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"She will not say it. She will not say it," Violet chanted the words in her head like a dark mantra.

But when another slap landed on her already tender butt, a sound of pain and pleasure escaped her lips, and Violet couldn’t hold it back any longer.

"Fine! I’m sorry for abandoning you, my king!" she finally capitulated, her voice carrying a tone of defeat.

A victorious smile lit up Asher’s face, bright and smug. There it was. The words he had been waiting for. She had finally admitted he was her king.

With a tenderness that contrasted starkly with his earlier actions, he began massaging her reddened cheeks. His voice softened as he murmured, "Say it one more time, Violet. I want to hear those words again."

With her cheeks aflame with humiliation, Violet had no choice but to comply. "I’m sorry for trying to leave you, my king," she repeated hollowly.

After all, they were just words. Saying them and meaning them were two different things. Right now, all Violet wanted was to escape this humiliating ordeal. It had lasted long enough already.

Asher’s chest seemed to swell with pride, his eyes gleaming with a chaotic mix of emotions. Then, with deliberate slowness, he leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to one of her sore cheeks.

Violet froze, her mind scrambling to process what had just happened. Asher’s touch, though passionate, carried an undeniable claim of possession that blurred the lines between affection and obsession. If this could even be called affection.

Yet, against her better judgment, she couldn’t deny the thrill that raced through her when his lips trailed gently across her skin. A deep throbbing sensation began to stir low in her belly.

"Asher..." Violet’s voice trembled, caught between telling him to stop and daring him to continue. She hated the way her body betrayed her, hated the way his touch ignited sensations she wasn’t ready to face.

Asher finally lifted his head, his darkened eyes locking onto hers. The intensity of his gaze made her breath catch, his looks smoldering.

"You don’t know how beautiful you look right now, my little purple," he said with his silky and smooth voice.

She wanted to reject his words, to throw them back in his face, but they wormed their way under her skin, making her heart stutter despite the walls she put around herself.

"You look so good," he continued, his tone as seductive as a spell, "I can’t help but want to take a bite out of you." His words sent a shiver down her spine, punctuated by the sharp sting of his teeth as he bit her on the buttocks.

"Ahh!" Violet yelped, the pain shocking her system. "What the hell, Asher?!"

Ignoring her protests, he leaned down and bit the other cheek. The first bite had stung, catching her off guard, but the second sent an intoxicating wave of pleasure-pain shooting through her.

"I’m going to put my marks on you, my little queen," Asher murmured low and possessively. "So the world will know you’re mine."

Mortified and overwhelmed, Violet clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sounds threatening to spill out.

She felt like a stranger in her own body, her responses unfamiliar and unwelcome.

If Nancy could see her now, she’d be horrified by the boldness of the boy only to eventually crackle with pride.

Yes. That crazy mother of hers would definitely applaud Asher for punishing her. Violet prayed that Nancy and Asher would never met. That would be a nightmare.

"Aside from your hair..." Asher continued, his hands kneading her butt cheeks as though it were dough, "I think this is quickly becoming my favorite part of your body." His gaze held a wildness that always left her breathless, whether from fear or something else entirely.

"Are you done?" Violet managed to choke out, her face burning with humiliation. All she wanted now was to curl up and disappear. She had failed to escape and now found herself in this humiliating mess.

"Yes, my queen," Asher replied smoothly. But before she could feel any relief, he added, "Although, not entirely."

Violet’s stomach dropped. "Are you still going to punish me?" she asked with a shaky voice. The sting on her skin was still fresh, and she couldn’t endure more pain—no matter how unnervingly good it had felt.

"No," Asher said with a sly smile. "On the contrary, I’m going to reward you."

Violet shivered at his words. "R-reward me?" she stammered, unsure whether to dread or anticipate his intentions.

"Yes, reward you, my queen."

Before she could process his words, Asher flipped her effortlessly onto her back. She gasped at the sudden movement, landing softly on her back.

Asher’s darkened gaze raked over her, his pupils dilated with desire. The intensity in his eyes made her pulse quicken. He looked at her as though she were prey, a feast he was eager to devour.

The dark, smoldering hunger in his expression made Violet’s heart race. This wasn’t a man. This was something primal, something dangerous. And she couldn’t tell whether she wanted to flee or surrender.

Asher spread Violet’s thighs apart and wedged himself between her legs. Her heart pounded loud and fast at the action, almost drowning out her thoughts.

His gaze held hers unflinchingly as he leaned over her, the intensity in his eyes anchoring her to the moment.

"You should stop me now, Violet, because once I start, there will be no stopping," he whispered, his voice a dangerous murmur that threatened to unravel her.

Violet knew she should have seized the opportunity to push him away; it was what she had wanted all along.

Yet, in that moment, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

The truth was that despite everything, Violet hungered for him.

She hated herself for this weakness, for this burning desire that she couldn’t extinguish or deny.

Her silence was all the confirmation Asher needed.

He captured her hands and pinned them above her head, pressing his body against hers until the space between them vanished, their chests touching in an electrifying connection.

Violet found herself holding her breath, hyperaware of his body, the heat emanating from him ensnaring her senses.

But just as their lips were about to touch, Asher paused and commanded, "Moan aloud." As Violet opened her mouth to respond, Asher’s lips captured hers, cutting off any retort.

The world seemed to spin as a molten fire ignited in her veins. Violet felt like she was burning alive, consumed by a sensation so intense it bordered on the elemental.

Asher kissed her with a ferocity that left no room for doubt. He kissed like a man possessed, like someone starved of this very touch, and now that he had her, he seemed determined to devour her whole.

Asher Nightshade tasted of sin, of destruction and chaos, if such flavors could even be discerned. It was a blend that somehow made perfect sense in the haze that clouded her mind.

In that moment, Violet realized this wasn’t just a physical hunger, but something far more profound, something terrifyingly irresistible.

Asher Nightshade had marked her not just physically but had staked a claim deep within her, somewhere she couldn’t reach, somewhere she might never want him to leave.

As Asher began to move against her, Violet found herself moaning aloud, swept up in the overwhelming arousal. She was so sensitized that even the slightest friction seemed enough to push her to the brink.

Her body burned with such intense desire that it frustrated her not to be able to use her hands, to pull him closer, to eliminate any remaining space between them and perhaps, feel that throbbing member more directly.

Asher seemed attuned to her escalating need, maintaining his tantalizing move, each one sending pleasure coursing through her.

Violet’s moans reverberated throughout the room, filling the space with the sound of her escalating pleasure. In that moment, she was acutely thankful that Asher had ensured her roommates would remain undisturbed, asleep throughout her vocal expressions of ecstasy.

"Asher!" she cried out, her voice laden with desire, teetering on the edge of climax.

But just as she was about to tumble over into overwhelming release, Asher halted his movements abruptly.

Confused and frustrated, Violet initially thought he might be changing positions or teasing her further. However, when he stood up and stepped away, the sudden cessation of contact was startlingly clear—he was finished.

"What are you doing?" Violet asked with disbelief and rising panic. She was so aroused she might as well be suffering a blue ball if she had the balls, that is.

With a smirk that seemed both cruel and calculating, Asher responded, "That is my gift, little purple. You will crave, hunger, and burn for me, your king. Only me."

He compelled her.

She was a fool.

A fool to have fallen for that.

Asher’s words struck Violet like a cold shower, quenching the flames of her desire with the chilling realization of his manipulative prowess.