Page 50 of The Coveted
He glared but said nothing for several long seconds. Then, he dipped me and murmured, “I hate this dress.” His breath was as cool against my cheek as his hooded eyes were as they roamed over my body. He promptly brought me up to my feet, let me go, and clapped his hands. Everyone stood, and I was left all alone in the center of the ballroom, breathless and confused.
Sebastian rescued me, and the next unknown stretch of time unfolded just as before. The tension between Daelon and me grew stronger and more potent, each of us forced to give in to the erotic pull of the room’s magick—and our dates. I lost track of where I began and the rest of the witches ended, like we were all puppets in a distracting show of pleasure.
When the music stopped and the crowd began to disperse, I found myself as ungrounded and lost as everyone else. Everything shimmered and shone with a beauty incomparable to anything in the human realm, but underneath still breathed a shroud of darkness, lies, and stolen power.
Chapter16
“What’s happening now?” I asked, tumbling out into the corridor with Christine, Sebastian, Jasmine, and a couple men I didn’t recognize.
Christine wouldn’t stop staring at me, turbulent jealousy swarming her eyes and energy. “We get dressed in our sexiest, of course,” she purred. “Time for the after-party.”
The rational side of my brain was very loudly vetoing the prospect of a witch orgy, but the side of my brain wrapped up in the energy of everyone else couldn’t help but prickle with curiosity.
“How about you pick me up, then, after I change?” I asked Sebastian quickly, before he could try to invite himself in.
He nodded. “Sure.” He seemed elated that I was even agreeing to party with them.
I ignored everyone’s prying eyes on my way back to my chambers, clinging to the floaty feeling so I wouldn’t be dragged down into the dark rabbit hole of reality. I just needed to make it through tonight. To keep up appearances. To hide my power, my purpose, and everything else that meant anything to me. I could figure it all out tomorrow, when my head was clearer.
Once in my chambers, I repeated all of this while staring at myself in the full-length mirror, surprised I was able to think clearly at all. My body was numb and light, like it didn’t belong to me. I looked radiant, my copper hair seemingly brighter than usual and my skin aglow. The dress called out to me like a reminder of something I couldn’t forget, but I unzipped myself and hid the gown away.
I put on a thin black robe, on the off chance I was interrupted before I was ready. Before I could find what I was wearing, a cool hand touched my shoulder.
I nearly screamed, pulling the robe closed and spinning around. I let out a breath at the sight of Daelon. “Thank god.” I rubbed my chest, where my heart rate was blistering.
“I don’t know how relieved I would be if I were you,” he said, his tone a mix of soft and dangerous. He unbuttoned his cufflinks and undid his tie.
We stared at each other, all of the intensity from the night bubbling up all around us. All I could think about was Renata kissing him, the way he whispered something into her ear, his dominant stance… and soon the candles on my windowsill were alight, their flames tall and erratic. I heard the roar of the fireplace come to life in the main room.
Between his cruel punishment before he left, our fight when he returned, and the jealous games among the crowd of turned-on witches, I didn’t know how I could contain the fire leaping up in my blood. We stared at each other for a long two seconds, and then we were lost.
His mouth was powerful against mine, his hands grabbing painfully tight into the flesh of my hips. He bit my bottom lip, not at all gently like he had so many times before. He lifted me up into his arms and then threw me onto the bed.
“Don’t fucking move.”
I lay motionless, watching him undress with perfect precision and control. His dark eyes were harsh, and his sharp features were rigid. He wore only boxers now, and his tight muscles flexed and strained as he moved over top of me.
He ripped open my robe, kissing and then pressing his teeth painfully into my breast. I winced, and he moved to my neck, softer this time. I ran a hand through his wavy dark hair, but he caught my wrist and firmly pushed it back onto the bed.
“You’re mine, Áine. Not Sebastian’s. Not Lucius’s. Mine.”
His declaration didn’t make me feel calm the way it usually did. He was desperate this time, exerting more control to make up for all that he lacked the last few days. “And you’re mine. Not Renata’s. Or Lucius’s either, for that matter.” My voice was fiercer than ever, and my power tested the borders of his shield.
The act sparked a wave of anger through his eyes, and his wall hit me back stronger. It felt like we were playing another game, one I wasn’t sure had a winner. “You’renot going.”
I didn’t need to ask to know what he meant. “What if I want to?”
In a sudden movement he’d ripped my panties right off, and soon his fingers found the space in between my thighs, where he made his intentions to torture me quite clear. “I don’t care,” he growled.
My toes curled as he moved his fingers with just the right amount of pressure, and my pent-up need for release rose back up to the surface. It mixed in with the anger, fear, and jealousy in a way that was downright dangerous.
“What do you want now, little witch?” he asked, the sweet tenor of his voice sharply juxtaposed with his intense features and possessive eyes.
“You know what I want,” I breathed, my body trembling. I was starting to lose track of everything but pleasure again.
“Then you’re going to have to earn it,” he said, and he yanked his hand away.
The pendulum swung back to frustration and fury, and with it the candles snuffed out and the furniture began to rattle. Daelon chuckled, stroking my cheek. He glowered when I shoved his hand away.
