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I was suddenly much too hot, my body in shock from the extreme temperature changes. Ruslan’s gaze raked up and down my body, sending tingles flitting over my skin. “I’ll get you some furs,” he purred, then spun on his heel, gracefully moving through the wagon despite the jostling as it moved. Gathering an armful of furs from my former cage, he spread them over the top of the boxes that held the food and water, creating a soft pallet for me to rest on. He rolled up an extra plush one, forming a small pillow for my head. Holding one last fur above the rest, he waited for me to settle on the pile so he could cover me. The gesture was gentle and kind, and in absolute contrast to his earlier aggressive behaviors.
I was getting whiplash from his mercurial temperament.
On shaky legs, I hobbled in his direction, holding onto the walls as I went, half from fear of falling, half from fear of him. When I reached the furs, I slid slowly between them, muscles taught and ready for the moment I would have to defend myself. But that moment never came. Ruslan covered me with the last fur, a thick gray pelt that engulfed my petite frame. He tucked it around my shoulders with the care of a lover, and I did not dare breathe until there was distance between us once more.
He settled himself on a thin pelt stretched across a row of boxes across from me, legs splaying as he made himself comfortable. The movement pulled my eyes to his groin, and my cheeks flushed as I was reminded of his hardness. I averted my gaze as quickly as I could, berating myself for thinking of his beautiful dick.
“So, you like to exercise?” he asked casually, trying to make conversation.
“Yes,” I replied. Then, remembering my earlier promise to start over, I added, “I find that I am much calmer afterward. It helps me cope with… everything that happened.”
His jaw clenched, and I sensed his anger rising to the surface. His emotions were deep, raw, and volatile, flooding my senses and leaving no room for my own. I inhaled sharply, trying to regain control of myself and block him out of my head.
How did he have this level of influence over me?
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he brought his face close to mine. Too close. His cedarwood and vanilla scent filled my nostrils, a dizzyingly intoxicating combination.
“I will kill every last one of them for what they did to you. Their deaths will be slow, agonizing, and by the time I am finished with them, they will beg for death,” he swore, and black flames danced in his dilated pupils. A shaky breath escaped my trembling lips, and Ruslan glanced at them a little too longbefore meeting my eyes once more. Heat pooled deep in my belly as his murderous words and smoky orbs engulfed me in his madness. That primal, vengeful part of me that had enjoyed killing my assailant purred at his words, preening at the thought of extracting even an ounce of pain from those who had abused me. But I shook my head, trying to clear the dark thoughts from my mind. I was nothing like Ruslan, and it was only his twisted emotions bleeding into my own that caused this flood of bloodlust.
His nostrils flared, and then he leaned back, popping his knuckles one by one, the sharp cracks punctuating the silence.
Wanting to change the subject, I asked, “How old are you?”
“Forty-three,” he deadpanned, checking his nails.
If he was over forty… then these experiments had been going on at least a hundred years. I nearly choked as I thought of the males and females who had been subjugated to King Azim and Rares’s ideas and experiments. Nausea churned in my gut, and not only from the swaying of the wagon.
“Tell me about the palace,” I whispered, needing a distraction from my rolling stomach.
He lifted his gaze, excitement glinting in his eyes at that request. I was giving him all the wrong impressions, and I was going to regret it later.
“The palace I built for you? It is carved into the side of my favorite mountain. Giant windows overlook Radence and the surrounding valley, and every night I watch the sunset over the peaks in the distance. The granite walls glitter like the stars. A natural hot spring runs through that mountain, and on the ground level I built a deep pool where it bubbles from the floor, continually filling itself with fresh water. On the next level is a kitchen and servants’ quarters, then the third level has a library and formal dining room, and finally, the top level is our suite. It has the best view in the whole palace, with aspiral staircase that leads up to the roof for unobstructed views. Our bathroom has every luxury you could possibly want, two showers, another deep tub, mirrors to admire your divine figure, and a closet big enough to sleep ten fully grown Iron Fae.”
It sounded incredible. Too bad the male in front of me was not the one I wanted to share such luxury with.
“The library at Este Castle was beautiful. Do you like to read?” I asked.
“I do. The library is my favorite spot besides the roof. I considered creating an entire floor for the library, but I needed somewhere to entertain guests,” he shrugged, his body swaying in time with the wagon’s jolts.
“But there is nowhere for them to stay?” I inquired. He had not listed any other bedrooms besides those for us and the servants.
His smile was filthy as he leaned toward me once more. “I don’t want anyone to hear the sounds you’ll make while you’re in my bed. Those are reserved for me, and me alone.”
“I won’t be joining you in your bed,” I gritted out, despite the hum in my belly defying my mental objections.
He only purred, “My sprite, you’ll be begging for me to fuck you before the week is up.”
I bared my teeth at him, but my body wrote an entirely different story. He stiffened, nostrils flaring as he scented my desire. My heart pounded furiously against my ribcage, as his face drifted closer to my traitorous body. A flush rose from my chest and decorated my face as I studied the stubble across his jaw and noticed the soft scar that graced his temple. My lashes fluttered as his nose brushed mine, and I inhaled his crisp scent. My mind screamed at me to pull away, but my body called out for him, begging for his rough hands to caress my scorching form.
A rough bump in the road sent him flying back, and our moment shattered.
I blinked rapidly, suddenly able to think without his face a breath from mine. I cleared my throat, needing to return to my earlier stage of anger with this male who dared take me against my will.
“Why did you show up during the feast? Why not wait to claim me the next day without so many people around?” I shot at him, rising on my elbow and causing part of the fur to slide off me. The cool air against my blazing skin was a welcome reprieve.
“Why haven’t you used your magic yet?” he cocked his head to the side.
“Why are you so hell bent on conquering the continent?” I stoked my inner flames to fuel my bold questions.
