Strength and energy seep from the man, and every bit of me is pulled toward his power with the promise of connection – of feeling.
“Easy, girl,” Seth says, resting a hand on my shoulder. “You look ready to jump on him.”
“I might be,” I manage.
He chuckles. “No, you’re not. I’m not getting that close to Pax’s naked ass, and you’re on a tight leash.”
Pax walks straight past us, saying, “I’m getting some clothes.” Like I’m not even here.
Which is not okay. I called an end to this shit. Self-loathing and losing-your-shit wasn’t invited to this party either.
I lunge at him, hoping my bubble has brushed against his – but I’m not surprised when I bounce off a wall and land flat on my ass.
Hurting and groaning.
He waves a hand down at me, and without looking down or stopping, he orders, “Shade, stay. I’m in the mood for biting things.”
“I’m not your dog,” I snap, surging to my feet.
He tilts his head to the side, pausing long enough to give me a quizzical look. Like my words are absurd.
“But I do own you, and you will stay.”
Seth bounces on the balls of his feet. I feel sorry for him – if he tries to escape, he’s taking me with him, and I’m going to keep antagonizing Pax until he steps into my range – so I can slap the guy. He can’t pretend I’m not here. He can’t order me around. And he sure can’t tell me to stay.
“No, you don’t,” I shout. “You don’t own any part of me, not a single hair, and if you want to argue about this, I will win!”
His fangs drop. I would suppress my grin, except the heat rushing from my chest to my toes does it for me.
Doesn’t slow me down though.
I point at my chest. “Mine.”
Pax stalks forward.
“Vexy, you’re playing a dangerous game,” Seth whispers.
I feel Pax step into the bubble, certain of it this time, and rush at him. Hand ready to slap. Seth tries to grab my waist, but Pax grabs me by the biceps and yanks me free. Claws protrude from his fingers and slice right into the backs of my arms. Through the shirt, through my skin, deep into my flesh without warning.
Not what I was expecting.
Pax equals dominance equals home. Being his feels like home.
I cry out in pain, my knees buckling, but I don’t fight him.
In a flash, Seth has a hold of Pax’s right shoulder, a blade raised in a clear threat. Roarke grabs onto Pax’s other arm, not trying to pull him away because that would rip my arms off. But maybe trying to hold him still, stop him from doing more damage. Killian’s roar fills the domain, the man rushing towards us.
“You are going to die, but until you do, you are mine,” Pax growls.
I swallow back the tears and the need to whimper.
So he knows Killian’s part of the prophecy. I have no idea when he found out, but that changes nothing.
“Not your slave,” I manage. “I know I’m going to die. Please let me die free.”
Damn, those words hurt. Each one scratching, choking, almost failing to find life.
His hands instantly relax, but his claws retreating from my skin is as painful as when they went in. My whimper is hoarse and rough, but there’s an edge of regret to the pain. Like I was enjoying it. Enjoying Pax trying to crush me with his power. Pax equals dominance. His actions are my link to his power. I need that link.
Because I’m broken.
“You knew?” he asks, his tone low.
I nod slowly.
Very slowly, watching his fist clench and the last of the Sigil on his chest dissolve. We are on our own – good. I’ve developed a serious distaste for sigils, seals, and potions.
“Pax?” Seth asks, also very slowly. His weapon is still raised.
Seth’s a big guy, not quite as broad as Killian. He’s close and beats Killian on height by a few hairs. Chaos has muscles made to climb and flip, so he never feels that big. He also never draws his weapon for fun or in threat. My heart aches that he has it in his grip now.
“I swore her to secrecy,” Killian grunts. “And she kept her promise.”
“I don’t care,” Pax says through clenched teeth. “I said no more secrets.”
“It wasn’t my secret to tell, and he’s chuckin’ scary. He did that whole Shadows thing and made the piece of paper vanish,” I blurt, pointing my thumb up at Killian.
It sounds stupid to think that I would risk death to stay near these guys, especially considering my complete lack of everything needed to survive in this place. But their mother’s words, the threat from Leon, and a whole realm that is about to burn or become Lithael’s dinner – those things are forcing all of our hands. Bubble or no bubble – I was always going to die.
“It’s me or everyone else,” I say, which is a bit out of context to our current topic, so I add, “What’s going on in your world isn’t just in your world anymore, Pax. Everyone is on Lithael’s menu. Sabers, Silvari, mortals. Everyone. I die, or everyone does. If that’s the truth, I want to work with it. I can’t live in fear of it.”
For a long moment, Pax just stands frozen.
Seth takes a few steps back, sheaths his blade, and begins to rock from his toes to his heels. His face is smothered in fear and frustration.
Pax looks at his hands, at my blood smeared on his fingers, his eyes widening in horror.
“I’ve hurt you,” he says, then grips my shirt sleeve and tears it off at the shoulder
