Page 30 of The Hidden Falling
“He’s right,” Taylor adds. “They can’t kill her.”
Darius takes a hold of Damian’s arm and guides him back. “The Highers rule over Vrohkaria,” Darius tells me, his eyes roaming over my form.
“As I’ve already said, The Deadlands are not claimed by them.” I shake my head and move closer to Josh at the edge of my desk. “If you want justice for the men that have been killed, I agree to go to the Highers with you without a fight.”
“Milal–” Josh starts, but I cut him off.
“I will go, willingly, but I want something in return.” I keep my shoulders straight and head held high as I tell them, acting like going to the Highers is no big deal, when internally, I’m scared shitless. Edward told me to avoid them at all costs, and his reasons are understandable after what they did. So I agreed, of course I agreed. But if it saves my pack, I will go to them.
“Leave us,” Darius orders. When no one moves, he lets loose a dominating growl that almost sends me to my knees in submission. The windows rattle, the floor shakes and I’m stuck between awe and fear at the power that one growl holds. But I stay standing, even as the rest of the people in this room show slight signs of submission. I would be doing the same if I was a normal wolf, but normal I am not. And I don’t think he is either.
I eye Darius as my guys reluctantly shuffle out of the room at my nod, the rest of the Elites following them while Darius and I are locked on each other.
I’ve never been more captivated looking into another’s eyes as I have his.
As soon as he hears the door click, he rounds the side of the desk and stops in front of me. I hold my ground and lift my head to look at him, trying not to hold his scent in my lungs. A second later, his hand wraps around my throat and I’m shoved back into the wall next to the bookcase. A sound of surprise escapes me as my eyes widen, not expecting the move, and then they lower as I bare my teeth at him.
I will not cower.
“Who are you?” he demands, and my brows furrow.
“I already told you.”
“Why don’t I believe that?” His thumb runs along the side of my neck, the touch gentle compared to the way he’s firmly holding my throat.
“I will go to the Highers,” I tell him again, ignoring his question. “If you–”
“I find it amusing that you think you can bargain with me,” he laughs at me mockingly. Lowering his face, until his nose touches mine, as he looks directly into my eyes as I struggle for breath under his grip. My hands grab his bare wrist, trying to release his hold on me. When that doesn’t work, I lift my knee, aiming between his legs, but he moves, closing the little distance between us and pinning my hips to the wall with the tops of his thighs. “You are in no position to tell me what you will do, little wolf. You will pay for the deaths of my men, either from the Highers’ orders or from me alone. But never doubt that you will be coming back with me whether you’re willing or not.”
“I know that,” I choke out. “But leave the rest of Eridian alone. Tell no one of this place.”
“Eridian?” He tilts his head, his eyes still holding mine, and I swear I see them start to bleed black at the edges of his irises before going back to normal.
What was that?
“It’s what we call our home and the forest surrounding it,” I say in a rush as he eases his hold just enough for me to get more air in to speak. His fingers stay on my pulse, monitoring it as it beats widely. “There is no reason to tell the Highers about this place. We broke no laws.”
“This place needs to be recorded as there is life here. The Highers demand that all such places in Vrohkaria are known. It doesn’t matter that they haven’t claimed this as their territory. They never had to because it’s always been known as uninhabitable. It was pointless until now.”
I lick my dry lips and his eyes drop there for a second before looking back into my eyes again. “You can’t tell them,” I stress. “There is no point. What would it accomplish?”
“It would accomplish putting that look on your face again.”
“What look?” I stammer, trying to keep my face blank and failing.
“The look of pure terror that you had when I had the pup in my grasp. Why are you so adamant that you don’t want the Highers to know of this place?” he questions, then swings me around by the throat and slams me onto the desk on my back, my legs dangling either side of him as he looms over me. “What are you hiding, little wolf?”
I growl at the position he’s put me in. I try to get my feet up to push him off of me, but he’s just too big. He’s immovable, and I’m exhausted. He lets out a low chuckle as he brings his free hand up to take both of my wrists and hold them above my head in his grip. He feels the pulse at my neck again, digging his thumb in as it beats rapidly beneath his touch.
“Get off me, asshole!” I arch my back, wriggling to get him off me. When my efforts do nothing but exhaust me more, I slump back onto the desk and close my eyes, trying to breathe through the feeling of helplessness. Helplessness I swore to myself I would never let myself feel again.
“Are you ready to give me some real answers?” he murmurs, and I feel his breath on my cheek, so close, but not touching.
Why is he so close? And why do I want to wrap his scent around me like a second coat?
“I answered all your questions. I killed some of your men, I get it.” My eyes open and look him dead in the eye as I tell him my truth. “But believe me, I hadnochoice.”
His eyes roam my face like they did in The Deadlands. “Why?” he demands, his hold on my wrists and throat tightening for a second.
