Chapter Ten #2
“Maybe ‘normal’ wasn’t the right word,” I said as my gaze roved his face. “Can you stop that?”
“Why?” he pushed, his grin morphing back into the one that was more familiar.
I huffed a quick breath. “Because I don’t like it.”
“You know, most people find my real smile disconcerting. My twin says it freaks people out.”
“I like your smile,” I replied and instantly regretted it. Why the hell had I said that?
Byron grinned and fuck me, he looked wicked and it was like everyone faded into the background. All I could see was Byron, and all I wanted was him.
I pressed the heels of my palm into my eyes hard enough that colours started to flicker through the darkness. I couldn’t fucking think. Between Byron, my father and this Shadow Witch shit my mind was all over the place. I was on edge and twitchy and one wrong word away from falling to pieces.
Byron slid his hand slowly around my hip, instantly grounding me, and brought his mouth to my ear. “Let’s go find somewhere quiet and we can talk things through.”
I swallowed and nodded. Quiet sounded good. Maybe I could put my mind in some sort of order in the quiet.
Byron grabbed my hand and dragged me behind him.
We left the main reception room, and I walked behind Byron through the twists and turns of the mansion.
This place was massive, and I’d never seen much more than Damyr’s office, the meeting room and the breakfast parlour.
I had no idea where Byron was taking me and I hadn’t paid enough attention to know how to get back to the party.
He stopped at a door and looked at me over his shoulder, a salacious grin curling his mouth. “Time to play, little witch.”
Wait. What?
Byron opened the door and pulled me through it. As soon as it closed behind us, he slammed my back against it and pinned his body to mine. I could feel every firm inch of him pressing against me and my brain stalled.
“Did you like my gift?” he whispered against my lips.
A flash of panic rose from the pit of my stomach as I thought about that signet ring sitting in my pocket. “Where did you get it?”
“I stole it from the man who was following you.”
My heart lurched and my palms started to turn clammy. “F-following me?”
“Yes. You recognise the ring, don’t you?”
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. Why was my father following me?
“Who is he?” Byron asked, his brows drawn down sharply over his piercing blue eyes.
My heart pounded in my chest and drummed loudly in my ears. My shirt was tight around my neck and Byron was too close. I needed to air. Needed space to breathe.
I fisted my hands into Byron’s black shirt and pushed but he didn’t budge. “Byron.”
God, my voice sounded like a damn whimper.
“Who is he?” he repeated, his voice snapping against my skull.
My chest heaved with panicked breaths and the world started to spin.
Cool hands gripped my chin and eyes the colour of the ocean filled my view. “Wilder, you’re safe. I need you to take a deep breath, baby.”
I couldn’t do it. Fear wrapped its hand around my throat and squeezed.
“Breathe, Wilder,” Byron whispered as his thumbs stroked soothing lines along my cheekbones.
I lost myself in the ocean of his eyes, drowning in the quiet calm that he radiated.
“That’s it,” he said softly. “Good boy.”
A whimper wrenched itself from my throat at his words, but not because I was panicking.
“Now, tell me who is following you and why because nobody but me gets to stalk you.”
I snorted at that. Then blanched. Oh god, I just found his obsession of me oddly charming.
Jesus. Kill me know.
He tapped the side of my face, refocusing my attention on him. “Why was he following you?”
“I don’t know,” I snapped. “Why do you follow me?”
He grinned again and leant in closer. “Because eventually, I’m going to sink my cock deep into your ass while you scream my name in holy fucking worship. Now tell me who the fuck this man is, baby.”
My brain stuttered and my pulse skyrocketed. It was impossible to think when he was this close and speaking like that. The image of Byron pinning me down on a bed filtered through my mind and suddenly, that was all I could think about.
“Wilder,” he growled against my lips. “Tell me, or I’ll drag the name out of you and you definitely won’t enjoy that, baby.”
“My father, Lawler Rowan.”
Byron’s head jerked back. “What?”
I pulled the ring out of my pocket, my stomach rolling as it touched my skin. “It belongs to my dad.”
“Why’s he following you?”
“I—I think it has something to do with my past and being a Shadow Witch, but I can’t remember.”
Byron put some more distance between us and his gaze roved my face, his eyes dark and assessing. “If you can’t remember, why do you look like you’re about to be sick?”
I drew a sharp intake of breath and tears welled in my eyes.
“Because he did something to me, Byron, and I don’t know what it was.
I’ve been seeing these flashes, a-and I think my nightmares—all that pain and suffering—I think they’re the echoes of my memories.
