Page 140 of Fated to the Hunters
Another sigh, and Ezra dropped his head once more. “I have done a few things, cutting, burning, even electric shocks. I’m fucked up. You could drop pure acid on me, and I would beg you for more.”
She’d suspected as much, but it was still hard to picture it even after hearing the words come out of his mouth. “Is that after you discovered vampire blood?”
Ezra bobbed his head. “I have always been very self-destructive, but it has become easier to convince women to push my boundaries with the promise that they can heal me after.”
“They were witches?”
“Yes, with one being a huntress.” Ezra forced a nervous laugh. “She was after the vampire blood, and fucked me up in the hopes that I would show her where I keep it.”
“What happened?”
“She pushed a few too many boundaries and I passed out. When I woke up, she was gone and Mateo had healed me.”
“How did Mateo know to come for you? You can’t talk to each other, right?”
“We can’t, but we can’t share emotions when we’re unconscious.”
“So, he came for you?”
“Of course he did.” Then his voice broke, and it dropped to a whisper. “He always comes for me—and drags Vince with him.”
Scarlett smiled. As she’d suspected, hedidlove his friends.
“Yesterday, when you cut me…” Ezra’s hand shook, and she began to trace soft shapes across it to soothe him. “Gosh, it was amazing. Not because of the pain, but becauseyouwere the one to inflict it. Fuck, the first time you asked how to tie me up felt like winning the lottery.Youare the thing that has been missing all these years and it took me far too long to realise that. You love me even though I can’t love myself, and you are willing to test your boundaries forme. I will never push you to do anything you don’t want to give, because what youaregiving means everything to me.”
“Stop,” Scarlett ordered. “Because if you don’t, I’ll cry. And I didn’t plan to cry during this conversation.” But Scarlett was already trying to sniff away the tears.
“Scarlett,” Ezra hummed, lifting his hand from her lap to cup her jaw.
“Saying my name like that isn’t helping.”
The smile that spread wide on Ezra’s face chased Scarlett’s tears away. “As you wish, princess.”
She took a moment to focus, trying to clear her mind. “Back on topic. I enjoy tying you up and ordering you around. Well, sometimes.”
“I enjoy that very much too.”
She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, making his eyes sparkle. “I also looked up a few things.”
He crooked his brow and tilted his head. “When?”
“A few days ago.”
“You looked up things to do with me while you were with Vince?”
“Yes. Wait, would that bother you if I looked up things for one of them while with you?”
“That depends on the circumstances.”
“We weren’t doing anything in particular, such as being on a date or in bed or anything.”
“Then I wouldn’t be upset with you.”
“Oh, okay.”
“What were you looking up, princess?” Ezra asked, redirecting the conversation.
“Things I would rather forget, but I found something I might feel more comfortable with than cutting.”
