Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
F innar towered over Scarlett, his shadow enveloping her. The scent of her fear mingled with something else—something that made his beast pace restlessly inside him, eager to claim its prize. He should feel victorious, having a human in his power, but his stomach twisted when she shrank back from him. His fingers flexed, claws digging into his palms as he fought the urge to reach for her.
“I’ll leave,” she said quickly, her voice quivering. “Go back the way we came.”
“Too late for that.” The words rumbled from deep in his chest. “You belong to me now.”
His beast purred in satisfaction at the declaration. The sound vibrated through him, primitive and possessive. Seren’s warnings faded to meaningless whispers—this felt right. Natural. Inevitable.
“Belong to you?” she repeated, her eyes impossibly wide in her pale face. “What do you mean? You can’t keep me here.”
“Watch me.”
He stepped closer, drinking in her scent. His beast demanded that he mark her, claim her. The urge shocked him—he’d brought her here for revenge, hadn’t he? To make a human suffer as he had suffered. But something had shifted during their journey through the woods. Each time he’d touched her, helped her over obstacles, breathed in her intoxicating scent…
“Please.” She pressed her back against the stone wall. “My grandmother is expecting me.”
“She’ll have to keep expecting.”
His voice came out rougher than he intended. Part of him wanted to comfort her, to explain that he wouldn’t really hurt her. But that would mean admitting things to himself he wasn’t ready to face. Better to let her fear him. Safer.
His beast disagreed, whining at her distress. The sound almost escaped his throat before he caught it, transforming it into a growl. “You’re staying here.”
She lifted her chin defiantly, but her pulse fluttered at her throat like a trapped bird.
“Why?”
The simple question triggered something deep inside him. Years of rage and pain burst forth before he could stop them.
“Why? Because humans destroyed everything. Murdered my family. Burned our home. Drove me from our land.” His voice grew hoarse, the words bitter on his tongue. “Left me without hope. Without a mate.”
Her face drained of color. She tried to take a step backwards, but the wall blocked her retreat.
“Mate?” she whispered. “You want…”
She shook her head as if the thought was impossible to contemplate. And perhaps it was. The humans thought they were monsters, didn’t they? Creatures to be feared.
He fought back the sudden, irrational urge to comfort her, to explain that he’d never force himself on anyone. His beast whined at her fear, but he silenced it. Let her be afraid. It was better that way.
He leaned closer, crowding her against the wall. A single claw extended, the sharp tip barely grazing her skin as he trailed it down the graceful curve of her neck to that wildly fluttering pulse. The scent of her fear mingled with something else—something that made his blood burn.
His claw continued its path, tracing the neckline of her dress. Her breath caught, a tiny gasp that shot straight through him. But she didn’t try to pull away. Instead she stared up at him, her pretty lips parted, and he realized that her nipples had stiffened, pressing against the thin fabric of her dress.
Her warmth, her scent, the way her body responded to his touch—it awakened something primal inside him and he was suddenly, achingly erect.
Mate , his beast growled, anxious to claim what it saw as theirs.
Blood rushed through his veins, his body tightening with unwanted desire. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this close to anyone. Couldn’t remember wanting anyone like this.
Shocked by the rush of desire he stumbled backwards. His heart hammered against his ribs, his beast howling in protest at the sudden distance between them. What was he doing? He’d brought her here for revenge, not… this.
He forced himself to curl his lip, baring his fangs.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I would never mate with a human.” The words tasted like ash in his mouth, his beast snarling its disagreement.
Mate, it growled again. Ours .
He shoved the thought aside, focusing on his anger instead. But his treacherous eyes kept drifting to the delicate curve of her neck, to the gentle swell of her breasts, to the fullness of those soft lips…
“I don’t understand,” she whispered. “Why bring me here if not to…?”
“Justice,” he growled. “For everything humans have taken from me.” The memory of that terrible night seared through him—the screaming, the flames, his family trapped in the burning building. “Now get inside.”
He gestured sharply towards the door of his den, needing space between them before he did something foolish.
The scent of her fear faded, replaced by something that made him even more uncomfortable—a thoughtful look that suggested she saw right through his harsh facade. She studied him for a long moment, head tilted slightly.
The urge to touch her again clawed at his insides. He clenched his fists, fighting back the need to grab her, to pull her close and bury his face in her neck where her scent was strongest.
Then she straightened her spine and lifted her chin, somehow managing to look regal despite being his prisoner. Without a word, she turned and walked toward his den, her movements graceful and unhurried.
His beast preened at her show of spirit even as he tried to convince himself it meant nothing. She was just another human. His enemy. Nothing more.
The lie felt hollow even in his own mind as he followed her inside.
He watched her eyes try and adjust to the gloom. The shuttered windows blocked most of the daylight, leaving only a few thin strips of sunlight to slice through the darkness. His enhanced vision picked up every detail of her face—the slight parting of her lips, the way her pulse fluttered at her throat.
He prowled around her, trying to recapture his earlier menace.
“You’ll serve me here. Cook. Clean. Obey.”
Her scent grew stronger in the confined space, drifting across him like a physical touch. He forced himself to keep moving, to maintain distance between them. But his traitorous eyes kept returning to her face, drawn by that contemplative look that made him feel so exposed.
“And if I refuse?” Her voice held no fear now, only curiosity.
The question brought him to a sudden halt. What would he do if she refused? He hadn’t thought that far ahead. His claws threatened to emerge at the thought of her leaving, but the idea of forcing her compliance made his stomach turn.
“You won’t.” He injected steel into his tone, hoping she couldn’t hear the uncertainty beneath.
Those big brown eyes tracked his movement through the shadows. Did she realize he could see her clearly even if she could barely make out his features? The thought of this small advantage helped steady him.
But then she took a step towards him rather than away, and his carefully constructed control threatened to shatter.
“Won’t I?” she whispered.
The intimacy of the dark room surrounded them, the air charged with something he refused to name. His beast stirred restlessly, urging him to close the distance, to claim her as theirs.
But then she turned away and went to the window. Light flooded the room as she yanked open the shutter, destroying the protective darkness. The harsh daylight exposed every flaw. Cobwebs draped the corners like tattered curtains. Dust coated the sparse furniture—a rough-hewn table, three mismatched chairs, the wide bench next to the hearth. His winter nest of furs lay in a tangled heap in the bed alcove, evidence of restless nights spent alone.
A half-empty bowl crusted with dried porridge sat abandoned on the table. Dead leaves skittered across the floor, blown in through the gap under the door he’d never bothered to fix. The evidence of his neglect made his ears burn with shame.
His claws dug into his palms as she turned to face him. He expected disgust, judgment, perhaps even pity. Instead, she retained that maddeningly calm expression.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked quietly.