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He pulled her closer, and she pushed into him as if trying to embed herself there. It didn’tmatter that her kisses were untrained or inexperienced. Her desire ravaged him in ways that would haunt him for the rest of his life. No other female could ever compare.
She was perfect. In all of her charming imperfections, she was somehow flawless. Everything he wanted. Everything he needed. And the one thing he’d never truly have.
Breathless, he broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. Dark, damp lashes spiked around those stunning pools of crystal blue. His thumb brushed softly over her lower lip, and he smiled at the sight of her fangs.
For once, she didn’t hide her feelings from him. Her mind was open, but he read all he needed to know -- the truth in her stare. “You shouldn’t look at me like that, Grace. Not when there will inevitably be someone else.”
Her gaze turned away. “Eventually, yes, my mate will come. But you will always be my first love, Dane Foster.”
She was killing him. How was he supposed to let her go now, knowing some other man would eventually touch her like this?
With aching slowness, he lowered his mouth to hers one last time and whispered, “I may be your first love, Gracie Hartzler, but you will always be my greatest.”
The agony spread from his chest to his legs as he gently stepped away, caressing her cheek until his hand could no longer reach her. He bent toretrieve her bonnet and placed it over her hair. “Take care of yourself.”
She nodded, already breaking her promise about the tears. “Stay safe, Dane.”
His mouth formed an ingenuine smile. Guess they both planned to break their vows. “I will,” he lied then finally turned away.
CHAPTER 34
The cave perched high above the sea, far removed from the world. There was no life here, nor hope. And when Adriel prayed for a merciful end, there was no relief in death either. There was only desolate, hopeless suffering.
The crippling atrophy of her legs, hands, fingers, and arms left her gnarled. She lay on the cold floor, naked in a heap of torn flesh and broken bones, shivering as the bitter winds screamed through the rocky cliffs, while Cerberus ate meat off the bone of some kill.
She didn’t remember entering the cave or much that happened after her fall. She only knew she wanted to die. By this point, she gave up hoping that Juniper had heard her cry, and she was certain her future would only get worse.
Bite marks left dark patches all over her battered body. He drained her of blood, ensuring her cells would not heal. Thetissue around her organs had withered and tightened to a brittle husk, so even the shallowest breaths strangled parts of her.
He tossed a bone into the pile by the entrance of the cave. Flames licked at the shadows of the stone ceiling, but she was too far from the fire to feel its warmth.
It hurt too much to cry or shiver, so she simply retreated to a numb part of her soul. Her body might still be whole, but her mind had fractured some time ago. Inside, she was screaming through the gaping void of time with no relief in sight. Her eternity belonged to him now, and she would live in agony, under the command of a monster.
Clouds rolled overhead marking time. Darkness flickered in the distance as a storm approached. At this altitude, one might think they could touch the heavens, but she was in hell. Only evil existed here.
Thunder rumbled over the sea and wind howled through the moors like a chorus of tormented souls. She wished it were the voices of angels coming to take her away.
The jagged walls sparkled where water dripped. The crystal sediment reminded her of Juniper, and the pain in her heart formed a steady throb that never dulled.
Starved, weak, and broken, her mind teetered on the edge of collapse. But her heart shattered days ago, when she accepted she would never see Juniper again.
I’m sorry…she wished she could tell her how much she wanted a life with her, a new beginning, and a chance at happiness. But those things were never meant for her.
“You think someone could love you?” Cerberus taunted, tossing away another bone. He easily penetrated her mind once she was injured and weak . Once he embedded himself there, he could see everything she saw and hear every private thought. “Perhaps I’ll find your little friend. We can have her for dinner one night—the two of us.”
Her eyes closed but the horrific image lingered. She tried her best not to think. Like a fire without oxygen, she tried to starve him out of her mind.
His low chuckle challenged the howling wind as he walked to the entrance. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, girl.”
Looking out over the black sea, his silhouette loomed like specter against the blustery night sky. Nothing was out there. Time was losing meaning. No one was coming to save her.
His crimson eyes gleamed with malevolent satisfaction as he glared at her, his foot sinking hard into her stomach. He enjoyed her suffering too much, and it would only get worse.
“I own you now, girl.” He stepped on her wrist, applying pressure until the bone snapped, and she whimpered. The cruel lines of his face twisted with sadistic gratification as he watchedher struggle to breathe. “Your will, your mind, your very existence. All of it belongs to me.”
He laughed, and Adriel’s gaze flickered with a spark of defiance.
“You have something you want to say to me?” he bent closer, mocking her as if he cared about what she wanted to say. “Of course not, becauseyou’reweak!You’ve always been a contemptible cunt.” He spit on the ground.
