His gold curls brush against my forehead, their softness a stark contrast to the roughness of his kiss. Those perfect, cruel lips curve into a smirk against mine, and I bite down again, refusing to yield.

He pulls back just enough to look at me, his golden eyes molten with desire and something darker, hungrier. "Little demon," he murmurs, voice rough with need. "You're playing with fire."

"I thought you wanted fire," I retort, breathless.

His hand tightens in my hair, tilting my head back. His lips find my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive skin. I shiver, a gasp escaping me as he trails hot, open-mouthed kisses down to my collarbone.

He pulls me away from the wall, his lips still moving as he walks. Each step jostles me against him, sending sparks of sensation coursing through me. I know I should stop this, but I don't want to.

He can think I'm worthless. I can hate him.

But just…not tonight.

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