Page 45 of Venomous Lust
“I couldn’t let all those people stay in that horrible jail.” She spoke with her eyes closed, savoring the feeling of Khal’s skin against hers, of the strength of his fingers against the small of her back. “I’ve spent all my life locked up in Knut’s facilities. I saw him sell off my mother and my sister. Then, when I finally thought I’d found freedom, I was the prisoner of a man who wanted nothing more but to use me, own me. Abuse me. Well, I’m not a prisoner anymore and I won’t suffer anyone else to live like I lived, whether they’re savages from beyond the Frontier or not. What I did maybe wasn’t prudent, but it was the right thing to do. I would do it again.”
His hand closed around her chin and he lifted it, waiting for her to open her eyes. What she saw in these Prussian blue eyes was an emotion she feared to recognize. An emotion that terrified her as much as it elated her.
“You are so fragile, it is easy to forget how brave human females can be.” Khal spoke with a softness she had never heard him use before. “But I would be a foolish warrior to ignore it. After all, my brothers all have human females for bloodmates. I just never understood before how hard it was to keep them safe.”
“So, you’re not angry with me?” Her fingers spread and Hazel pushed her breasts closer against Khal’s chest, her body craving more contact with his skin.
“I am absolutely furious.” Khal’s voice was husky, his eyes darkening as he lowered his lips to just above her mouth. “And I intend to punish you for your disobedience in the best way I can think of.”
A current of pure erotic arousal traveled under Hazel’s skin at Khal’s words. His eyes traveled over her body in a blatant claim.
Khal was everywhere at once; on her skin, in her mouth, above her body. Hazel lost herself in Khal’s kiss, in that hot, hot embrace that threatened to erase everything she ever was, everything she ever would be.
Her body was a brazier, burning with a desire so intense it almost hurt. She wanted more of Khal’s flesh, more of his hard body on her, inside her. She was desperate for it.
Then a knock at the door made Khal growl. His hands stopped moving on her body.
“Not now.” Khal didn’t let her go, his hands still spread over her ass, her spine bent back as he leaned into her. His erection pressed against her stomach, making her wet and ready, needy for the raw possession only he could give her.
“You need to come.” The door inched open, but Zaxis didn’t enter. “Celaith is awake and she has things to say that you should hear.”
“What is it?”
There was dread in Zaxis’s expression and it made Khal frown. Slowly, he let Hazel go and turned to the door.
“The end of us all.”
Chapter 15
Khal
Celaith tried to sit up in the medical bed, but a sharp chastening glare from Zaxis had her leaning back on the mountain of pillows spread behind her back.
“There’s no need to fuss. I’m fine.” The Arvak female bit out her words, her eyes hard and her expression closed off, but her expressive skin was covered in splashes of deep magenta, betraying her feelings. “It’s only my arm that’s broken.”
“You know well that’s not the truth,” Zaxis retorted, lifting a glass full of a clear liquid to Celaith’s mouth. Only after she’d swallowed every drop of it did he allow her to lie back down on the pillows. His amethyst eyes turned to Khal, who saw the rage simmering close beneath the surface of the Avonie’s polished expression.
“What did Gerkin do to her?”
“What didn’t he do?” Zaxis spat in an uncharacteristic display of temper. “Most of her ribs were cracked and her three spleens are damaged. She had multiple organ contusions, as well as being dehydrated.”
“That’s what happens when you don’t drink for three days,” Celaith retorted, her eyes flashing. “You should try it sometime.”
Khal frowned as Zaxis fussed around the blankets, rearranging them over the Arvak female’s short, slim legs, not answering her obvious provocation.
This is going to be a complication. Like we need any more of that.
“What do you want to tell me?” Khal didn’t bother to soften his tone. The Arvak had already caused a lot of trouble, even though she was not responsible for the consequences of Gerkin’s actions.
“You don’t trust me, do you?” Her dark pink eyes flashed with annoyance and she lifted her pointed chin. “Why?”
“You had your captain’s trust, I saw it in the way Roohl looked at you,” Khal explained plainly. He had no reason to spare Celaith’s feelings. “Yet, you betrayed him. How can I trust someone whose allegiance changes?”
Pink and purple darkened in a striated pattern over the Arvak’s expressive skin and her mouth pursed in a fine line. “Don’t you judge me. Don’t you dare.” Her voice was a reedy thread, but there was a wealth of pain and strength there, which forced Khal’s respect. “You have no idea what my life was like with Roohl. You know nothing about me.”
Khal stared down at Celaith as Zaxis came to stand by her side. The Arvak stared back, not giving an inch. From somewhere behind him, the small shape of Hazel moved and he blinked, momentarily shocked, as she sat on the medical bed at Celaith’s side.
“You’re right.” Hazel answered for him and Khal blinked again, not knowing how to react. “We don’t know much about you, but I’m pretty sure I know enough to be sure you don’t want to see billions of innocents die.”
