Page 88 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

My body freezes, a deep ache throbbing through my core at the robbed climax. My lungs constrict, chest stuttering as I look back, face flush.

“What—”

“Gods, your taste,” he mutters, curving along my back, nipping my ear. “Everything about you calls to me. Why is that, Max? What spell have you cast on me?”

“I haven’t,” I pant, fighting the urge to finish the job he started. “Why did you stop?”

I feel the smile along my neck, his tongue tracing the bite there tenderly.

“Now you feel the same ache I feel whenever I’m around you. This insane need to have you and to push you away. The way I want you screaming my name under me, the way I want you to fuckingfearme.” His hand yanks my head back, hair wrapped around his fist and I whimper. “The way Iwantyou. Now you feel the conflict, what you do to me. What you’ve done to me since the moment I saw those godsdamn blue eyes and wished to taste those cherry-red lips.”

Swiftly, he removes himself from the cot, his large erection jutting against his dirty leathers. He doesn’t spare me a glance, exiting the tent as if furious withme.

Angrily, I sit up, body tight with unmet needs.How dare he?

He thinks he feels the conflict? I have since the moment in the throne room. I didn’t wish for his connection, this attraction—I never begged the Gods for it.

It’s not my fault he feels as if he’s another piece of my heart.

Grabbing my clothing, I dress, hands shaking. I don’t need him to finish what he started. I can do it on my own.

Chapter 31

Kaden

“You’re alive,” my sister comments, face carefully blank. Sharpening my sword by the firelight, I ignore her, eyes down as my body feels the sun rise overhead.

We might not be able to see it, but outside the Eternal Night Forest, the sun rises and the beasts awaken, pulled to look for prey.

The beast inside of my head pulls lightly at the chains.

He’s tame today. He should be. He was fed last night.

Stepping close, Fee scans my body, taking in my bare back and the remnants of my wounds. They’re nothing more than angry lines, the Witch’s magic speeding along the process.

“She was right,” she comments, sitting beside me. She throws a vial into my lap.

I know who she’s talking about. “How so?”

“She said healing you would help bring you back.” She gestures to my body. “She was right. You should thank the Witch.”

I try not to look toward her tent, next to the Witch’s within the volunteers camp. But I can’t help it.

She left me hours ago and my body is still primed, ready to take her.

I was sadistic to refuse her a climax, and a small part was so shecould feel the pain I do at being so close to her. But I stopped for another reason.

I wanted to claim her. Lay a branding onto her soul and keep her as my own.

And that would ruin my plans.

I had to get myself under control. It wasn’t the beast that wanted her, butme. I wanted her so throughly I was ready to throw all my carefully laid plans away, risk my siblings’ lives just to have her.

It’s supposed to be easy. Bed the advisor, gain her trust and heart and get her back to my father.

Now? Now it’s turning into torture.

“Should I?”