Page 83 of Dark Souls

“We will give you some privacy.” She smiled, standing up and nodding for her and Sienna to leave. The moment they did, I lifted the phone and read the shouty message in all caps, demanding to know if I was okay with a reluctant smile. Grandma was right. He cared. Which meant it was time to make him grovel.

On Your Knees

Iglancedacrosstheimmaculategrounds of my grandparents’ castle from my attic window, tapping a rhythm against my thigh to keep the nerves at bay. I hated that he had the power to make me nervous. Not the jittery kind of nerves but the giddy kind, which was even worse.Urgh, when did I become this girl?

No man had ever made me feel like this. I was always the unattached one. The one who never fell hard or fast. In fact, I was the one in control when it came to the opposite sex, but somehow, this man had fucked me, chucked me, tried to intimidate me and scare me away, and I’d still let him keep his balls. I admit, I’ve been off my game. Add the whole soulmate and Ruler ofThe Undergroundinto the equation, and I’ve been thoroughly shook. Every time I’m near him, it’s like my brain turns to slush, and I yield to my twisted desires. Well, no more.

Luka had been calling the shots for our dynamic but all that was about to change. I was taking back control, just like the night we met. But this time, I wouldn’t be distracted by a devilishly handsome face, that crimson hair I just wanted to delve my fingers into, or an exquisite pierced dick… No. I was stronger than that.

I hoped.

So what if he was the picture-perfect image of my every fantasy? That didn’t mean he could get away with treating me worse than the dirt under his shoe.

’He’s here. I can sense him. What are we waiting for?’ Rue hissed, impatient to see him again.

‘We aren’t waiting for anything. He is. And we are going to make him sweat.’

’He said to meet him when the sun set. That was over an hour ago! We’ve kept him waiting long enough.’

‘You know? You’ve changed. Where’s the bad bitch you’ve been all our life? You meet your soulmate and suddenly you have no backbone. And who even speaks like that? When the sun sets? Why not give an actual time like a normal person?’

‘Pfft, whatever. I just think we can do a better job of making him grovel if we are actually face-to-face with him.’

She had a point. My red-painted lips stretched wide as I turned to look at my reflection in the mirror and ran my hands down the very see-through black lace dress, which not only made my thong visible but also, by going braless my pierced nipples. The dress was one of my mum’s designs and used to be floor length but I’d taken a pair of scissors to it to make it my own style. Cutting across my thighs and with a deep plunge V down my chest held together by metal clasps, it was definitely one of the most revealing outfits I owned. Would this have him losing his damn mind?I bloody hoped so.

I checked my attic door was locked from the inside, and I’d already told my family I was resting for the night, so I knew they’d leave me in peace. Picturing the woodland just outside the border of the Romano village, I transported myself there and glanced around with narrowed eyes. There was no one in sight, but just like Rue had said, I could sense he was close. I stepped over fallen logs, twigs and leaves crunching under my clumpy goth boots and followed my instincts, which were drawing me deeper into the woods. A broad figure cloaked in black became visible through the crowded trees and caused me to come to a halt, inhaling sharply. He had his back to me, leaning one shoulder against a tree as smoke billowed around his head, evaporating into the air above. A twig crunched beneath my foot when I took one step forward and reminded myself that nothing he said or did was going to deter me from getting what I wanted. I had a plan and nothing was going to get in my way. I would gain a membership atThe Underground.

With a sharp movement, he turned around and threw whatever he was smoking away. Clearly, his senses were just as alert as mine. Our eyes locked despite the distance between us, and before I could blink, he’d closed the gap using his vampire speed. Dammit, he was fast. As much as I hated to admit it, perhaps even faster than me.

‘Now that’s a game I’d like to play… chase…’Rue lost all train of thought the moment his hand plunged through our hair and gripped the nape of my neck in a move that was so unexpected and sexy, I forgot how to breathe.

Before I could understand what was happening, his lips crashed against mine and his other arm snaked around my waist, pulling me flush against his hard body. His mouth demanded every inch of my submission. Gaining access with such dominance and possession, I surrendered immediately when I felt his tongue against mine. Sparks erupted.Damn. This. This was what passion felt like. Raw, untamed passion. This kiss was fierce and all-consuming. He growled into my mouth as he pushed me against a tree, his muscular thigh finding its way between mine and putting delicious pressure against my clit that was tingling with excitement and need. His hands were everywhere, my hair, my body, gripping, tugging, claiming me and makingmelose my goddamn mind. What good were brain cells anyway when your body was on fire?

‘Pah, you lasted what? Two seconds?’Rue jeered in my mind.

“Did you wear this for me?” Luka murmured against my mouth, his hands wandering over the lace. I snapped out of the lustful spell he’d just had me under. Fuck, how did he do it? I shoved his chest so hard he stumbled back, nearly tripping on the exposed tree roots. He narrowed those blood-red eyes into slits as a confused expression took over his sharp features. His red hair was tousled and messy, falling slightly into his face because, yes, my fingers had been tugging it seconds ago in a moment of weakness.

“No. I did not. You arrogant prick. I wore this because I wanted to know if this is the kind of outfit I would need for the next event. The Pleasure Den, right? And don’t you dare, ever, kiss me without my permission again. In fact, you don’t get to touch what you can’t handle, so take another step back and put your hands in your pockets.”

His dark eyebrows drew down into the bridge of his nose.

“You are joking?”

“Do I look like a stand-up comedian?” I folded my arms over my chest, causing his eyes to dip to my cleavage and dropped a hip with sass. He licked his lips with a pained expression.Yeah, you can look, but you can’t touch.This outfit was just the beginning of what I had in store for him. I could feel the power slowly transferring and damn, it felt fucking fantastic. “Hands. Pockets. Now.”

He groaned, throwing his head back and staring up at the darkening sky. Reluctantly, he shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and gave me a cocky smirk. “There.”

“Good start. Take a step back.”

He stared at me like I was insane, but when I didn’t budge, he huffed and took a large step backwards, widening the distance between us.

I smiled with triumph. “Much better. Now. Talk.”

“Talk?” he spat out the word with an edge of disgust like it was the most outlandish request ever made. I rolled my eyes.

“Yes. You know, the natural thing that happens between people who have a lot to say. And I know you must have so much to get off your chest because why else would you have come here every night just to see if I was home yet if you didn’t want to speak to me?”

He removed one hand from his pocket and scratched the back of his head, which seemed to be a habit to avoid looking at me. Was it just me, or were his cheeks darkening? Oh my god, was he…