Page 21 of Wrath

Made me popular in the bedroom.

“What’s going on over there, Z?” Bash asked, unable to hide his alarm.

“One second,” I said, my voice nothing but a pant of air.

Fortunately, I was still dressed in a pair of sandals I’d found in my tent. If I could just loosen them, I’d be able to slip them off.

“Motherfucker,” I grumbled as I shifted my head forward so I could bite down on the strap of the sandal on my right foot.

I tried not to think of everyone who had probably used these sandals before I did. Had they even been cleaned? Fuck. Not thinking of that.

Muscles pulled in my neck and shoulders, but I forced myself to work through the pain. I had to do this. There wasn’t any other option.

Finally, my sandal was loose enough for me to slide off. I dropped my feet back down with an audible sigh of relief and then kicked my leg until the shoe flew across the room.

“Z! What the fuck was that noise?” Bash demanded.

“My cry of ecstasy as I just gave myself the best orgasm known to man,” I deadpanned, already rocking my body forward in order to swing like a pendulum.

“I really shouldn’t find your sarcasm as sexy as I do.”

“You find everything I do sexy,” I retorted as I began to swing. Pain erupted from my shoulders—I wondered if I’d dislocated one—but I didn’t allow it to stop me. “You’re a walking horn dog. I mean, I literally met you when you were attempting an orgy.”

Bash snorted. “Attempting makes me sound incompetent.”

“You were incompetent,” I pointed out.

When a mage met his mate, he was unable to get…um…erect unless he was in her presence.

Bash muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “I’ll show you incompetent,” but I tuned him out.

My feet finally caught on the edges of the table, and I used my ankles to force it closer to me. The wheels grated against the stone flooring in a way that made me wince. Finally, I was able to hug it with my thighs and position it until it sat directly beneathmy swaying form. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and a wayward drop cascaded into my eye. I shook my head from side to side in order to flick it away.

“Z?” Bash questioned.

“Almost done,” I told him as I carefully removed the shirt with my foot.

And…there! Glimmering in the candlelight was a golden key, the color beginning to rust with age.

“Careful, Z,” I told myself as I attempted to hook it between my toes.

“You talking to yourself again?”

“Bite me, Bash.”

“That an offer?”

I ignored him and slowly used my toes to bring the key up. When it was close enough, I clamped down on the key with my teeth and then dropped my legs back down. The relief on my shoulders was instantaneous.

“Did you get it?” Bash asked.

With the key in my mouth, held loosely between my teeth, I couldn’t offer an articulate response, so I simply muttered something that sounded like “Mmm-hmmh.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Bash paused, and I could practically hear the frown in his voice when he spoke next. “Now how the fuck are you supposed to give it to me?”

“Mmm-hmm-mh.” I squinted in the direction of the wall separating me from Bash.

There had to be a reason I was facing that direction. I dipped my gaze down, noting every protruding stone and droplet of blood and?—

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