Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
TORIN
I ’m leaning against the stone wall outside Finn’s chambers, arms crossed, watching the flickering torchlight down the hallway. The air feels heavy, thick with something I can’t quite place, but it’s clear as day—Finn’s pissed.
I don’t know what happened, but it’s always a fucking storm when that bastard gets riled up. I’m just here for the aftermath. Hell, maybe I’ll get a little entertainment out of it if things go the right way.
Finn’s footsteps echo down the hallway before he appears, storming out of the room with a look that could kill. His jaw is tight, his eyes narrowed like he’s about to rip someone’s throat out. The tension in his posture says it all. Doesn’t matter who it is—he’s been pushed to the edge.
He doesn’t even see me as he storms past, or maybe he doesn’t care. Either way, I just stay still, watching him go, a grin pulling at the corner of my lips .
Then she comes.
Sable.
She storms out of Finn’s room like she owns the damn place, her eyes burning with something between fury and frustration. “You don’t just get to walk away from me, Finn!” she yells down the hall, voice echoing off the stone.
I can’t help the laugh that rumbles in my chest. This—this right here—is going to be fun. I push off the wall, moving toward her slowly, just close enough so she doesn’t sense me coming.
By the time she turns, I’m right behind her, close enough to feel the heat of her body, the tension in the air between us like it’s going to snap. She opens her mouth, probably to say something sharp and biting, but I don’t give her a chance.
I cup my hand over her mouth, silencing her, pressing her back into my chest. She doesn’t freeze, though. She doesn’t just accept it. She fucking fights.
I let her squirm a little, just to feel the way her body moves against mine. The struggle—God, it feels so damn good. She’s not weak. She’s not some helpless little thing who folds under pressure. That makes it even better. The more she struggles, the better it feels, and my cock is hardening against her back.
“Don’t fight it, kitten,” I whisper into her ear, my grip tightening around her. “You feel that? The more you struggle, the better it gets.”
She growls something against my hand, her body going rigid for a second before she slowly starts to deflate. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of having her body give in, just a little, to the pressure, to the electricity between us.
I slowly remove my hand from her mouth, letting her breathe. She turns her head, glaring at me like she’s about to rip me apart with her eyes .
“What the hell was that for?” she snaps, but her voice lacks that sharpness now. It’s more breathless than pissed.
“Just seeing what you’re made of,” I tell her, my voice low. “Now, what happened with Finn? You two seem to have gotten under each other’s skin.”
She huffs, rolling her eyes, but there’s something in her expression that softens just a little. “Nothing, really. He just… we just… got under one another’s skin, I guess.”
I grin. “Uh-huh. Sure, kitten. You know better than that.”
Her face hardens, but she’s still breathing a little heavy, the fight gone, replaced by something I can’t quite place. “Finn’s got issues with women. Clearly.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, no shit. But that’s Finn. You’ll learn to ignore his bullshit.” I pause, watching her, noticing the way her shoulders tense up again, the way she looks like she’s about to start pacing. “What about you, though? What’s really bothering you?”
She doesn’t answer right away. She crosses her arms, glancing down the hall toward the entrance. Her eyes narrow, and when she speaks again, the words come out with frustration. “I’m bored. I’m supposed to be training for the Trials, but instead, I’m stuck here, in this damn room... wearing this.”
Her hand snaps the strap of her silky nightgown, the sound loud in the silence between us.
I raise an eyebrow, taking in the sight of her like it’s the first time I’ve really seen her. The silk hugs every curve, showing off way more than I’ve seen anyone wear in the damn keep, and it’s enough to have my blood boiling again.
“As much as I love seeing you like that, kitten,” I say, my voice low and teasing, “why don’t you change into something more practical, and I’ll take you on rounds with me? Perimeter’s been quiet, but maybe you can give me some company. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? ”
Her eyes flick to mine, a slow smile curling at the corners of her lips. “Wait, I can actually go outside the keep? Like, out of this room?”
I chuckle, liking the way her voice gets just a little more hopeful. “Yeah, but don’t tell the others. I’m not supposed to be letting you wander.”
She looks like she’s about to burst, her body straightening as she nods eagerly. “Promise I won’t tell anyone.”
We walk back inside Finn's chambers, down the hallway and into her room. She takes a step toward her wardrobe, and I follow her, stopping just inside the door of her room, but I can’t resist. I lean against the frame and watch her rummage through her things.
“Turn around,” she mutters without looking at me.
I grin. “Nah, nothing I haven’t seen before, and everything I wanna see again.”
She huffs, rolling her eyes but relenting. She wants to hide it, but secretly I bet she wants to put a show on for me.
As soon as she drops the silk nightgown, the air changes. My cock stirs in my trousers as I watch her, the way her body moves so fluidly, the way the soft curve of her back leads down to her ass. It’s fucking impossible to ignore.
I start rubbing the front of my trousers, unable to stop myself. “Behave?” she says with a smirk, crossing her arms over her bare chest, but the look in her eyes tells me she’s more than aware of what she’s doing to me.
