Page 35 of Venomous Heart
Ava opened her eyes, shaking the memory away. Knut was gone. He had lost. What he wanted to do to her didn’t matter anymore.
“Not that one.” Ava shook her head. “I’ll wear whatever else you want, but not that one.”
Edmila made a face but placed the purple gown back inside the wardrobe. Then she squealed, retrieving a heap of silk the color of flowing lava. “This is the one.” She twirled, the gown pressed against her body, her eyes wide with marvel. “I’ve never seen a fabric this color.”
Ava actually smiled. “I’ve never worn it.” She got up and stared at the dress. It was cut tight against the ribs, revealing the shoulders and back entirely, then flared in dizzying patterns of reds and oranges all the way to the flared bottom. “It’s ambersilk.”
“It’s marvelous.”
Even Uril raised impressed eyebrows at the dress. Ava didn’t tell them that this was the very one Knut had intended her to wear on the day he would take possession of her body. A day she had been only too lucky to escape, thanks to the invasion of the Eoks on Aveyn.
Because, in the end, shehadbegged him. Begged him like she had never begged before, begged Knut to save the one person whose life was worth more than her dignity. And she would beg again.
But now, it seemed only fitting that she wore it for the ceremony that would tie her to another male.
Ava stood on a wooden platform,her red dress attracting the eyes of the mixed crowd of humans and Eoks. There was not a single Mantrilla to be seen, but Ava was sure Prime Councilor Aav was only waiting to make her entrance.
Ava had defied her in front of everyone, and there would be a reckoning. All Ava could hope for was that the reckoning would be on her and only her.
As the tall, Prussian blue figure approached, Ava noticed Khal had an embarrassed, almost sheepish expression on his face.
“Where is Arlen?” She breathed the words in a low voice, a stone of dread in the pit of her stomach. What if he didn’t show up at all? Would Prime Councilor Aav drag her away, kicking and screaming, in her red dress? That would be a spectacle for all to see.
“He’s having some trouble collecting himself.” Khal glanced at the ground and she had the distinct impression he wasn’t telling her everything.
“What is it?” Ava urged him on. “I’ve been standing here in front of everyone for thirty minutes. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Arlen is usually so in control, it’s annoying,” Khal explained. “But he’s not in control now. I’ve never seen an Eok go down so hard because of the Mating Venom.”
Ava wanted to ask more but the crowd began to whisper, then shouts broke out. Some people turned around, pointing excitedly to something behind her.
Khal hastily stepped back to the edge of the crowd, his face full of worry.
Ava turned to see a sapphire blue giant, shirtless in wide, loose gray pants. His chest reflected the setting sun’s light, showing with stunning clarity each one of the tiny scars that covered his glorious body. They were spread in a twirling, swirly pattern all over his broad chest, arms and abs. As Arlen stalked toward her with the grace of a large cat, his pale eyes settled on her. He stared at her intently, his expression intense and focused, like he saw no one else out there but her.
Her mouth was suddenly dry and her palms were clammy. She could feel each painful hammer of her heart as it beat inside her ribcage in a fierce, rage-filled rhythm.
She could fool herself as much as she wanted. This Mating was exactly what Arlen had told her it was. It was a claim bent on branding her very soul.
And the worst thing about it was that she had lied to herself when she’d said she didn’t want it. She wanted that claim, that venomous heart, like she had never wanted anything before.
Finally, Arlen stood in front of her, the skin on his face taut and his expression unreadable. “You are a wonder.” His gaze lowered to appreciate her entire body. “No female ever looked more stunning.”
The words were simple but they filled Ava with emotion. There was a sincerity in Arlen’s compliment, in the way he spoke, that made it more than just a casual comment. He meant every bit of it.
“I’m afraid.” For once, Ava let down her guard and told him exactly how scared she was.
“You should be.” His voice had deepened in the few seconds since he’d reached her side. His face, usually so impassive it made Ava want to punch him, had taken on a very male expression of hunger. “There is no going back now. Not even if I wanted to. And I don’t want to.”
She didn’t fool herself. She was the mouse in this game, and he was the lion.
“Turn around, Ava.” Arlen’s tone brooked no argument. It was an order.
And for once, Ava obeyed. Her entire body was numb with fear and anticipation as Arlen’s heat radiated at her back through the chilly, early evening air. The bare skin on her shoulders was sensitive to every movement of the air, every change in temperature as Arlen came to stand closer behind her. She whimpered as his fingertip brushed the hyper sensitive skin, from her pointed ear down the curve of her neck and to the front, just above the low neckline of her dress.
“A wonder. And mine.”
Arlen’s voice had a dreamy tone, fully loaded with a lust that resonated in her own body. Then he kissed her, just in the curve of her neck, where her jugular beat a crazed beat. A flicker of his tongue on her skin followed the light scraping of his fangs.
