Page 32

He weakly groaned, and it ripped me into action. This was my fault; I had to get him out of here.

I ignored his flinch and crawled next to the ankle cuff attached to the metal pike.

I reached out toward him.

“Do. Not. Touch,” Corvus bellowed.

I yanked my hand back as if I’d been electrocuted, startling upright. I shoved to my feet and whirled.

“What have you done?” I accused through gritted teeth. He moved so fast, and suddenly, he was leaning down, his face an inch from mine.

“You should have obeyed.” The same words he’d said when he first came for me.

A ball throbbed in my throat, and I struggled to heave in another breath.

“Why would you do this?” I shook my head, unable to move.

“He is lucky to be alive. I snapped the necks of the two before him. The ones you brought to release with your mouth.”

My knees gave out, and I slumped to the ground with a whimper. So much guilt . . .

“I fucked him three years ago, Corvus,” I whispered. “He’s been here that long?” I shook my head, not really asking; it was obvious Andrew had been suffering for a while. “How is he even alive?”

“I had an attendant assigned to keep him alive. She begged you for death.”

The pieces were connecting.

“The Novian who tried to kill herself.”

“Pitiful female deserved death.”

Andrew groaned, shifting to his side to watch us. His eyes flicked from side to side, like a wild, pained animal.

“Let him go.”

“No.” Corvus peered at his claws, rubbing something off the surface.

“You said jealousy is a human fallacy, but this is worse!”

“You are mine. He touched what is mine.” His dark eyes seemed scarier with the shadows whipping around him. “He filmedmysacrifice. He touchedmyLittle Mortal.”

His words gave me pause, and I shook my head, taking a moment to make sense of the situation.

“What?” I croaked. “He filmed me?” I whirled on Andrew, my eyes wide.

My body jolted from impact, and I fell to my knees, just barely catching myself before I face-planted.

“Do not look at him,” Corvus hissed in my ear. Shadows caressed my thigh, and cold air sent a chill through me. His grip on my hips stiffened, and he seated himself inside me. His sudden possession scrambled my thoughts, and my channel flexed. With the rub of his divot against my clit, my shock disappeared.

My body felt too attuned to him, as if he’d trained it to his liking. Shadows tickled my skin, brushing against my arms and caressing, igniting the lust.

He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, pinning my cheek to the floor. The smell of blood and the earthiness of straw filled my nose.

Corvus thrust, ripping a grunt free.

He fucked me hard, demanding, greedily.

The blood-stained straw bunched under my hands. I couldn’t help pushing back against him until my skin slapped against his thighs.