“I’m trying,” I say with a smirk of my own, my fingers tracing the outline of my hardening cock. “But you really do make it hard.” I give her a grin.
She shakes her head but moves to pull on a pair of dark pants and a fitted shirt, a look that’s practical but still makes my blood run hot. She’s got this effortless way of making everything look like she could kick your ass while still turning you on.
I’m still hard as a rock when she finishes.
“Fine,” I say, stepping toward her with a smirk. “We’ll play later, kitten. Let’s get outside first.”
I lead her out, making sure to keep a hand on her back, feeling the heat of her skin under my fingers. It’s a damn good excuse to touch her, and I’m not shy about it. She doesn’t pull away, so I figure she’s okay with it.
We step outside the keep, and the cool night air immediately hits my skin. I barely feel it. The cold is nothing to me, I’ve lived with it all my damn life. Sable, though, she shivers, and I can’t help but grin. She’s walking beside me now, close enough that her every step matches mine, and it’s almost impossible not to feel her presence. She’s like a heat magnet, pulling me in every time I let my guard down.
But then I hear her voice, a little teasing, a little too sharp.
“Don’t you think you should wear a shirt or something?” she asks, looking at me like I’ve lost my damn mind. “We’re going out into the cold, and you—” She cuts herself off, looking me up and down like she’s trying to figure out if I’ve lost it completely. “You’re not even wearing a shirt.”
I laugh, low and rumbling, the sound escaping me like it’s been bottled up too long. I flex my shoulders, giving her a better view of the muscle under my skin. “I’m built for this cold. Trust me, I’ve got enough heat in me to keep us both warm.”
She raises an eyebrow at me, clearly not convinced, but I catch the little shift in her eyes—like she’s checking me out, even though she tries to hide it. I let her look. She’s not the first to do it.
“I think you're just trying to show off,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to keep the cold out. “You can’t possibly think this is practical.”
I chuckle again, that deep, throaty laugh that always gets to me. “Practical?” I ask, giving her a grin that stretches from ear to ear. “Who says I need to be practical, kitten? Life’s too short to be practical. Besides...” I glance at her sideways. “You don’t mind me like this. I can tell.”
She’s silent for a moment, and I see her biting her lip, like she’s fighting a smile. Then she huffs, her eyes narrowing, trying to keep up the tough exterior. “You’re impossible,” she mutters, but I can tell the irritation’s not real. She’s just playing along with me.
We walk in silence for a moment, the crunch of the snow beneath our boots the only sound as we head toward the perimeter. I keep my hand just a little too close to her back, letting her feel the heat of my touch. It’s a subtle thing, but I can tell it’s making her think twice.
I glance at her again, watching the way her breath fogs up in the cold air, the way she tries to stay focused, to act like she’s not a little bit affected by the way I’m looking at her. It makes me want to keep pushing her, just a little.
“You really don’t care about the cold, do you?” she says after a beat, her tone softening just a fraction, like she’s genuinely curious.
I chuckle, my smile widening. “I told you, kitten, I’m built for it. Cold doesn’t bother me.”
She’s quiet for a moment, her gaze lingering on me before she looks away, her lips pressing together like she’s trying to decide if she should say something else. But then, just like that, she’s back to the Sable I’m used to: sharp, confident, maybe a little too curious for her own good.
She starts asking questions, her voice light, casual, like she’s pretending she doesn’t care about the answers. “So, what exactly are we doing out here? You said perimeter, but what’s the deal with it?”
I glance at her sideways, my grin pulling at the corner of my lips. “Not gonna get any good info out of me, kitten,” I tease, knowing exactly where this is going. “I’m not giving you any details that’ll help you escape.”
She bristles at that, a low laugh escaping her as she elbows me in the ribs. “I’m not looking for an escape, Torin. I just want to know what’s going on.”
I snort, shaking my head. “Sure you are. But that’s not how this works.”
She smirks up at me, the challenge in her eyes making my pulse jump. “I can get it out of you if I really wanted to,” she says, her tone a little too serious.
I’m fighting the urge to laugh, to tease her back, but I elbow her lightly in the side, watching the way her body shifts with the movement. She smiles, just for a second, before turning her attention back to the road ahead.
“I’ll tell you a little bit,” I start, my voice lowering slightly. “The perimeter is there to make sure no unwanted guests slip through. We keep an eye on the barrier, the edge of the warlock realm, making sure nothing gets too close. It’s our job to guard the border between our world and the human realm. Not a whole lot of people know about the barrier, but we keep it tight. Especially now with the Blood Moon truce active.”
She looks at me, eyebrow raised. “So the keep is right on the edge of both realms?”
