Page 66 of Sins and Virtue

“You're asking me if I was scared instead of being scared for yourself. Just what kind of enigma are you, Blair?” He tilted his head, his eyes attempting to divulge me whole, like a black hole wanting to devour my soul.

But my mentor had taught me better than to crack under pressure. Hell, he taught me never to take any shit from any other Made Men. Probably the reason I got in over my head.

Sassing him with a straight face, I said, “You’re not the first monster I’ve faced, and certainly not the last.”

“You love attracting monsters.”

“Maybe the monsters just can’t keep away.”

“Maybe you don’t want them to stay away. Maybe what you really desire is to have one of them take you away from this place and make you feel… all the things you’re forbidden to.” His brutal gaze bore into mine, making my nipples harden and thighs slick with harbored tension.

I pressed my legs together, the throbbing point only increasing. “And which monster am I talking to now?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” His voice deepened, reverberating with a thicker intonation as if he wasn’t speaking for himself and there was someone else here with us.

“What’s his name?”

“Dya. His name is Dya.” Konstantin snapped his head to the side abruptly, grunting lowly as he rumbled a few incoherent words almost as if he was fighting himself. “Stop.Don’t try.Not now.I want to meet her now.”

The interaction was new to me, but I carefully observed, wondering if he was okay or needed some help. Reaching my hand out, I placed it over his.

He swayed his head back to me swiftly, making me his sole focus of attention. His eyes were much more magnetic and alluring, as if to pull me under a spell. His stance was taller, his chest broadened out and more rigid compared to before. Attempting to draw my hand away, he kept a fortified, tense grip on it.

Right away at first impressions, even if they had the same bodies, Dya and Konstantin were two different personalities.

“Are you Dya?”

He released a heavy grunt, then darted his tongue over his lower lip as if he was tempted to bite me. More than that, mark me, as if I were some part of his property.

“Then you were the one who beat up those men who were harassing me.”

“I would have killed them if the other fuckers hadn’t arrived.”

“It wouldn’t have been necessary. I’m already traumatized from tonight.”

“That’s where you wouldn’t have a say,” he didn’t sugarcoat. “See, I don’t like when people touch what’smine. Especiallyyou.”

I didn’t know whether to be flattered or slightly worried, but Dya was trying to be on his best behavior, so I commended him.

“Thank you.”

“Anything for you,zaya.”

Another pet name, huh? To this threatening man, I probably looked like some kitten, but I had more of a bite than he thought.

While in my thoughts, my skin couldn’t help but feel the imprint of his gaze against it. Turning back to him as Dya just watched me, almost predatory, and he slightly copied my movements as if he was fascinated.

“You don’t really say much, do you?”

“It's a habit. Konstantin doesn’t like to let me out of my cage, unadvised. He likes to keep metamed.

“And you keep him —”

“Tamed?” Annoyance grew in his tone.

“Protected. You keep Konstantin protected.”

“He doesn’t like to admit it, but… yes. It’s only ever been us. So it’s logical. He can’t do this all on his own. He’s weaker than me.”