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“Stop wiggling,” he almost begged.

His wife froze, loathing flittering through her magenta gaze. “Why am I not surprised?” she crooned, purposely wiggling. “You just can’t control yourself with me.”

He released her thigh and caught her chin, his thumb near the corner of her plush mouth. “Don’t start something you will not win.”

She slipped her tongue out and slid it up his thumb. “I always win, my lord.”

More whispers exploded through the room, but Raziel ignored them. He was about to give them something to really gossip about. “We’ll see.” He closed the space between them and pressed his lips to hers. The Sirenidae stared back at him, shuddering in his arms. She bit his bottom lip.Hard.And held on. Raziel flicked his tongue against her teeth, and she jerked back with a gasp.

That was all the opening he needed.

Rising to his feet, he hoisted his wife into his arms bridal-style and strode purposefully down the steps and through the assembly. Her nails pressed into his stitches, but he managed to shove down the pain. Hoots and hollers followed them as he made their escape with a painted-on grin.

“To heir making!” a bold man called as they reached the doors.

Cheers exploded and echoed around the dining hall as they exited the massive room.

Warriors peeled away from the walls as he stomped down the carpeted hallway, an angry Sirenidae burning a hole in the side of his face.

“Leave us,” he commanded.

“So forceful,” the Sirenidae crooned in his ear before biting his lobe so hard, he thought she’d taken a chunk out of it.

He swung around the corner, dropped her legs, and slammed her against the wall. The Sirenidae yelped and swung, but he caught her right hand and pinned her wrist to the wall. Raz leaned all his weight into her and pried her hand from around his neck, trapping that wrist above her head.

A drop of liquid dripped down his neck.

He was bleeding. Again.

“Why?” he growled.

“You’ll have to be more specific,” she snapped.

“Why the display?” He shuddered as the heat from her body sank into his own.

“Because it was fun.”

Raziel’s eyes narrowed. “You’re smarter than that. You put on a good show, but I could feel how much you hated being in my lap, despite your words and actions. So why the games? Just what are you about?”

“Haven’t you heard? Wives are supposed to torment their husbands.”

“But to bloody them?” he retorted. “That’s something altogether different. I saw the hate in your eyes before the Lure overtook me. Why agree to this marriage? What could I have possibly done to make you hate me so?” She stayed silent. “Tell me!”

“You killed my husband!”

Raz frowned at the vehement words. “You were married before?” That hadn’t been information his mother had divulged. The Sirenidae was a widow?

The Sirenidae bared her teeth at him. “Like you don’t know.”

His mind scrambled for information, coming up blank. “How could I kill someone I’ve never met? I only knew of you before our marriage.”

Her gaze darted across his face, and her mouth gaped open for a second. “You truly don’t remember,” she whispered. “How could you not remember taking someone’s world from them?”

Rage creased her face, and she struggled against his hold. Raz released her and quickly stepped back to give her space. She looked like afiileeprotecting its nest, hair and eyes wild, beautiful but terrifying.

“What do you want from me?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“Your suffering.”