Chapter 46
Ican feel Xavier.
My subconscious, as well as the rest of me, recognizes his presence. I don’t need a physical touch or sound to know when he’s near. His scent invades my senses, his energy prickling at my awareness.
Even in my dreams, where the darkness is complete and the silence deafening, he’s there. He’s the voice calling to me from the abyss.
“Little raptor...”
His words are a low hum, coaxing me to answer. To respond. I want to, but there’s something off about his energy.
“Open your eyes,” he says, his tone more forceful.
My lips part on a breath, and I obey his command. My eyelids flutter, but all I see is darkness. Until I locate him sitting in a chair across the room.
I don’t move. I can’t. Not when I fully take in the look on his face. A man shouldn’t be this beautiful. Especially since he looks like he wants to kill someone.
And he’s holding a knife.
There’s something almost hypnotic in the motion of his fingers as he tosses the blade from one hand to the other. Back and forth, back and forth, like a pendulum, marking each second with an unspoken threat. Then he throws it up in the air and catches it by the handle. The knife glints menacingly, a silent testament to the danger Xavier embodies. It’s intimidating, reminding me of the world he comes from.
The summons he just finished.
I lie there with adrenaline flowing through me like lava, heating my veins, while his gaze holds me captive. I swallow the nerves gathering in my throat and force myself to speak, if only to break through the tension.
“When did you get back?”
Xavier doesn’t answer. He rakes his gaze over me, his silver eyes bright even in the shadows.
“Did something happen?” I ask, trying again.
He remains silent and continues to look at me. His intensity, as usual, is unnerving.
“Xavier, are you okay?”
“Not even close,” he says, his tone rough.
“What’s wrong?”
“You.”
I scramble into a sitting position and hold the comforter to my chest. Although, nothing can remove the feel of his gaze from my skin. Even from across the room, it’s like a physical touch.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
Xavier stops tossing the knife, catching it one last time. He shifts in the chair, and I stiffen, thinking he’s going to come toward me. Instead, he places his forearms on his thighs and lets his hands rest in the opening between his legs, the knife hanging from his fingertips. It’s a casual pose, but not with him. He’s a predator ready to attack, his muscles going taut under his clothing.
He’s wearing his customary black t-shirt, black cargo pants, and boots. I scan his body for signs of injury or illness but find nothing to indicate he’s unwell. It only makes this conversation more bizarre.
“Your behavior is a problem, Delilah.”
I purse my lips. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“You’ve been fraternizing with crows.”
His eyes flicker to the door and then my throat. Or maybe I’m just paranoid. In the dim lighting, I could’ve imagined the way he pointedly looked at my neck like he knows what Eric did to me. If Xavier does know, it’s not because I told him.
“And if I was?” I ask, my irritation rising to the surface.
He rises from the chair like a wraith from the mist. I wait for his reprimand, but he suddenly pivots and throws the knife. It slices through the air and finds its mark in the crest above the fireplace. The blade is buried deep inside the crow’s head, embedded into the wood, the handle quivering from the force of the impact.
The skill and control is impressive, but it’s also a warning, a silent message of what he’s capable of.
I jump at the display of violence, my eyes widening and darting between Xavier and the knife. He turns back around to face me, his expression blank, but his eyes gleam with rage.
“You deliberately went to Benjamin after I told you not to,” he says.
I lift my chin. “He’s family. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Do you know what crows do, little raptor? They lie, steal, and kill.”
“Well, maybe you should convince me that you want me as a bride instead of letting someone else do it.”
Without a word, Xavier stalks toward the bed and reaches out to snatch the blanket. He rips it from my body, leaving me exposed in nothing except his t-shirt and my panties. After gripping the headboard, he straddles my hips, his chest brushing mine.
My breathing halts when he snatches my jaw and lifts my head, forcing my gaze to his. “Who’s doing the convincing, Delilah?”
“Ben.”
His expression darkens. “Don’t lie.”
“I’m not. He’s the one who said you wouldn’t trade me for another bride.”
His gaze narrows. “Why would you think that?”
I bite my lip as my jealousy bleeds all over my heart, painting it green. Xavier’s silver eyes glint with something carnal before he uses his thumb to pull my bottom lip from between my teeth.
“Stop fucking distracting me,” he says. “Why would you think I’d want to trade you?”
“Brenda.” Although his body is pressed to mine and his fingers are on my skin, her name is a wedge between us.
“What did she tell you?” he asks.
“That you two have history.”
“And you believed her? She’s an addict.”
I shrug. “I saw you guys leave the garden library together. I saw the way she looked at you and heard the way she said your name. She wants to be your bride.”
He scoffs and shakes his head. “If I wanted her, she’d be mine.”
Profound relief sweeps through me like a cool breeze. I hate myself for it. I could lie to myself and say it’s because I’m scared to be Eric’s bride, but I know it’s more than that.
I don’t want Xavier to give me up.
He makes me feel things I’ve never experienced. He is like a drug, making me high on his touch and addicted to his praise. I don’t know how to stop myself from wanting him.
“Well, Brenda didn’t get the message,” I say.
“I don’t give a fuck what she wants. And you shouldn’t either. Right now, you need to be concerned with what I want.”
“What’s that?”
“So many things… but you can start by telling me what happened last night.” He tightens his hold on me. It’s not enough to hurt me, but it gets my attention. “If you’re planning on lying to me, don’t.”
“If you already know, then why the hell are you asking me?”
“Because I want to hear it from you.”
My heart pounds furiously in my chest, drowning out my shallow breaths. I’m not sure if Xavier wants me to tell him about Eric assaulting me or that I hung out with Ben and got drunk. Both things are sure to piss him off. Well, more than he already is.
“I got drunk,” I say, choosing the lesser of the two evils. “Is that what you want to hear?”
Xavier doesn’t move. His breathing remains even and his gaze steady. If it weren’t for the slight clenching of his jaw, I wouldn’t know he’s affected by what I said.
“You put yourself at risk,” he says. “If anything were to happen to you…”
He slides his fingers from my jaw, across my cheek, and weaves them through my hair. He grips the strands until I gasp from discomfort. And arousal.
With his free hand, he traces my lips, one then the other. “What to do about your disobedience…”
I glare up at him. “If you want an apology, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“Oh, I’ll be coming, all right.” He abruptly releases me and slides from the bed. Standing with his legs shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed, he watches me. “Get up.”
The look is a silent warning that has a shiver running through me. Xavier watches the tremor, and a slow smile spreads across his face. My throat goes dry.
“Now, Delilah.”
His firm tone has heat pooling in my lower belly. I climb out of the bed, careful not to touch him. Because the minute I do, my body will take over, and it’ll surrender to him.
“On your knees, bride.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “What are you going to do?”
“Fuck your mouth. Unless you prefer I take that tight pussy of yours? Given the mood I’m in, I’ll wreck it.”
“Xavier, wait.” I fist my hands by my sides, my body trembling. I can’t discern if it’s from anticipation or unease. “Why are you doing this?”
“I warned you that you’d learn exactly what happens when you don’t listen to me. And you said, ‘can’t fucking wait.’”
He takes a step forward, backing me up against the edge of the bed. His body crowds mine, and his scent wraps around me, overwhelming my senses. He lowers his head until his mouth is next to my ear.
“You still looking forward to getting fucked, Delilah?”