Page 123 of Yearning For Her

He checked the time again. Two-twenty-eight.

Kian set the brush back into motion, but the strokes came slower and with less certainty. His instincts had urged him to go to Willow ever since he’d dropped her off earlier, making their demands known in a ceaseless quaking from the depths of his soul, but their voices had changed now. Those instincts had grown into a roar that was clawing up his spine.

If he left now, he’d arrive at Willow’s around two-fifty. Ten minutes early was fine, wasn’t it? He doubted she’d complain.

Better to be early than to spend these last few minutes in agony, anxious and impatient, fostering a sense of doom that was nothing if not wildly overdramatic.

And if he were to arrive at her home before she returned, perhaps he could surprise her. A nice, hot bath sounded like the perfect thing to help his mate relax and unwind—at least until she realized that he intended to join her.

The size of her tub would necessitate a great deal of close contact between them…

He quickly picked up his phone, slipping it into his back pocket, and gathered his brushes, placing them in a container of water. He was about to bring them to the sink when his phone buzzed.

Willow.

His heart sped, and his hand darted back, snatching his phone free. The split-second glimpse he had of the screen was enough for him to see her name on the caller ID before he hit the accept icon. He brought the phone to his ear.

“I knew you couldn’t wait that long to have your next taste of me, Violet,” he said, grinning.

The reply came in a masculine voice that pierced Kian’s heart like a shard of ice. “I’ll have more than a taste this time, Pale One.”

All the concern, panic, and terror Kian had felt when Willow had disappeared from the nightclub flared back to life inside him.

Lachlan chuckled. “I can almost taste it from here. Who knew you were capable of such potent emotions? Who knew you were capable of being caught speechless and afraid?”

A new fire arose within Kian to accompany those other emotions—rage, fraught with withering heat.

My mate. Mine. My Willow, my Violet…

“What have you done to her?” Kian demanded, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.

“Nothing irreversible. Not yet. We’ve just been testing the limits of the gift you’ve given your pet.”

“Lachlan, I will—”

“You will listen,” Lachlan growled, “because every order you disobey, every ounce of disrespect you show, will bring her more pain, and I will drink it greedily.”

Heat roiled beneath Kian’s skin, and every shred of his being protested as he tamped down his fury. “Then speak, Hollow Prince.”

“That’s already one mark against you, Pale One.”

There was a pained, terrified whimper in the background.

“Willow!” Kian reached out as though he could grab hold of her, but his hand only closed on empty air.

“Come to me, Kian,” Lachlan said. “Come and finally learn your place. Come and bow at my feet, and I may find mercy enough to let you continue your pitiful existence.”

Kian’s jaw was clenched so tightly that his fangs felt on the verge of breaking. “Where?”

“Your pet’s house, Pale One. We’ll be waiting.”

The call ended, leaving only deafening silence.

Flames roared in Kian’s chest, consuming him utterly. He tore off his shirt and threw it aside, summoning his wings as he threw open the terrace door. He leapt into the air, wings pumping in a frenzy to carry him toward Willow’s house. The wind threw his hair back, and buildings shot past in a blur, but he only pushed himself faster.

Soon, Willow. Gods, hold on. I’ll be with you soon.

Thirty-Five

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