Page 6 of Sold for Sin

And then I join Nexus.

My rage knows no bounds at this moment. All I can smell is the human girl. She smells dark, spicy, and slightly sweet. And she smells afraid.

The smell of her fear urges on my rage.

“How dare you!” I snarl at the dark elf, who I am quite sure belongs to one of the noble families.

Nexus jumps backwards as my foot makes contact with the dark elf’s stomach.

I burst into manic, frantic laughter as I kick the piss out of the dark elf. All I can think of is what is going to happen when Mother finds out about this – if I am right and he is noble.

But that doesn’t stop me. Nothing does. Not even when he starts crying out. Not even when he curls up in the fetal position and covers his face with his hands.

I am quite sure that everyone in the theatre district can hear his cries and shouts of pain, but I don’t give a fuck.

“Please! Stop!” he screams when I haul him onto his feet and punch him in his stomach.

“Isn’t that what she asked you to do? She asked you to stop? And you didn’t!” I punch him right in the throat, and his eyes bulge out of his head at the force of the blow.

We are both bloody when I finish with him. Except he is unconscious, and I am not.

I let him fall to the ground, breathing heavily from the exertion of nearly beating him to death.

Nexus chirrups frantically from behind me then, and when I turn, I see that the human girl is conscious and is trying to crawl away from us.

“Hey, hey! Wait, you’re hurt! Slow down!”

She is trembling when I reach her and place an arm around her shoulders.

“Please,” I murmur, and my voice is soft. I have never heard myself sound this soft. “Please just slow down.”

She bursts into tears then, and to my surprise, she buries her head in my chest.

“Okay.” I rub her back as soothingly as I can. “Okay. He won’t hurt you again.”

I’ve found her.

I do not know why the words resound through my head with such force, but they do.

I’ve found her. She is mine.

She is mine. She is mine. She is mine.

I am almost dizzy when she finally pulls away from me. She rubs her face vigorously before she looks at me. Her face is flushed, and her cheeks are bright red. Her eyes are bloodshot, and her lips are quivering.

The first words that she speaks shock me.

“Why did you save me? Are you going to hurt me?”

I pull away from her, though I keep my arm around her.

“Of – of course not,” I stutter. But her eyes are wide with terror, and she is still trembling. “I just wanted to help you.”

I’ve found her.

She hesitates before speaking. “Thank you.”

I’ve found her. The one I’m supposed to be with for the rest of my life.