Page 89 of Cursed Evermore

“I crossed realms to find you. That makes you mine.”

I meant every word. And I also knew Thaydenwouldcome for her. It was just a matter ofwhen.

When that day came, I’d welcome it and look forward to destroying him with a maddening song in my heart.

Chapter 17

Elariya

“Nothing but Shadows to Follow”

Against the wall, my body froze, becoming foreign to me. The cold wood bit into my back, but I barely felt it through the waves of terror twisting my insides.

Terror. And those lingering words Wolfe uttered, claiming me as his.

You belong to me now.

Gods. I’d never met anyone who could threaten me and throw my emotions into a lethal frenzy in the same breath.

My heart thundered against my ribs like a storm-forged hammer, each savage beat threatening to shatter me as I gazed down at those merciless silver-blue eyes, holding the promise of untold horrors.

Wolfe’s shadow magic cracked through the air, stirring the tattered remnants of my dress that lay on the ground in a grave of lace and silk.

I couldn’t believe he’d shredded the dress from me. As if it were no different from paper. And what he said about Thayden…

Blessed Mother.As horrid as Thayden was, I didn’t want Wolfe to hurt him.

The raw menace lurking in his eyes sang to me as loudly as the bonds from the shackle. I realized when he first yanked me back that the shackle really was singing earlier. Like a living being.

What in the hells was Wolfe planning to do next?

Each of my breaths came in short, desperate gasps that weakened my trembling limbs. Sweat beaded along my spine as shadows danced around him like devils.

And still, my damn body betrayed me with desire and something else I refused to name.

The devil grinned as if he could read my mind then fluttered his fingers.

I thought he was going to make good on his threat and strip me bare, but instead, I plummeted from the air.

A desperate shriek tore from my lips, and I hated that as he caught me, I reached for him, grabbing on to his shirt as if I could trust him to keep me from hitting the ground.

Realizing my mistake, I released him and tried to get out of his grasp, but he held me in place, locking me against the steel walls of his chest.

“Not so fast, Ziyka.” Wolfe still sounded as unhinged as a raving lunatic.

“Put me down now.” I kept my voice steady and neutral, hoping he’d release me without any further drama.

“As you wish.” That mirthless grin stretched and he carried me over to the bed. Then the bastard made a point of setting me down in the center of the soft bedding I’d refused to sleep on. My mind protested with stubbornness, but my aching body welcomed the softness like balm on an open sore.

Wolfe leaned forward, looming before me. “I’m definitely going to enjoy breaking you in the most delicious of ways, Ziyka.”

The deep timbre of his voice pulsed low in my core, stirring desire I shouldn’t feel.

I wanted to argue. Say something.Anythingto preserve my pride. But I held my tongue. Every time I’d fought with this bastard, I’d only made things worse for myself.

“Get dressed. It’s getting colder. You don’t want to freeze in that thing with all these males around. You’re already showing too much.”

Shit. He was talking about my pebbled nipples that were pressing against the thin silk of my shift. It was cold in here, but it wasn’t just the cold that was making my body react.