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My bottom lip trembles. No one has ever claimed me like this before.
I chew on my bottom lip. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise.” I’m flirting…shamelessly. But I’m not sure what else will work with him. The sexual tension between us is evident, even if I should fight it. It’s the only advantage I have.
He shifts forward on the bed, and his hand moves to the drawstring of my pants. He plays with it, intertwines it with his fingers, slowly unraveling it. Each movement heats me up. When he hooks his thumb on the inside of my pants, brushing against the skin of my belly, I nearly scream. “There’s another little problem, wildling,” he says. “You’re a little killer, baby, and people like you shouldn’t be roaming free.”
I pull away from him, and the movement causes my pants to slide down, exposing my underwear. My shirt rides up my stomach. “I told you that was an accident,” I murmur.
His eyes promise violence as he moves his hand up my stomach, stopping at the under flesh of my breast. His tight sweats leave little to the imagination as his erection pulses. “You’re too dangerous, Layla.” He grabs my throat and squeezes. The slow, painful pressure makes me dizzy. He tightens his grip, and I almost lose consciousness. My body yields. My eyes roll to the back of my head as he chokes me so hard my lungs start to burn. I sink down into darkness, all the pain subsiding. He finally releases me, and I suck in air. My senses snap back into place.
“Asshole,” I sputter out as the blood rushes to my head. My hands move instinctively to my neck. Apparently, I have self-preservation after all.
His eyes are now inky black as the rage takes over, and after a few seconds, he gains control of himself, the gold flex in his irises returning as he stares into my soul. “How long are you going to lie to yourself, hmm?”
I hunch over, finally understanding how much danger I’m in. How little control I have. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
He pulls away from me and takes a big bite of bread. “You have an attitude problem, don’t you, baby?”
“You abducted me…” I remind him. “That warrants an attitude.”
He leans forward again, pressing his lips against my ear. “And you killed my twin sister. Don’t you think that makes us even?”
He pulls back, and our eyes meet. He watches me like he’s daring me to say something. The nice side of him is entirely gone. What’s left are cruel, hateful eyes, hell-bent on revenge. My hair stands on end, and a deep pulse hits my core.
I deserve this…
I can’t control my breath; my chest rises and falls as a sob escapes my lips.
Without saying a word, he reaches over and grabs the bread, bringing it to my lips. This time, I open them, and he presses the piece of bread into my mouth. He shoves in one piece, and then another until I choke and can no longer speak because my mouth is full.
I chew, swallow, and glance up at him—he holds all the cards, and he knows it.
“Are you going to behave now?”
My heart is still pounding as I nod. “Yeah,” I breathe. I’m desperate for more of every side he will show me, desperate for him to touch me.
“If you want to stay here with me, you need to let go. You have no control anymore, baby. I control every aspect of you now. If you try to run, I will find you and throw you back into that hole. Do you understand?”
I tilt my chin, my gaze fixed solely on the bread. My desires drill down to a singular focus of being fed. I’d let this man do anything to me to get it. That’s how pathetic I’ve become.
“Or maybe I’ll string you up like a little puppet.” My eyes flutter as that image pops into my mind.
His hand finds my thigh, and he runs it up and down, massaging me. Then he grabs the back of my neck and rubs the place he just squeezed. Warmth spreads through my body, and I crave more of it. Needing more of it…like I need to breathe.
Is it lust or hunger? I can’t tell anymore. Perhaps it’s nothing more than simmering guilt.
He pulls my chin up, forcing me to look at him, his hands are soft and tender. “You’ll only ever get one of two experiences with me. I’m all about extremes.” He leans down, his lips tickling my ear as he continues massaging me. I moan at the sheer pleasure of his touch. “You’re going to beg for everything. Your pleasure, your pain, and especially your punishment.”
He tosses the piece of bread on the floor. I wait for him to signal like a feral cat, barely contained. He snaps his fingers, and I roll onto the floor, grabbing it, shoving it in my mouth before he changes his mind.
He dips his head and chuckles, his eyes falling under the stream of light. I shudder a breath at the vision of death he embodies. “I fucking hate you.”
He leans in closer. “I hate you too, wildling.”
Chapter 14
Captivity
Aslamming sound shakes the house. The sun is dimming, which throws me off momentarily. I stretch my legs and peer through the tiny window in time to see the Archer disappear down a long dirt driveway that leads into the thick forest.
