Page 60 of When Death Whispers

Instead, I lay there, panting, body humming with something headier than fear. Because Ilikethis. I like the way his body hovers over mine, caging me in, not an inch of an escape to find.

Rad notices. Of course he does.

His grin sharpens, wicked and knowing.

“Oh, little one,” he purrs, dipping his head lower, his breath fanning across my neck, and his nostrils taking a big inhale of my hair.

I turn my head, exposing more of my throat without thinking, my pulse hammering beneath the surface.

A mistake.

He presses in, his muzzle brushing against my jaw as he inhales again deeply, the sound downright obscene.

“Your scent,” he murmurs, lips grazing my skin. “Sweet and sharp, like citrus and flowers.” His nose trails lower, following the pounding of my pulse. “But beneath that… something darker. Something hungry.”

His tongue flicks out, dragging a slow, wet path along the curve of my collarbone up to my ear.

A strangled gasp escapes me before I can stop it, my back arching, body betraying me. Heat pools in my core, spreading like fire, twisting into something desperate and aching.

Rad groans, the sound vibrating against my throat. His claws shift, the sharp tips ghosting along my sides, not cutting, just teasing. Testing. His control is a fragile thing, stretched thin between amusement and something far darker.

“I could devour you,” he murmurs.

And fuck me, I don’t think he means metaphorically.

I press my palms against his chest, but it’s not to push him away. Once again, I find that his fur is softer than I expect, thick and warm beneath my fingers. I slide my hands down, following the hard ridges of muscle beneath, the deep cut of his abdomen.

His breath stutters and I don’t miss it. He wants this as much as I do.

The realization sends a sharp thrill through me, emboldening something reckless inside me.

I shift beneath him, thighs parting enough that his massive form settles between them. His tail flicks, curling around my ankle, locking me in place.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, little one,” he warns, voice rough, raw, more animalistic than human.

“I’m not the one who made the rules,” I whisper, tilting my hips up enough to drag against the hard length pressing between my thighs. And fuck, he’s huge. That’s so not going to?—

His sharp inhale is the only warning I get.

The next second, his hand is at my throat—not squeezing, not cutting off my air, simply holding, his claws resting against my pulse. His grip is firm, possessive, demanding stillness.

So I do. I still. My body reacts to his every command without any words exchanged, without my brain even catching up, submitting as if on pure instinct.

A low, pleased growl rumbles through his chest.

“There’s my good girl,” he murmurs, nipping at my jaw. “Now… I’ll ask once more. What shall I do with you?”

Ishouldbe afraid.

But instead, I lift my chin, meeting his glowing blue eyes.

And Ismile.

“Whatever you want.”

Rad’s growl deepens, his tail tightening around my ankle. “Oh,Beholden,” he rumbles, voice dark with promise. “I don’t think you understand what you’re offering.”

I swallow, my heart pounding, anticipation curling low.

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