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“You’re a very smart woman,” he persuades. “I don’t tell you enough how you impress me. How I trust your instinctsand intelligence. You’re strong and brave, and I’ve enjoyed our hating game, but we’re not playing it anymore; this is fucking real. So if you can’t trustmeabout this, then think for yourself. Ask yourself if I’m not deadly serious about the risk you’re in now.”
All the cryptic conversations I’ve overheard. All the money he has. The security, too. The gun he carries, holstered to his back. The odd things I’ve noticed. Like for days, how he’ll disappear from the office, and we’ll have to scramble with his cases. How he’ll return with bruised knuckles, like the ones on his knuckles now. How he always wears black in a city of pastels.Black hides blood.
Axel may be heroic and use the law to help survivors, but he breaks the law and kills for vengeance. I’ve figured that much out. The man reeks of sexy, villainous power.
And I may be cavalier with my life. I meant it; I’d rather be dead than owned. But I’d never risk anything harming my sisters.
“Okay.” I nod. “Promise me you’ll keep my sisters out of this and safe, and I’ll stay with you.” I lean forward and mirror his stance. “But we have a problem.”
“Which is?”
“If we’re living together...”
His eyes gleam with triumph.
Yes, he’s caught me.
So, I smirk. “How are you going to chase me every morning?”
And I’ve caught him, too.
CHAPTER NINE
AXEL
Nine!Fucking! Months!
Ruby’s been spying on me?Andshe figured out I was chasing her, too?
Murder would be the punishment for anyone else, but what else do I expect from my future queen? It’s what drew me to her in the first place. I saw Ruby’s fire, and my cold heart wanted to play.
No one else noticed the closet door in my boardroom slowly cracking open during Wren’s initiation. They were too distracted. But I clocked it and knew there was only one Wildfire brave enough to spy on me.
It made me close my eyes while I performed my duty, initiating a queen. I imagined it was Ruby’s tight, wet cunt I was fucking. I imagined it was Ruby becomingmyqueen. The thought made me come so hard.
I’ve wanted Ruby for months. I’ve stalked and spied on her, too. I knew, eventually, I’d trap her. She’s too stubborn to obey the rules, and now she’s mine.
It changes our game because it’s no longer one.
With all she knows about me, she’s atrisk.
With all I feel for her, I’m in trouble too. Yes, I’ve felt desire before, but this? This is a demand. An unrelenting need.
This woman is mine.
But is she ready?
I glance at her and…
Shit, she looks worried. Nothing close to ready.
She’s unusually quiet as we drive to her apartment to get her things. I can see her scrolling on her phone, but her shaking finger swipes too fast, like her mind is racing.
There’s too much tension between us. It’s time to stop playing and be real. I need her to know…
“What you saw tonight,” I clear my throat, “it wasn’t love. I mean…” Fuck, that’s not true. “We love our queens. We’ll die protecting them, but each king hasonequeen,onewife, and Wren is Sire’s wife. I know what you saw, but I don’t love her. Not like I’ll lovemywife.”
Like I’ll love you, you beautiful, fucking, stubborn Wildfire. Put your phone down.