Page 70 of The Dragon King's Assassin

“No. We don't want to alert the one who hired him. Dawn is soon enough.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As soon as Vettan was gone, Taroc took my hand and led me to his bedchambers. After Ren came in behind us, he shut the door and turned to me.

“He was not my lover,” I said before he could speak.

Taroc lifted his brows. “Who?”

“Daha. We weren't even friends.”

“Then what did he mean by that comment?”

“He's a member of the Raltven clan I worked for—the Wraiths.”

“The Wraiths?” He rolled his eyes. “How creative.”

“We've known each other a long time but never intimately.”

“I'm not sure why you feel the need to clarify this for me.”

“You're not sure?” I snorted. “Your expression soured after he said we were close and then you glared at me. That's why I felt the need to clarify.”

I wanted to ask Taroc what he hadn't told me, what was it that Racmar thought I had the right to know, but I wasn't that stupid. All he'd have to do is deny it was me who they were speaking of, then he could chide me for eavesdropping. So I only held his stare and silently willed him to answer the question I hadn't asked.

That didn't work.

“I don't believe I gave you permission to conduct your investigations today. You were supposed to fetch the necromancer and return to me. That is all.”

“I needed to speak to my contact, and I had the chance to, so I took it. If I hadn't, we wouldn't know who Yusef was.”

“Still, let that be the last time you disobey me, Assassin.”

“I can't guarantee that.”

“What did you just say?” His expression shifted from teasing affection to horrified rage.

“I did what I knew was best, and it got us the information we were after. You have my loyalty as my king and lover, but not my blind obedience. If that's what you want, then stop fucking me.”

“That is not how this works.” He closed in on me and bent his head to mine. “In case you've forgotten, you tried to kill me, and I spared your life. That's why I demand blind obedience from you—because you belong to me. Your life is mine. Every fucking breath you take is a gift from me. Every day you wake up is because of my benevolence. So do not, for one second, think that bending over for me grants you any kind of special treatment. Your ass belongs to me; if I want to fuck it, I don't need your permission.”

“Yes, you do.”

Taroc bared his teeth and snarled.

“Go ahead and growl, Taroc, but I know you now. You would never force anyone into bed with you. The thought of someone lying beneath you, allowing you to fuck them because of some kind of debt, is repugnant to you, isn't it? It's why you have such a hard time fucking your courtiers. There's a part of you that wonders if they really want to be there.”

Taroc's face twitched and trembled. “Every person I've taken to my bed has wanted to be there!”

“Yes, they sure seem to, and that's why you can do it. But you don't kiss them, do you? You don't take anything more than what you need to get off. Because you're not completely sure.”

“Watch your words, Assassin.”

I didn't heed his warning. Instead, I pushed harder. I had to make my point after all. “If I said no to you, that I felt no desire for you, that if you wanted to fuck me, you'd have to order me to do it, force me, rape me, I doubt you could even get it up.”

“I'm not a rapist,” Taroc snarled as he spun away from me. “Regardless, you are mine, and you will obey me.”

“I will obey you.”

He glanced back at me and started to look mollified.

Then I added, “Unless I feel strongly that it isn't the right thing to do.”

Taroc roared and came at me. I stood my ground, even when he wrapped his hand around my throat. He stared me down. I stared him . . . up. He flat-palmed me in the chest as he released my throat, sending me flying onto the bed.

“Oh, are we going end this with a fuck and then pretend that nothing was said?” I asked as I rose onto my elbows.

“Get the fuck out!”

I got off the bed, bowed to him a bit mockingly, and left. As I shut the door behind me, I heard something shatter against the door.

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