Page 41 of Cruel Vampire King

Chapter 16

I planned to yank that knife out and drive it back into him again and again, until the hot springs was stained with his blood and there was nothing left of him but a rancid sack of flesh. Then I’d spit on his corpse and burn it in a bonfire, just to make sure he was dead and dead forever.

Things didn’t quite go according to plan.

Luken’s eyes widened, and I lingered there, my hand clenching around the knife. His body was so close to mine. I saw in his eyes the moment that he understood what I’d done. Slowly, he pulled away from me. The heat of the springs rose up in a thick mist that hid the forest around us. My heart hammered in my chest, a bitter taste on my tongue.

He reached around and plucked the knife from his back. The blade was covered in thin, watery blood. With a flick of his wrist, the knife soared through the air and disappeared into the mist. A soft splash told me it had hit the water. Luken stared at me for a long moment before he twisted to look at the injury to his back. It was too high and too close to his shoulder to be anywhere near vital arteries.

My breath exploded from me in a jagged exhale. Luken touched the spot, swiping a bit of his blood onto his fingers.

“You actually stabbed me,” he said, surprise coloring his words. “I didn’t think you had it in you. Not a good blow, though. You can’t have meant it, otherwise you would have had better aim.”

“I did mean it,” I answered at once, just to be contrary.

Gods. I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.

His amber eyes glowed when he looked up at me. A shiver ran down my spine, and I wanted to shrink into myself. Apologize. Explain. Something. Anything! But when his gaze locked on mine, I found I couldn’t speak. I could only stand there, startled by the expression on his face. He wasn’t angry or upset or anything as I expected.

He wasamused. A slow smile spread over his face as he waded toward me.

“You don’t believe a word I told you, do you?” he asked, shaking his head slowly. “You’re good. I thought you believed me.”

“About your brother and all that? Of course, I don’t believe you,” I answered scornfully. “You’re manipulating me. Creating a shadow for me to hate but I know the truth. You’re the one who killed my family, no matter what you want me to believe. Oh, that’s right.” I rolled my eyes. “I bet you ‘don’t know’ what Marissa told me, either.”

I took half a step back, and he paused, studying me. The depth of his eyes seemed to pierce right through me as he moved forward more slowly. When he was in arm’s reach, he cupped my face with his hand.

“I’m pleased that you’re a warrior, Elara. But if you want to fight—reallyfight—you’re going to have to do better than that.” His hands shot out, grabbing my biceps.

I made to break his grasp, but before I could, he’d come in close. So close. His body was cool despite the heat of the pools. I was distracted by the droplets of water sitting on the smooth planes of his chest. Faint scars crisscrossed his torso, and my fingers tingled with the desire to feel the raised rigids, to trace the story of his life. Then his leg hooked around mine, sweepingmy feet out from under me. I went down, catching a lungful of air before he pushed me under.

I squirmed, trying to free myself but his grip on me was tight. His leg was still under mine, pulling me down so it was as though I was sitting on his lap under the water. My lungs had plenty of air so I went still, hoping to frighten him into pulling me back up. Once I stopped struggling, the ripples of the water cleared. He smiled down at me—I could see him more clearly than he could see me—and started to laugh.

That bastard! He knew I was part selkie. He knew I was in no danger from a few minutes beneath the surface. That or he was trying to drown me into submission. I wasn’t going to stand for this! I couldn’t yank myself free so I had to make him release me.

I undulated my body, bringing myself even closer to him. I wiggled, scooting my ass backward. Luken’s grip on me tightened as soon as I brushed up against his cock. His expression changed, growing hungry. Just what I wanted. It was starting to be uncomfortable, not breathing. I swung around, pulling one of my legs out from behind him. His grip finally loosened as I arched my back, lifting my hips up out of the water.

I promptly hooked my knee behind his neck and twisted, grabbing his wrists now. I used my torso to flip him forward, cartwheeling beneath the water as I pulled him down. I slipped from his grasp and grasped a handful of the rocky spring bottom to shove both my feet into his chest. I kicked him hard, sending a flurry of air bubbles out of him. Then with a few kicks, I was back on my feet, several meters from him.

He emerged coughing and spluttering. It took him a moment to regain his balance but when he did, he looked up at me with that same hungry expression.

“Fuck, Elara,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “Youarea fighter.”

“I am,” I answered, thrusting my chest forward. His eyes dropped to my breasts. The difference of temperature from the air and the springs had made my nipples pebble. “And I’ve got more where that comes from.”

He dove for me. I sprinted back, filling my lungs as I slipped under the water. The knife would have hit around here somewhere… there! I reached for it but then his strong grip caught around my ankle. He yanked me back, my fingers slipping from the knife’s handle. I twisted and lodged my other foot into his stomach, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“You have an advantage in the water,” he growled, dragging me backward. “I suppose the only thing to do for you is to get you out.”

With a firm shove, he turned me around under the water, then lifted me out entirely. Water sloughed off our naked bodies as he sprinted up the low bank and deposited me several meters from the water’s edge. The chilly night whipped across my skin, making me shiver.

I balled my fists and crouched into a fighting stance. “I’m not done yet, your Majesty,” I snarled sarcastically.

He smiled in return. The bastard was genuinely enjoying this! “I would expect nothing less, Elara.”

With a howl, I threw myself forward. He punched at me, and I dodged it, but I didn’t see his second fist in time. It hit me in the stomach, making me double over. For half a second, panic swept through me. I couldn’t breathe! But then, as the pain blossomed through my torso, my body decided that since I was in pain, it must mean I was training—which meant I was meant to be sexually aroused.

Heat pooled between my legs. I was glad for the water of the springs. I could pretend that was why I was damp down there.

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