Page 41 of Savage Mates

Maybe.

“You’re crazy,” I bit back.

“Are we?” Thor asked, his features hardening. “If so, why are you wondering if you were brought to this island under false pretenses?”

Shit. Shit. Shit. It was as if he could read my mind. Swallowing, I licked my lips while they were watching me intently. This wasn’t good. I needed to find a way out of here. This time, Titus laughed, his eyebrows lifted as if daring me to try.

My pulse quickened and I refused to accept what the irrational part of my brain was thinking. “Now, I’m going to walk out of here and you’re not going to follow me. If you try, I’ll shoot you. All of you.”

Yeah, right, Lauren. They’ll just allow you to walk out of here.

What if I did shoot one of them? What then? I could easily do it. I had the skill, but there were so many of them. Even my quick reflexes wouldn’t be enough to protect me.

When they didn’t say anything or make a move, I sidestepped toward the jungle. I had just enough light I might be able to make it back to our camp before dark.

I should have known better than to underestimate their abilities.

Within a flash, Thor crossed the distance, instantly wrapping one hand around the barrel of my weapon. And what did he do? Did he rip it from my hand using his brute strength? Not even close.

He pointed the barrel at his chest, placing his other hand over mine near the trigger.

“Pull the trigger, Lauren.”

“What?” He hadn’t really just commanded me to do that. Had he?

“Do it!”

The entire group of men crept closer until I felt a hint of suffocation. “No, I’m not going to shoot you. Not unless you give me a reason and then I assure you I will.”

“That’s what you want to do. That’s what you were thinking about doing. Don’t lie to me, little human.”

He pressed his finger on mine, pushing with just enough force I was uncomfortable. “This is crazy. Let go. Just… let go.”

His eyes were pinned on mine, piercing in a way that kept me mesmerized. I could swear they were glowing.

Like a lion’s eyes.

No, Lauren. Stop it. That’s not possible.

He pushed harder.

His scent hit me. Hard.

The fragrance cut through the damp stench of the jungle, something dark and musky, woodsy and earthly.

And decidedly all male.

Knots formed in my stomach as another series of sensations vibrated all the way to my toes. A moment of feeling in a vacuum just like what had occurred when they’d attacked the rogue lions happened. Only this time everything was much stronger.

What was going on?

Beads of perspiration dripped down both sides of my face, several tickling my lips, which I licked off. This was like some sick game of Russian roulette that I wanted no part of. I’d never killed anyone and he was daring me, pushing me to do so. What the hell was wrong with him?

Very slowly a smile crossed his face as we continued this power struggle. I was shaking, horrified, so tense I could barely breathe.

Then he did the unthinkable.

He pressed down harder.