Page 7

Nope. Back in its full glory and bleeding all over me. Metaphorically at least.

Rowen’s lips parted slightly, his fangs still elongated and gleaming in his mouth. His eyes flashed between red and black and betrayed his emotions.

And here I thought he didn’t have any.

A shift of Archer's arm told me he had it pressed against Rowen’s back. Providing some comfort to the normally stoic demon king.

“Ouch, Sierra darling.” Callum chuckled as his fingers continued their perusal of my neck.

Goddamn it, why was my neck such an erogenous zone? Because Callum’s touch was driving me utterly insane. Up and down with the lightest of motions, nothing overtly sexual about it. More possessive than anything else.

As much as I wanted to jerk away, I didn’t: contrary to Rowen’s earlier statement, I did not have a death wish. And let’s just say I knew Callum could destroy me with little more than a flick of his wrist.

Callum shifted, leaning down so his lips brushed over my ear. “You’ve wounded him more with your words than any blade ever has.” His teeth nibbled on my lobe and I sucked in a harsh breath. “And you wonder why I had to find our sweet treasure here.”

Sweet treasure? Our?

Oh no mister tall dark and ethereal, I was no one’s sweet treasure.

I opened my mouth to reply, to give voice to my rising anger but Rowen held up a hand and implored me with just one look.

Something deep in those depths told me to snap my mouth shut.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing, Callum.” Rowen seemed to grow in stature and I knew it was part of his illusion. Like trying to make yourself seem bigger to ward off predators.

But there was no mistaking it. Rowen was a predator. Just as lethal as the man standing beside me.

At least as far as my powers were able to discern when I was weakened by the bindings.

“No game, brother mine.” He grinned as he took a few steps towards Rowen and Archer.

The distance between us grew and the knot churning around in my stomach tightened. Did I… want him to stay close to me?

My head was a jumbled mess. Seeing Rowen again. Experiencing whatever the fuck it was with Callum. It was messing with me.

“Leave Sierra alone.” The ground vibrated with Rowen’s intensity and my body trembled in response.

“Or what?”

Oh shit. Yet another thing Rowen couldn’t resist.

A challenge.

Time seemed to slow as Callum’s long legs ate up the distance between him and Rowen. Archer blended into the shadows, Callum none the wiser.

“I’ve told you time and again, Callum. I have no interest in anything to do with the Fae realm. That’s your territory.”

Hmm…so Callum was Fae? That would make sense with his ability to use the shadows around him. It was a very common ability amongst dark Fae.

“This has nothing to do with that,” Callum smirked and mirrored Rowen’s pose with his arms crossed over his chest.

Every few seconds, Rowen’s glance flicker over to me. As if he needed to make sure I was okay. Why did that seem to warm my heart? He hadn’t bothered to check in on me for the last eight years.

That you know of

Oh shut up, inner hussy. He proved he didn't give a shit about me long ago.

“You know as well as I do, Ria, that isn’t true,”Archer's deep voice rang throughout my head with a song-song chant. I hated it when he did that.