Page 8 of Blood Day

“I was. Before your class.”

I snorted. She wasn’t qualified for the Immortal Cup at all. And it had nothing to do with her scores.

The participants in the games were almost always preselected through genetic profiles. Unfortunately, my little flower didn’t have what the superiors wanted for immortality. If she did, I would help her. But she’d been marked as harem material as her highest level of worth, mostly because of her body and pouty lips.

Not to mention her oral scores.

They were quite delicious, to the point that I’d almost given in to the desire to watch one of her exams.

But I’d had this irrational urge to murder the human she’d been assigned to perform on, and I’d forced myself to walk away.

Her eyes narrowed at me, momentarily distracting me from my thoughts. “My scores were perfect until your class.”

“True,” I agreed. “But they’re not perfect now.”

That fire touched her cheeks again, stirring a brilliant blush that crept all the way down her neck to the white T-shirt covering her breasts. I almost demanded that she remove the fabric, just so I could see how far the warmth went.

But she released a little noise that had my gaze jumping back up to her face.

A growl.

Her eyes widened, shock bleaching her features and chasing away the blush.

The little flower had justgrowledat me.

Fascinating.

I wanted to hear her do that with my cock lodged deep inside her. Make her growl and scream at the same time while her body fought the impulse to explode in rapture or jolt in fury.

I could picture it vividly.

And that image alone sealed her fate.

“You want to please me, little flower?” I asked, the question rhetorical now since I already knew the answer. “You want to try to pass my class?”

She started to nod, but I caught her throat, my palm squeezing as I forced her to remain still on her knees.

“I’ll offer you an opportunity with private lessons,” I told her. “But the moment you disobey me, I’ll fail you on the spot. And I don’t think I need to elaborate on what that means for you.”

She didn’t move or react other than to attempt to swallow against my hand.

“Take a day to think about it,” I continued, my grip tightening just a little more to demonstrate the threat of her decision. “I’ll expect your response after class tomorrow. And you can give it by staying behind, removing your clothes, and waiting for me on your knees on that mat.” I pointed to the one she’d taken her test on just yesterday. “But if you accept my offer, you’d better be prepared to work for my approval. Because I won’t go easy on you, darling.”

My palm flexed a little more, cutting off her airflow as I held her gaze for several beats.

Her eyes widened.

Her cheeks went whiter than before.

And her lips parted in a clear desire to breathe.

I waited.

Counted a few more seconds, ensuring she understood the potential consequences of my offer.

Then I released her with a shove. “You’re dismissed, Prospect.”

I turned my back on her, not necessarily to be cruel, but because I didn’t trust myself not to pounce on her.That little growl of hers had nearly undone centuries of control.