Page 60 of A Sky of Storms
It made me hate him even more. No, it made me hatemyself.I couldn’t even deny how much I’d enjoyed having him inside me. Just thinking about it made me ache, and I had to clamp my thighs together. Sex with Ace had been savage, heated, and angry. And dammit, I … I wanted more. Wanted that hand clamped around my neck again, and every other fucked up thing he’d alluded to.
Ace might well be my biggest competition in this place. I could understand why he’d want to become king. I would never know how bad things were in Damascon Hollow until I saw it for myself, but from what I knew it was no slice of cake. That place bred dangerous beasts and when cornered, such creatures are vicious when fighting for their lives.
He likely had just as good a reason as me to take the throne, but since he’d asked about the ring of House Jupiter, I had to wonder if there were other reasons he was here. What the hell would he want that for? Or perhaps the better question was,whowanted it? He sure as shit had no use for it in the trials, which meant someone else could be pulling his strings. Someone like his gang leader, perhaps, hoping to rule through Ace.
He obviously had no idea I’d lied about it, and I’d just have to deal with his wrath when he realised. Victrus and Eliana had never deemed me worthy of a ring, and as for Victoria’s … I smiled to myself. I was worried that Ethan would get tangled up in this, but no one knew I’d given him her ring, and it was safe in our little hidey hole anyway.
Which meant Ace had no chance of getting one. That filled me with relief, but I was more curious than ever to keep both eyes peeled on his movements. I didn’t trust his intentions with the others or myself, and I had no doubt he was involved in something beyond the trials. I just didn’t know what.
“There’s the tower,” Kendra said excitedly, pointing to the stone building ahead. “The others will be waiting.”
Ace abruptly halted. “Others?” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “There are other Potentials there?”
Kendra cocked her head. “Yes, but they’re not a threat. In fact, I heard you saved a few from—from…” She trailed off, and I felt my heart swell as her face twisted.
Noah’s eyes narrowed as he turned to me, the glint in his eyes telling me he felt the same. “Ace and I freed some Potentials Mark’s men had captured. This has something to do with the hooded guy, I’m sure of it.”
“Mark,” I spat. My fingers curled into fists. I could only imagine what he had planned for those people, but I had a few ideas about the women. Disgust filled me, slick and oily in my stomach as I recalled what he’d said about another woman he’d assaulted.The last one had tried to be defiant. It didn’t end so well for her.Noah and I shared a knowing look, but I didn’t want to share anything else with Ace around. He could be in on whatever scheme Victoria and Mark were involved in for all we knew.
“What hooded man?” Zane asked, his brows furrowing as he looked between Noah and me. His eyes clouded with hurt. “You’re keeping secrets, conspiring without me. My girl and my besties, forming their own team.”
“I’m not your girl,” I said with a huff. “And it’s not like that.”
“You’re scheming and you left me out of it,” he stated flatly, the tone unlike anything I’d heard come from his mouth. He shrugged his shoulders, though the movement was rigid and not as carefree as I presumed he was aiming for. “Cool, yeah, whatever. I thought we were friends but guess I was wrong.”
“Zane…” I tried to put my hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off and stalked ahead.
I rolled my eyes, looking to Kendra. “A little help?”
Kendra laughed, shaking her head. “I’ll go talk to him.”
I stared as she jogged after him and hailed the Potentials on scout duty from the garrison’s ramparts. It was the same setup as the one Kayden was in. Only this time, we hopefully had allies in the Potentials inside. I’d have to warn them about Kayden and Victoria, because something told me things were going to get ugly real soon.
Ace scoffed as we watched Kendra catch up to Zane. “Let the merman sulk. Guy’s in a fucking marshland fighting for his life and he’s crying over his little friends. What a joke.”
“At least he’s got friends,” I snapped, glaring at him. “You wouldn’t know the first thing about that.”
Ace stepped towards me. “I don’t have time to stroke his scales and grovel at his feet. If you had some dignity, you wouldn’t either.”
Oh hell no, he didn’t go there. “You are such an asshole. You think you’re some tough, violent thug who is so hard done by. Please. You just act like you’re above everyone else.”
He smirked, his steel grey eyes glinting. “I was above you last night when my dick was balls deep inside you. You didn’t seem to complain about it then.”
Noah cleared his throat awkwardly. “Guys, not that I don’t love being the awkward third wheel here, but reckon you can give it a rest right now?”
I stalked over to Ace, looking him hard in the eye, and clocked him in the jaw. To my surprise and annoyance, he laughed.
“I like it rough, baby, but try that again and you’ll be eating your words, and then something else.”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” I whispered in his ear. “You want me to submit, but here’s the thing tough guy. The next time I feel like playing your little game, you’ll be at my mercy.” I leaned closer, letting him see my copper eyes, the touch of my lips grazing his. “Naughty boys get punished.”
Ace’s face twisted, his eyes flashing darkly with the promise of vengeance. Oh, this guy was fifty shades of fucked up.
“Let’s go, Noah,” I said sweetly, turning my back on Ace. “We’ve got more important things to do than waste our time withhim.”
He looked over his shoulder at Ace, seeming more curious than anything else. Noah was so hard to read; I couldn’t get a feel for what he was thinking, which only made him more intriguing.
I now had three guys to navigate around and, if I was being honest, I didn’t totally hate the idea about that.
