Page 214 of Rage

His food-stained mouth pressed against mine, and I gripped his shirt, unable to move.

I finally gasped. “Who let you out?” I asked, and he backed away.

“C’mon, let’s go,” Dorian said, ignoring my question. His fingers intertwined with mine, and I felt the urge to press a calm into his skin. The magic I was trained for surged through me, ready to be used for him in a moment, but I froze.

Orion’s blue eyes surfaced in my mind, and I planted my feet firmly. “We’re a day from the kingdom,” I said, slowly. “And I was given work on the ship.”

I needed to take Dorian and run. I needed to save him from this ship. I should want to save him.

Dorian released my hand, and the familiar feeling of Orion’s presence washed over me.

“Are you coming back?” Orion asked, his breath raising the hair on my neck. His warm palm pressed into my back, and my stomach flipped.

Dorian’s eyes widened, and he glanced from Orion to me. “What?” he began to ask.

I opened my mouth to explain, to ask his forgiveness, but he turned and ran down the hallway.

Orion was behind him in a flash, a plank in his hands. He swung hard, landing a solid blow over the back of Dorian’s head. Dorian fell to the ground easily, and Orion strode back to me.

I turned to him, tears pricking my eyes. His fingers traced my spine, up, to wrap around the back of my neck.

“Your prince is a coward,” he murmured.

My mind raced with the implication of what had occurred. Dorian’s escape, his quick reach to touch me. Did that mean he wanted me, too?

But I did not feel from him what I felt from Orion.

I reached out and gripped Orion’s hip, grasping his jaw with my other hand and pressing my lips to his. Our magic crashed together, and I gasped as his lust overwhelmed my anger.

Salt stung my lips as I let my emotions loose. Orion's kiss was hungry, demanding, his tongue dancing with mine. I moanedinto him, my hands roaming over his strong back, feeling the muscles ripple beneath my touch. He ground his hips against me, the hard bulge of his arousal evident through our clothes. Desire pooled in my belly, my own cock stirring against the waistband of my breeches.

Breaking the kiss, Orion gazed at me with fierce intensity, his eyes blazing like stars in the night sky.

“You and I,” Orion whispered, “we’re not so different.”

“You understand me,” I said. “You don’t want me just for the service I can offer.” I moved close to him again, but he pulled away and shook his head. “I can feel it. I know that you can too.”

“Not now, Princeling.”

I twisted my fingers into his shirt, pulling him close. “You said that I am yours. So take me,” I demanded. Disgust curled through me at my need, and I felt the echo of pity pulse through Orion’s touch as he brushed the hair out of my eyes.

He pressed his lips to mine in a gentle kiss before grasping my wrists. He held my fists to my chest and leaned in, so his breath tickled my ear.

“Not now. When I take you, you will only feel my need, my lust for you.”

My breath caught on his words, and he released me, taking a step back. He fixed his deep stare on me, and my knees felt weak.

“And you will beg me for it.”

Chapter Three

Hari

Ifelt Orion’s presence as if we were tied on either end of a leather band. When he moved, my gaze fell to him immediately. I could not allow myself to be out of his sight for long and found myself doing anything to be close to him.

If he was stacking crates, I suddenly tripped over a barrel, and had to help move it, my hands grazing his. In the mess hall, there was conveniently an open seat next to mine for him to sit in.

The days passed quickly, churning my inner turmoil. I wanted so badly to touch him again, but he kept his distance.

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