“Yeah,” I answer, glad she’s keeping up with me. “The barrier isn’t exactly a solid wall—it’s more like... a thinning of the lines between the realms. It’s not easy to pass through unless you know what you’re doing, but when the Blood Moon hits, it becomes easier for others to pass through. So we’ve got to be extra careful. ”
She seems to mull that over, but then she hits me with the next question. “Why do you need to do this? Aren’t you and your brothers in charge of the whole place? Why do you waste your time doing something like this?”
I let out a low chuckle, glancing at her. “We are in charge, yeah. But that doesn’t mean we don’t get restless. I’m not much for sitting around all day while others do the boring shit. Helps keep me out of trouble. And you, Sable? You get bored too, don’t you?”
She doesn’t answer right away, but I can see the flicker in her eyes—the truth behind it. She’s more like me than she wants to admit. I’ve seen the way she moves, the way she can’t sit still, how every breath she takes feels like she’s on the edge of something. She’s got that same need for action, for excitement.
We keep walking in silence for a moment, the only sound being the crunch of snow beneath our boots. Then, she looks up at me again. “What about Finn? Kael?”
I feel the question before it hits me. She’s been dying to ask about them, to know more. She’s not stupid. She knows something’s off with those two.
“Finn’s got issues,” I say with a shrug, not really wanting to dive too deep, but knowing she’s not going to let it go. “He’s got a temper, and he doesn’t do well with people who try to get close. Especially women. He trusts people about as much as I trust a snake in my boot. He’s a pain in the ass, but he knows how to get shit done when it matters.”
I can see her digesting that, thinking it over, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she asks about Kael.
“Kael’s different,” I continue, the words slipping easily out of me. “He’s colder, more controlled. He’s the one who runs things when the rest of us are too busy with other shit. He’s not... easy to read. But if you’ve got a problem, he’ll fix it. No questions asked.”
She looks at me with something like understanding, but she doesn’t press further.
Finally, we reach the edge of the warlock realm, the air feeling different here. Thinner. There’s a faint hum in the air, a pulse that resonates just under my skin, and I know we’re crossing into the human realm.
I stop and turn to face her. She’s watching me with those sharp eyes, waiting for something.
“You ready?” I ask, my grin widening.
“For what?” she asks, looking confused.
I step forward, too close, and lean in just enough to catch her off guard.
Then, without warning, I shift. My bones crack, my body stretching, and within seconds, I’m no longer standing in front of her as Torin.
I’m a goddamn sabertooth.
The world shifts around me as I crouch, massive paws landing in the snow, my fangs glistening in the moonlight. I growl low, the sound rumbling through the air, feeling the power surge through me.
Sable steps back, eyes wide, her body tense with shock.
“Don’t worry, kitten.” I use my power to push my voice into her mind, a deep growl, still very much me despite the shift. “It’s just a little show of strength. We’re crossing into the human realm. You’re gonna need to keep up.”
Her eyes narrow, but she’s not scared—no, she’s intrigued. “You’re really doing this now?” she asks, half-amused.
I let out a short, rumbling laugh, moving past her and into the snow. “What, you think I was gonna walk across like a human? Nah, this is the fun part. ”
She follows me, though I can tell she’s still processing the fact that I just shifted right in front of her. And the way her eyes flick over my massive form, the way she looks at me—damn, it makes me want to play a lot more than I’m already planning.
I glance over my shoulder, watching her as she steps closer. “You coming, kitten?” I ask. “Or are you gonna stand there all night?”
She nods, determination lighting up her eyes, that spark in her that I know too well. “I’m coming. Just don’t leave me behind.”
I chuckle low, feeling the heat of her challenge like a flame licking at my skin. “You’ll be fine, kitten. Just don’t get too cocky. This place... it’s not as safe as it looks.”
Before I can even process it, she moves. One moment she’s standing there, and the next, she’s vaulted onto my back, her legs wrapping around my waist with surprising ease. I feel her fingers dig into the fur on the back of my neck, gripping it like she’s ready to ride me through hell.
She’s pressed so close, I can feel the heat of her body all along mine. Her breath is hot on my ear, and I can’t stop the growl that rumbles through me. She’s not just testing me anymore. She’s fucking challenging me.
“Guess you’re not so afraid of a little danger after all, huh?” she teases, her voice breathless, but her grip on me is tight.
I close my eyes for a second, trying to keep my cool, but she’s making it damn hard. My paws flex, claws digging into the snow beneath me as the familiar, dangerous pull of lust roars in my chest. The wild part of me, the one that never plays by the rules, wakes up, and I can’t hold it back.
I smirk, my thoughts dripping with something dark. “You’re playing a dangerous game, kitten,” I voice. “And I’m gonna fuck you up so good, you won’t even know your own name by the time I’m done with you. ”
Her breath catches in her throat, and I know she feels it too—the damn spark that’s about to explode between us.
But for now, I turn back toward the path, forcing myself to take the lead, my every step heavier with the weight of the need building inside me. She’s got me on edge, and I know I’m barely keeping it together. But I’m not about to let her know that.
I keep walking, keeping my control, even as I feel the pull of her body on mine, knowing this is just the beginning.