Page 95 of Princess Redeemed

“Show yourself,” I say through clenched teeth.“Show me your demon form, bitch.”

Eris’s golden eyes narrow at my demand.A low growl bubbles from her throat, as if she’s echoing my demand back at me.

I tighten my grip, press my thumbs against her windpipe, and bite back the venomous threat of my hunger.The blood beats beneath her skin—a rhythmic song that taunts me, tempts me.My fangs throb with the need to pierce, to consume.

But I hold back.I need to prove a point.

The soft fur of her wolf form recedes, giving way to smooth, pale skin and deep-set eyes that flare with defiance.Her claws retract, and her hands contort until they resemble human fingers that scratch desperately at my arms.

Her transformation sends a jolt through me—half fear, half awe.Eris in her demon form is beautiful—auburn hair, fine features, and eyes that blaze like molten gold.

But beneath the otherworldly visage, I see a raw desperation that tugs at something within me.

She may be Rogan’s fated mate, but my true fight is not with her.

“I won’t kill you,” I say, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me.“But Iwillwin.”

Eris pulls her lips back in a snarl, revealing vivid white teeth.“You’re welcome to try,” she hisses.

I release my ironclad grip from her throat and swiftly leap back, giving her room to rise.

As she slowly gets on her feet, her eyes glow with white rage.

She won’t hold back.She’ll use every ounce of her power to defeat me—and she won’t stop at killing.

Losing isn’t an option.

So when Eris lunges at me again, I’m ready.I sidestep and pivot, and this time I catch her mid-leap and use her momentum against her.We fall together, but I twist to land on top of her.She hisses beneath me, eyes flashing with untamed fury as she claws at my arms, but my grip on her wrists is firm.

We roll in the dirt, teeth bared, snarling and growling.Each time she wrenches free from my hold, I catch her again.Each time she dives for my throat, I block her with a knee or an elbow or a well-timed roll.The world blurs around us into a whirlwind of dust and leaves and blood-scented air.

With every passing minute the struggle becomes more brutal.I scream as she pierces my skin, the fresh cuts and bruises blooming over me.But every hit I take only fuels the fire within me, adding to the burning rage that refuses to be extinguished.

“You can’t win!”Eris roars, her golden eyes gleaming with savage delight.

Her words sting.

But I brush them away.

Iwillwin.

I have no choice.

And I’m better than my stepfather.

I won’t kill her.

And I won’t use the power Alara showed me.

I need to prove to myself and to my stepfather that he was wrong about me.That I’m not nothing.

With a feral bellow, I push Eris away from me with all the strength that remains in my battered body.She stumbles back, surprise etching itself across her fierce features.

Before she can recover, I lunge forward, my fingers curling into fists as I strike her square in the chest.She crashes into the ground once again, only this time she doesn’t immediately rise.

I stand over her fallen form, breathing heavily.My heart pounds and sweat trickles down my face.

I growl then.