Page 76 of A Hunger Soft and Wild

She drags the blade ever so slightly, enough for more blood to well up.

Selis stiffens, her muscles tight. I can see the war inside her—pride versus self-preservation. She doesn’tfearme. But Aria?

She isn’t so sure.

And I—

I justwatch.

Because the way Aria holds her, the way her lips curl slightly, the way her shoulders square in absolute certainty—

It’sbeautiful.

It’sdangerous.

And for the first time since this whole mess started, I think Selis might actually be afraid.

I almost smile.

Almost.

Instead, I step closer, towering over them. I fix my gaze on Selis, who, for the first time since I walked in, seems to realize she’s not winning this one.

For a moment, just a moment, I let it sit. Let Selis feel it.

Then I step forward, voice calm, coaxing. “That’s enough, Mouse.”

Aria’s eyes flick to mine. There’s something wild there, somethingferal,but after a beat, she exhales sharply through her nose and pulls back—though not before giving Selis’s shoulder a parting scrape with the blade.

Selis swears under her breath, jerking away. “Fucking hell,” she mutters, pressing a hand to the wound. “You’ve got atype, don’t you, Talrik?”

I grip the back of her collar before she can move. “Get up.”

She groans but doesn’t fight me. She knows better.

I lean in, voice low and edged with steel. “You’re going to forget you ever saw us, and if Ieverhear you went sniffing around this bounty again—” I tighten my grip on her shirt, yanking her close enough that she can see just how serious I am. “I’ll make sure Aria isn’t the one you have to worry about.”

Selis exhales, long and slow. “Damn,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “Guess I hit a nerve.”

I slam her against the wall—gently,by my standards.

She grunts as her back connects with the wood, the smirk finally slipping from her face.

“Shit, Talrik—”

I cut her off by twisting her arm behind her back, forcing her to her knees before she can fight back.

“Yeah,” I mutter, yanking a length of rope from my pack. “Guess you did.”

She jerks once, testing my grip, but she’s not stupid enough to push it. “Tyingme up? Didn’t know we were still into that.”

I scowl. “Shut the fuck up.”

Then I haul her up just enough to tie her hands behind her back.

Aria watches, silent.

I work quickly, securing the knots with practiced ease. She tries to shift her weight, but I press my boot to her shoulder, keeping her where I want her.

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