Page 66 of Fated to the Hunters
“To show him the severity of what he’s done.”
She’d thought as much. Unsure of what to say, she took in the space around her. Her gaze fell on the built-in shelves across one wall of the room, and she found herself curiously drifting towards it. There were jars filled with things that made her stomach churn. The first thing her gaze caught on was a heart. Next to it was a jar filled with what seemed to be silver dust. She remembered what Ezra had done to Kurt, and couldn’t help but let it spoil her mood.
There were herbs, bones, and even a skull. For all she knew, they were all real. Most of the shelves displayed knives, some made from metal and silver while others seemed to be carved from bone. Following the shelves along, she lingered on a collection of potions. They were all neatly labelled with the one for luck sparking a special interest in her.
“Do they truly work?”
“I’m still alive, aren’t I?” When she looked over her shoulder and crocked her brow, he set the book aside. “I didn’t grow up a hunter. So, when I started, I made myself luck potions.”
“You don’t use them anymore?”
“Luck doesn’t work against experience and knowledge.”
“So, they were there to keep you alive until you had enough skill to do so yourself?”
“That’s precisely what they were for.”
Scarlett continued gazing around the room and froze on his bed. Her eyes widened at the gold-accented leather cuffs attached to the thick, wooden posts.
“Those aren’t for you.”
Feeling his eyes on her, Scarlett pulled her attention away from the bed and met his gaze. Ezra’s deep, black irises were much softer than before. Suddenly she saw nothing but drowning comfort in them.
“They are not for you,” he repeated slowly, hesitantly. Then it dawned on her: he was insecure.
Scarlett’s lips parted, but her mind had not formed a sentence yet so she simply paused. “You want me to tie you up?” she finally asked.
“I enjoy being tied up, yes.”
Hesitant, she stepped up to the bed, grabbing the cuff closest to her. “That wasn’t what I asked, Ezra. Doyouwantmeto tie you up?”
Ezra cleared his throat, dropping his gaze to the floor. “Yes, I would like you to do that.”
Unable to look at him, Scarlett focused on the restraints. The smooth leather slid through her fingers, the faint candlelight flickering off the golden accents.This made her feel rather uncomfortable—more than the heart, bones and silver behind her.
“Scarlett.” Had he ever called her by her name before? She couldn’t remember.
“What else do you enjoy?” she asked by way of a response.
“Many things you’d probably hate.”
Maybe she would, but she could see that he was trying to please her, so she wanted to be more open minded too. “Please tell me.”
“Why burden yourself, little princess?”
“Because I want to understand you.”
“I’m theirs. Once I’m tied up, they can do whatever they please with me. I would be entirely atyourmercy.”
Scarlett wouldn’t let her mind wander to what may have happened in this bed before she came along. Instead, she pictured Ezra lying across the bed, arms and legs restrained while she tickled him into submission. Had she heard him laugh yet? That’s what she wanted: a genuine laugh.
The leather aching under his movement made her look up as he crossed the space between them, crawling over the black satin sheets on all fours. There it was again, his sleek and precise movements as he tracked his prey. He was gorgeous, dangerous but sobeautiful. His muscles flexed and his throat bobbed, making the raven across his throat seem alive. And his eyes… Scarlett couldn’t help but swoon to herself. Once, they’d been the centre of her nightmares, but now they swirled with tenderness and insecurities. He didn’t hide his sadistic tendencies. Maybe that was what attracted women to him.
“That smile tells me you have something in mind,” he purred, coming to a stop in front of her. He sat back on his heels and laid his hands in his lap, waiting to hear all about the deep, dark fantasies he assumed she had.
Scarlett grinned at him, face aching as she reached out to cup his cheek with her free hand. She still held tightly onto the cuff, almost as if she needed it to hold on to this surreal moment.
His eyes closed and his head leaned into her palm as she scratched behind his ear. “The second you say the word, I’m yours, princess.”