” I gripped Byron’s shirt, holding on to him to stop my knees from crumbling.
“He hurt me, Byron, and I don’t know why. What does he want with me now?”
Byron’s face darkened as he stared deep into my eyes. “I’ll kill him, Byron. I promise you that. I’ll kill your father for putting that look of fear on your face. He will never hurt you again.”
His voice was calm and steady and full of threat. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention.
It wasn’t the only thing standing to attention either.
Which was ridiculous.
He’d just threatened to kill someone for me. I should be running the other way, should be as far away from this man as possible.
And yet…
Here was a man, swearing to protect me and it had me almost falling to my knees with sheer relief. I wasn’t on my own. For the first time in a long time, I actually had someone in my corner willing to fight for me.
It was just someone that I didn’t expect. When I’d first met Byron, I had been sure he’d hated me, or at least, not thought enough of me to warrant any interest.
I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and sank my fingers into his dark locks.
“What are you doing?” he asked, one of his dark brows arched.
“I don’t know, but I hope I don’t regret it.” Then I pulled him forwards and crushed my lips to his.
Byron reacted instantly, forcing my lips open wide and thrusting his tongue to the back of my throat.
He tasted like bad decisions and carnal promises.
Like a pretty poison in my veins, and I knew he would probably be the death of me, but I couldn’t find it in me to care because at that moment, he rocked his hips against mine, grinding his dick against my own and holy fuck, he felt so good.
His fingers gripped my jaw firmly, holding my mouth open wide so he could sweep his tongue along long the length of mine.
His hands and hips held me in place while he claimed my mouth as his own, leaving no inch of it untouched.
I might have been the one to start the kiss, but Byron was taking complete control.
His touch burnt like fire, stripping away my defences piece by piece, until all that was left was this moment. This one perfect moment where it was just him and me and a kiss that left me breathless. It was savage. Brutal. Dark. Just like him.
“Take me away, Byron,” I begged against his lips.
He swallowed my plea like he owned it, like he’d dragged it from the very depth of my soul.
Byron’s mouth pulled into a wide smile, and he moaned against my mouth. “With absolute fucking pleasure, baby.”
He sank his teeth into my bottom lip, and I hissed as he split the skin. The coppery tang of blood hit my tongue as he gave me another dirty kiss. I slid my hands down his sides and over the curve of his ass. Fuck, it felt so good in my hands.
I moaned into his mouth, and he ate it up like his favourite goddamn meal.
Suddenly, my head was yanked to the side, and something sharp was jabbed into my neck. I was so disoriented, it took me a second to realise what he’d done.
“You fucking prick!” I yelled as I clasped the side of my neck.
He took a step backwards, capping the syringe as he stepped deeper into the room and further away from me. “It’s for your own protection.”
I called my magic to me, but it sputtered and died in my veins. “What have you done?”
“Just a little cocktail that I got from an associate of mine. Don’t worry. It’ll wear off, eventually.”
Fuck. I took a step toward him and immediately pitched forward, my legs turning to jelly beneath me. I landed on the floor in a heap and rolled over onto my back. The world started spinning and Byron swam in and out of focus as he loomed above me.
“I didn’t think I’d get the chance to use it so soon,” he said as he lay on the ground next to me.
I tried to roll away, but whatever magic potion was in there must have a sedative at its core. My limbs were heavy and refusing to cooperate so all I could do was watch as he curled up next to me and hooked one of his legs over mine like we were snuggling up in bed together.
Byron hummed in satisfaction and it sounded like a cute little purr of a contented kitten. “We’re going to have so much fun together. I’ll keep you away from your father. Somewhere where he can’t find you. I’ll protect you, baby.”
I turned to look at him. A lock of his black hair had fallen over his forehead and into his eyes. His mouth was still swollen from my kiss, and at this distance, I could see a couple of freckles smattered across the bridge of his nose. He might be psychotic, but he was also incredibly beautiful.
“Would you really…kill him…for me?” My words were slurred and thick with sleep, but I had to know the answer because even now, drugged and about to slip into unconsciousness, the fact that Byron would kill my dad, made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Although, there was the distinct possibility that feeling was down to the drugs.
Byron cupped my jaw and pressed a soft kiss against my lips. “Absolutely. You’re mine, Wilder Rowan. And I always protect what’s mine.”
My heart swooned. “I’ll get you back for this, kitten. Just… you… wait.”
Then I sank into oblivion without a thought because weirdly, I felt completely safe.