Page 12

Chapter 11

Adeline

A deline seethed and tried to wrench her arm from his grasp, but he only tightened his grip. Her weakened body was easy for him to move, but her nails lengthened into sharp points as her anger reared its ugly head again.

And gods damnit, she would drink some of his blood—even if it was laced with juniper and garlic—because she hated being tossed around like a rag doll.

When she had pulled out the coat, it was stiff with dried blood.

Three different scents littered its threads—human, vampire blood, and…

“What are?—”

Rolf’s growl cut her off. “I said, ‘Leave my things alone.’”

She narrowed her eyes and tried to step away despite the ripple of sensation that walked up her spine at the primal sound of his anger. He refused to let her go, pulling her closer and looming over her in an attempt to intimidate her. Had she been in her right mind, she would have pushed back. But her legs wobbled, reminding her she was in no position to fight him.

Yet.

“As you wish,” she sneered, clicking her nails together.

Calm down, Adeline. You need him willing.

“I didn’t think it needed to be said out loud,” Rolf countered. He finally dropped her hand and asked, “Did you find anything interesting?”

“Don’t patronize me. And don’t try to downplay this,” she hissed again, pointing to the closed drawer. This was not how she had planned for things to go. It was time for her to claim her freedom. She had been too caught up in the possibility of the improbable that she had let her guard down. This was not her. Everything about this situation had been so unusual.

“Downplay what? My privacy?” Rolf scoffed.

“That you’ve been lying.”

“Lying,” he replied mockingly.

Gods, he is infuriating!

She needed to hit something. Some one .

Adeline raised her palm to strike him, but Rolf’s hand caught her arm in midair. Her obstinacy was hard-earned and a source of centuries of pride, so she fought against his resistance. Her arm shook with the effort to break free of his grip and have her nails meet his face. The longer he stood there, holding her shaking arm, the angrier she got.

“I’m not the only one who has been lying, Adeline. What are you really doing here?”

“I am an assassin,” she spat back. No need to tell him everything, not yet. She still needed sustenance, and telling him all of her secrets was not the way to get it.

Rolf raised a solitary eyebrow at her. “What are you doing here , Adeline?”

“Hunting,” she spat.

“Hmm,” Rolf hummed. The sound reverberated low in his chest; she wanted to put her hands against him and feel his taut muscles beneath her palms.

Stop it.

He stood his ground in front of her. As angry as she was at him for grabbing her so roughly, for keeping her from lashing out, she found herself leaning into his body heat. She could hear his heart thumping, and then her eyes wandered again to the veins in his neck. They pulsed in time with the pounding of his heart, and they looked so tempting. Her teeth sharpened, and she flashed him a wicked smile.

But then…

Rolf dropped her arm and brought his hands up to the curve of her jaw. His calloused hands scraped her skin, sending sparks of lightning down her spine. He threaded his fingers through the hair at the base of her neck, and his intense glare softened, drifting from her eyes down to her lips. He tugged her closer, and she braced her hands against his chest to keep from falling into him.

Oh.

Her heart leaped into her throat, and she swallowed thickly. The sharp points of her nails pressed into his skin. He hissed as she pushed in a little farther, every bone in her body screaming for her to?—

Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it. Stop. It.

His broad shoulders filled her vision as her body instinctively molded to his. His heart beat rapidly beneath her palm.

She opened her mouth to object, but Rolf cut her off.

“You have to know,” his voice was a heady whisper that brushed against the darkest corners of her soul. “I cannot—should not—be doing this. But, by the gods, I can think of nothing else I want to do more.”

Stop it.

He bent his head, his lips hovering above hers as he waited. His eyes locked onto hers, and his whole body was a plea to give him an answer.

“You—” she started, but her throat felt too tight to speak.

Rolf nodded as if he could read her mind. He tightened his grip on her hair and tugged her head backward. His pupils dilated as she licked her lips. Heat pooled in her center, and she could find no excuse to say no. If she played these next few minutes right, she might be able to drink some of his blood and get her strength back.

His hands slid down to her waist, and he pulled her even closer, if that was at all possible, pressing her against him. She could feel how eager he was and raised an eyebrow at the sensation of him straining between them. Her nipples hardened against the fabric of her chemise.

Adeline shook her head, confused at what her body wanted to do. She flattened her hands against this broad chest and leaned back to stare at Rolf. She asked, “You want me, even though you know what I am?”