Page 17 of Trapped By Claws
"Is the King of the North Sea so immune to pleas for mercy that he won't even consider granting my mother's request? I swear we mean no harm."
Scoffing, he set his hands on his narrow waist. He took another step closer. "And why should any of you be shown mercy? You deserve nothing."
"That's rather the point of mercy." I bumped into the wall. "If we deserved it, it wouldn't be mercy."
His lips trembled in the barest hint of a true smile. He stopped in front of me and pressed his hand against the wallnear my head, caging me in as he leaned closer. He was so close, I could smell him. Salty ambergris, white patchouli, and spiced rum overwhelmed my senses.
I blinked, struggling to steady myself as his bright-green eyes homed in on mine. My pulse raged.
"Of course," he murmured, his voice low and silky. "My offer still stands."
I pressed myself back against the wall, palms against the coarse wood. "What offer?"
"To come to my home. My lair, as you called it." His gaze raked over me, leaving me breathless. That smile curled at his lips as his eyes grew sharper, hungrier. The claws on the hand pressed against the wall tapped against the wood.
"You just threatened everyone on this ship, and you think I would agree to run off with you?" I forced the words out. But I was wondering what would happen if I said yes.
His smirk wavered. Then he leaned closer, his breath wisping over my cheek. "Except you're thinking about it." His eyebrow lifted.
"No!" I snapped. Or at least I tried. The word came out so much weaker and softer. There was something about him. Something in the way he looked at me that stole my breath and my strength. I swallowed hard. "I'm not tempted at all." My voice cracked.
He smirked.
"Maybe I was a little before you threatened this ship," I said, stumbling over my words. "But I don't associate with people who kill for no reason."
"It isn't without reason," he murmured. His eyes had grown harder.
"The answer is still no."
He slid his left hand against my throat, pushing me harder against the wall.
Heat spasmed through me.
His body did not press against mine though his other arm kept me caged. The tips of his claws pressed against my skin, making my flesh prickle and tingle. He caressed the column of my throat with the blade of his thumb. "Is it really?" His eyes half shaded as he leaned closer to me, his mouth a whisper's breadth from my ear. "What could I offer you to make you say yes, clever girl? I can't grant you permission to be in the North Sea or protection on the island. But something else…"
My mouth went dry.Think.I had to think of something clever or witty to say.
But as my lips parted, he moved away from my ear and back in front of my face, his nose so close it nearly brushed mine. That spicy, heady scent made me want to collapse against him and just breathe him in. "All I want is my sister back. I know that might not be possible, so I'll take Mama and me finding some life beyond this madness. That's all."
"Hmmm. Is it really?" His gaze narrowed. He didn't move away. "You humans are so fragile. You don't even need someone to ensure your kind don't survive. Why would anyone forbid your presence? Nature would destroy you in less time than it would take to blink."
"One would think you wouldn't worry about enforcing such laws against us then." I forced my voice to remain steady. Why was this so hard? Was it some sort of glamour coming off him? It couldn't be. Shifter fae didn't have glamour.
I dropped my gaze. Something about his eyes made me feel like I was sinking and being drawn in all at once. Like I was bound to him. Somehow. "We're harmless. I swear it. We're just looking for my sister. It won't hurt anyone to let us go there."
"Just laws apply to all, darling. Weak and strong alike. I could snap your neck and spine as easily as I could puncture your flesh with my claws. And yet…yet there is both fire andiron in your eyes. You've seen things on your journey, haven't you? And you accused me of killing without reason. An unusual distinction. Most would have accused me simply of killing. Have you killed someone for good reason, clever girl?"
My heart lurched. "What difference does it make?"
His smile broadened. "Tell me the truth. I can't help but notice no one's followed you. And no one noticed you were missing during that ordeal the other day. It's almost as if you don't exist. Do you think your mother would be upset to see you here with me? Or do you think maybe she was hoping you'd come here and offer yourself? It seems like she is so caught up in how to save her youngest she's willing to sacrifice her eldest. Not that it's uncommon for parents to make such decisions when their little ones' lives are at stake. We all have to make hard choices." He drummed his claws against the wood of the wall behind my head. "You have hard choices ahead of you as well. Especially if this ship remains on the course we all know it is."
Anger flared within me. I bit it back and forced the words out. "Captain Hosvir was clear about our destination, our route, and our intentions. We are not lawbreakers."
"And your mother is set on reaching this oracle as soon as possible, second only to getting to that island. The North Sea boundary is always shifting, and the island falls right within that point. Trust me, I've been here long enough to know what happens next." He stroked a line down my throat with his claw. "And a clever girl like you knows it too, Mena." He whispered my name, his hot breath tickling my neck. "You'd be so much better off with me."
I hated the smug way he looked at me, but it took all my strength not to shiver at his voice or arch against his touch. My fingers curled against my palms, heat flaring through me. I hated him. "Never."
"So you say, but who knows what the coming days may bring, darling?" He tapped his finger against my lower lip. He then glanced down the corridor. "Really, I must admit, after how this has all played out, I'm starting to wonder if anyone here would even notice if I scooped you up and carried you off. If I could get them permission to be safely on the island, they'd probablygiveyou to me. Just offer you up like a sacrificial lamb. Trade the daughter they have for the one they want?—"
