Page 54 of Marked By the Dark Lord
“Mila,” Korr’ok rumbled, his words carrying across the gulf between us like the early warnings of a spring storm.
“Yes?” I whispered, not trusting myself to speak properly.
“There is something we must address.” He came closer.
“Okay,” I squeaked, trying to stay still so I didn’t tremble, his broad, powerful chest inches from me as I looked up into a face I had once thought scary.
Now I just saw him. The eyes could be unnerving still at times, but in them, I no longer saw a spooky monster out of my nightmare. I simply saw him. The, well, maybe notman, but he was definitely man-ly. Very manly.
“After this, if you try to escape from me again,” Korr’ok said, one hand caressing my jaw, forcing my head to tilt farther back, “bad things will happen. I will not have the power to stop them. Not without violence, and I cannot risk that at this time. Not what it would take to bring them all down to save you.”
“What are you saying?” I asked, breathing out slowly through pursed lips, trying to ignore the billowing heat infusing my entire body from his simple touch.
“That I need to know if I can trust you,” he said.
“To do what?” I breathed.
“To stay with me. To not run away.” The tip of his index finger hooked under my jaw, sending a tremor through my body that saw me swaying slightly closer to him. “Can you promise me that?”
“I … I’ll try,” I replied, unsure why I couldn’t lie to him.
I didn’t want to leave Korr’ok. At least, not yet, but I loathed being anybody’s prisoner. Even his. If he asked me without that clause, I wasn’t so sure what my answer would be. The thought of being tied up and at Korr’ok’s mercy was … well, confusing didn’t evenbeginto cover it.
“You’ll have to do better than that,” he growled, arms flexing as he laid his hands on my shoulders, fingers draping down onto my upper back.
He was sobig. I was so little.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Shit. Did he notice? What does he think? Is he assuming it meant I’m afraid of him? But I am. Sort of. But, like, I don’t think he would hurt me. Not … not like that. He’s given up so much to keep me safe.
Why? Why would he do that? Does he expect me to repay him by hopping into bed with him? No, that doesn’t seem like his way. If he wanted me, he would just come for me. I have serious doubts about whether or not I would even try to stop him. Do I want him to stop? What if his hands slid down my shoulder? Across my breasts? What would that be like?
My inner monologue was brought to a screeching halt as he cupped my chin.
“I need you to promise that you won’t run away from me,” he said softly. “You don’t have to promise anything else. Just that you’ll stay.”
“For how long?” I said with a whimper as he leaned toward me, his face rightthere, so close to mine.
The glow of his eyes had softened to a dim illumination. There were levels to him, I was discovering. Levels I would never have suspected upon first sight.
“Until—”
He whipped around at the sound of wood breaking, keeping me firmly behind him with one arm. The soft, gentle giant was gone in a heartbeat, replaced by a towering monster whose growl made the very air quiver in fear as he placed himself between me and whatever was coming through the door.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Korr’ok
It came sooner than I’d expected. I had hoped for several hours of reprieve, but it seemed that I wouldn’t be granted even that much. Word would have spread that I was no longer on the Jury, which meant my claim on the woman was now considered ‘open to the highest bidder.’
A.k.a. ‘the one who could take her from me.’
Unmated human females were rare and highly desirable in The Place Behind, and I had harbored no doubts I would have to defend my claim to her.
That didn’t bother me. The trick would be doing so andnotgiving away the true strength within me. There were few I wouldn’t want to face in battle, and fewer still who fell into that category and would try to come for Mila. It didn’t matter, though. I would win.
As I had told her, she wasmine. More and more, I was no longer viewing it that way out of duty or a desire to figure outjust who she was or why her magic was so tantalizingly familiar, like a word on the tip of my tongue. No, I saw her as mine because Iwantedher to be mine.
