Page 66 of Hollyhocks

She’s sitting on a dining chair, every inch of her shaking from fear as she stares at me. I’m in my natural form. There’s no need to disguise myself when my plans for her only benefit me.

The doctor isn’t tied to a chair. If she wanted, she could try to run away from me. She hasn’t.

She knows she has no chance in this situation. I can outrun her. I’m stronger. I can fly. I can swim faster.

I. Am. More. Superior. Than. She. Could. Ever. Be.

There is nothing she can do to get away from me. That’s just how I like my victims.

Stressed and subdued.

“I’ll give you whatever you want,” she sniffles. “I have money. You can have the money.”

“I don’t want your money.” I slide my finger along the kitchen counter as I walk around the island to stand in front of her. I lean down, trapping her in her own chair by gripping the armrests. “There is nothing you could offer me.”

She squeezes her eyes closed, a cloudy black line drifting down her cheek caused by mascara.

“I-I-I have never seen you before,” she stammers. “I don’t know what I did to you.”

“You saw my mate naked. You touched his cock,” I snarl, inching closer to her face. “I don’t like other women touching what doesn’t belong to them. Would you?”

“It-it-um-it wasn’t like that. I didn’t fantasize about him. It was medical only.”

I tilt my head to the right, then the left, debating if I believe her.

I don’t.

What I know about humans, considering I have been one before, is that they know how to lie to protect themselves.

“Would you bet your life?”

“Yes!” She scoots to the edge of her chair. “I will put my life on that statement. I did not view your husband—”

“—Mate.” I correct her. “That’s so much more meaningful than a husband.” I’m not sure how I know that. My beasts are roaring in my mind how important Fitz is to me. He is more than what these humans call spouses.

“I didn’t view your mate sexually. I was only making sure he was okay. That is my job as his doctor.”

I stare into her eyes, wanting to know the truth. I’ll happily let her live if she is honest. Encroaching her space, I maintain eye contact until her eyes glaze over. The scientists who experimented on me told me I could put people in a trance due to my harpy DNA and extract the truth.

This is the perfect time to try to see if that’s true.

“Lift your right hand and press your index finger to your nose,” I order in a calm tone.

She does exactly what I say.

Perfect.

“Did you touch my mate with more than medical intentions?”

“Yes,” she answers in a monotone voice.

“What did you do?” I sneer, anger curling my fingers around the armrests until the wood of the chair cracks.

“I loved how thick he was. I held him in my hands longer than necessary. I loved the weight of it. I couldn’t stop thinking about how big he would become. Fitz is handsome. If he wasn’t my patient, I would have asked him out.”

I pull away, breaking the connection, and terror rounds her eyes. They fill with tears, and she shakes her head so fast, dislodging those tears.

“I didn’t mean that. That wasn’t true. I didn’t mean that. I didn’t. Please—”

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