A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #1)(42)

Hadriel looked up again with a furrowed brow, tilting his head slightly. I didn’t know him well enough to interpret the expression.

Nyfain closed the distance and snatched my upper arm. He jerked me to face him. “You can be ready when the time comes, can you? To what? Sacrifice your life and your happiness to protect your village?”

I gritted my teeth, making a note to start carrying a knife around him.

“Obviously,” I said through a tight jaw.

“Sacrifice your future? Reduce yourself to nothing more than a cause?”

“Your staff isn’t simple, you are,” I said, balling my fists. “Sacrifice my future? What future? All we have to look forward to is sickness and death. Seeing our loved ones die horribly around us. You call that a future? Of course I will sacrifice myself, you great ape. Why do you think I left my house when you showed up in your beast form? I’d endure any fate to see my loved ones survive this. I’d pay any price to give Sable and Dash a chance at a real life—a real life where they can travel and see other kingdoms and marry for love.”

He stared at me for a long time, doubt plain in his eyes. But also…pain. Sorrow. Regret. These were old hauntings, I could see that. His torment wasn’t just because of the curse.

“What happened to you?” I asked softly, unable to help myself.

His eyebrows lowered. “It makes no difference. I’ll be damned if I let it happen to you.”

“Why do you care? I thought my life was forfeit…”

Emotions warred on his face. Then he stepped back, and suddenly the beast grew before me. His sheer size and power shocked terror into my bones. I pushed back as Hadriel did, driven by a primal warning to get away.

The beast opened his mouth into a great maw filled with large teeth. I quaked, turning. I didn’t get far.

The teeth closed around me for the second time in my life, and then he was running me back to the castle.





9





He flung me into the tower room. I fell against the bed. He stood panting in the doorway, having run me to the castle in his beast form and then carried me up the stairs in an unbreakable hold.

Now, back in my room, he stuck out his hand. “Give me the key.”

I straightened myself up, looking around for my knife. Leala must’ve cleaned up and put it somewhere.

“Your weapons won’t help you now.” Menace flowed from him in heady waves. He stepped right in front of me, his size and power pounding down on me. “Give me the key, or I will search you and take it.”

I ignored the desire to cower and instead squared off. I would not allow him to see the effect he had on me. “Don’t you dare put your hands on me.”

His chest rose and fell, his breath quickening. “I don’t have time for this. Give me the key, princess.”

“Ah. We’re back to princess again, are we? Just before you lock me in the castle tower.”

He closed what little space was between us. His voice rumbled from his wide chest, caressing me.

“This is your last chance,” he murmured, his gaze roaming my face and settling on my lips.

Heat flash-boiled my blood. My core tightened, fear and lust and yearning creating a confusing mix.

“I will not be locked in this place against my will,” I managed, defiant.

“You will do as you’re told.”

He moved so fast that I couldn’t even flinch. He grabbed my wrists and tucked them behind my back, transferring both to the hold of one of his large hands. I squirmed, trying to get out, but he leaned me against the bed with his body, his erection pressing against my lower stomach. His free hand flowed up over my upper thigh, feeling for my pants pocket.

I slammed my head forward, catching him in the mouth with my forehead.

His head jerked away, and his free hand flew to his face. He took one step back, pulling me sideways. I yanked my right hand out of his hold and punched. My fist connected with his nose, but I didn’t have the balance to put any weight behind it. He barely moved from the blow.

His eyes flashed, and my insides went wobbly. I’d just excited him. Oh shit.

“You want to do this the hard way, then?” he asked in that deep, terribly scary, strangely erotic voice.

Surprisingly, he dropped my hand. A small smile worked at his lips. He wanted us to start on equal footing. As if there were such a thing.

Panic blared, and suddenly I was in survival mode, wanting to get away, my animal wanting him to catch me.

I feinted right, then broke left to run around him. He took one lazy step and reached out. His hand landed between my breasts, and he shoved me back, launching me onto the bed. I fell on my side with my legs sprawled out, a very bad position under the circumstances.

Acting quickly, I flipped and scrabbled to get off the other side of the bed. I needed my knife!

“My clothes look good on you, princess. But wearing nothing would look so much better.”

I was wearing his fucking clothes? Why hadn’t Leala said something? I would’ve rather worn a potato sack than parade around him in what must be his childhood clothes.

An iron grip latched around my right ankle. I flipped back to kick, but he pulled me toward him.

His tantalizing power slithered across my tingling flesh. My animal purred within his dominant manhandling. My pussy was so wet it dribbled into my panties. Damn my body! I would not give in to this insanity of lust. I needed logic here!