Page 76
Story: A Hunger Soft and Wild
She drags the blade ever so slightly, enough for more blood to well up.
Selis stiffens, her muscles tight. I can see the war inside her—pride versus self-preservation. She doesn’tfearme. But Aria?
She isn’t so sure.
And I—
I justwatch.
Because the way Aria holds her, the way her lips curl slightly, the way her shoulders square in absolute certainty—
It’sbeautiful.
It’sdangerous.
And for the first time since this whole mess started, I think Selis might actually be afraid.
I almost smile.
Almost.
Instead, I step closer, towering over them. I fix my gaze on Selis, who, for the first time since I walked in, seems to realize she’s not winning this one.
For a moment, just a moment, I let it sit. Let Selis feel it.
Then I step forward, voice calm, coaxing. “That’s enough, Mouse.”
Aria’s eyes flick to mine. There’s something wild there, somethingferal,but after a beat, she exhales sharply through her nose and pulls back—though not before giving Selis’s shoulder a parting scrape with the blade.
Selis swears under her breath, jerking away. “Fucking hell,” she mutters, pressing a hand to the wound. “You’ve got atype, don’t you, Talrik?”
I grip the back of her collar before she can move. “Get up.”
She groans but doesn’t fight me. She knows better.
I lean in, voice low and edged with steel. “You’re going to forget you ever saw us, and if Ieverhear you went sniffing around this bounty again—” I tighten my grip on her shirt, yanking her close enough that she can see just how serious I am. “I’ll make sure Aria isn’t the one you have to worry about.”
Selis exhales, long and slow. “Damn,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “Guess I hit a nerve.”
I slam her against the wall—gently,by my standards.
She grunts as her back connects with the wood, the smirk finally slipping from her face.
“Shit, Talrik—”
I cut her off by twisting her arm behind her back, forcing her to her knees before she can fight back.
“Yeah,” I mutter, yanking a length of rope from my pack. “Guess you did.”
She jerks once, testing my grip, but she’s not stupid enough to push it. “Tyingme up? Didn’t know we were still into that.”
I scowl. “Shut the fuck up.”
Then I haul her up just enough to tie her hands behind her back.
Aria watches, silent.
I work quickly, securing the knots with practiced ease. She tries to shift her weight, but I press my boot to her shoulder, keeping her where I want her.
Selis stiffens, her muscles tight. I can see the war inside her—pride versus self-preservation. She doesn’tfearme. But Aria?
She isn’t so sure.
And I—
I justwatch.
Because the way Aria holds her, the way her lips curl slightly, the way her shoulders square in absolute certainty—
It’sbeautiful.
It’sdangerous.
And for the first time since this whole mess started, I think Selis might actually be afraid.
I almost smile.
Almost.
Instead, I step closer, towering over them. I fix my gaze on Selis, who, for the first time since I walked in, seems to realize she’s not winning this one.
For a moment, just a moment, I let it sit. Let Selis feel it.
Then I step forward, voice calm, coaxing. “That’s enough, Mouse.”
Aria’s eyes flick to mine. There’s something wild there, somethingferal,but after a beat, she exhales sharply through her nose and pulls back—though not before giving Selis’s shoulder a parting scrape with the blade.
Selis swears under her breath, jerking away. “Fucking hell,” she mutters, pressing a hand to the wound. “You’ve got atype, don’t you, Talrik?”
I grip the back of her collar before she can move. “Get up.”
She groans but doesn’t fight me. She knows better.
I lean in, voice low and edged with steel. “You’re going to forget you ever saw us, and if Ieverhear you went sniffing around this bounty again—” I tighten my grip on her shirt, yanking her close enough that she can see just how serious I am. “I’ll make sure Aria isn’t the one you have to worry about.”
Selis exhales, long and slow. “Damn,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “Guess I hit a nerve.”
I slam her against the wall—gently,by my standards.
She grunts as her back connects with the wood, the smirk finally slipping from her face.
“Shit, Talrik—”
I cut her off by twisting her arm behind her back, forcing her to her knees before she can fight back.
“Yeah,” I mutter, yanking a length of rope from my pack. “Guess you did.”
She jerks once, testing my grip, but she’s not stupid enough to push it. “Tyingme up? Didn’t know we were still into that.”
I scowl. “Shut the fuck up.”
Then I haul her up just enough to tie her hands behind her back.
Aria watches, silent.
I work quickly, securing the knots with practiced ease. She tries to shift her weight, but I press my boot to her shoulder, keeping her where I want her.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111