Chapter 32
Chapter
Thirty-Two
KAEL
E very step I take toward my chambers, my grip tightens around Sable’s wrist, dragging her with me through the halls. I can feel her there, beside me, but it’s not the weight of her body I feel. It’s the weight of her intent —the deliberate, maddening way she toyed with me during court.
She knew exactly what she was doing. Her movements, her glances—every little thing she did was calculated. She wanted a reaction, and by the gods, she got one.
The whole time, I was holding court, I couldn’t focus. I could barely breathe. Every word spoken, every petition raised, every decision I made was harder than the last, because her presence—her soft, subtle movements—kept calling my attention back to her. The way she slowly moved, knowing damn well I was the only one who could see her.
And she knew it.
She had to have known the effect she was having on me. I could feel my cock stiffening every time she shifted, every time her hand slid a little lower on her body. She was trying to get under my skin. She was trying to make me crack.
And it worked.
I’m furious with myself for allowing it to go on for so long. But now? Now that we’re here, I won’t let her get away with it.
I open the door to my chambers and don’t even hesitate before I throw her inside. She stumbles onto the bed, bouncing once before sitting up with that fucking smug look on her face, like she knows she’s won. Like she’s already beaten me.
But this? This is where I take control.
I close the door behind me, my gaze never leaving her as I stand there, my fists clenched at my sides.
“Don’t play games with me, Sable,” I growl, the frustration evident in my voice. “You were testing me. The entire time we were in court. You were trying to get a rise out of me, weren’t you?”
Her lips curl up in that damn knowing smile. She knows exactly what she’s doing to me. “What if I was?” she replies, leaning back, her hands resting casually on the bed as she looks me over, sizing me up.
The audacity of her.
To lay there naked on my bed and look so smug.
I step forward, my jaw tight, trying to hold onto the last sliver of control I have. “You think this is funny? You think you can just tease me and walk away unscathed? You’re our prisoner, Sable. You hate warlocks. You’ve sworn an oath to kill us all. And yet here you are, trying to seduce me. What the hell is this about?”
Her eyes widen for a split second, like I’ve caught her off guard. Then the smirk returns, the defiance coming off her in waves. “Who told you that?” she asks, her voice light, almost curious. “Who told you I’m a virgin ?”
I don’t hesitate. “Torin,” I answer coldly .
A bitter laugh escapes her lips. “Of course, it was Torin. Should’ve known he wouldn’t keep a secret.”
She shakes her head, the faintest trace of frustration on her features. “I should’ve known.” Then, with a casual shrug, she adds, “I guess it’s not much of a secret anymore.”
The whole damn situation is messing with my mind. I know she’s a virgin. I know she’s supposed to be a prisoner, someone who loathes everything we stand for. But right now, all I can see is her . Her defiance. Her challenge. The way her body moves with such grace, despite everything.
I clench my jaw, trying to keep my focus. I know what I want. I know exactly what she’s doing to me. But I’m not the type of man who takes by force. I’ve never been that way.
I step closer, my voice low and controlled. “I want you, Sable. You know that much. But I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want. You need to make up your mind. What do you want? ”
She doesn’t answer right away, but I can feel the shift in the air. The tension is thick between us, building by the second. I can tell she’s weighing her options, trying to figure out how far she’s willing to push me.
I’m ready to break, but I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing it. Not yet.
I stare down at her, watching her every move. My body aches to claim her, to break this distance between us, but I know it needs to be her choice.
“What do you want, Sable?” I ask again, my voice quieter, almost a whisper now, like I’m trying to give her the space to make the decision herself.
She meets my gaze, a flicker of something dangerous behind her eyes. “I want you to make it hard for me to resist you,” she says, her voice low and smooth, dripping with intent .
And that’s when she stands up, her eyes never leaving mine, and she slowly, deliberately, moves her hands against her body. Her body, bare before me, is like a challenge, a provocation I can’t ignore. I can see every inch of her now—her curves, the smoothness of her skin, the way she moves with such confidence, almost as if she’s daring me to break.
I’m losing control. I can feel it in the way my pulse quickens, in the way my body responds to her without my consent. I step forward, but I’m not sure if it’s her desire or my own that’s driving me now.
I want her. I need her.
But she’s playing with fire.
I stand there, watching her, waiting. My body is burning with need, but I can’t move until I hear her say it. I need her to say it . I need to hear the words, her choice, before I can do anything.
I step closer, my voice dropping low, controlled, though it feels like it’s straining against the weight of everything between us. “Tell me, Sable,” I say, the words thick with the frustration I’m trying to keep contained. “Tell me this is what you want. That you want me to take this from you.”
She hesitates. Just a moment. But it’s enough to make me feel like I’m losing ground. Enough to make my chest tighten, my control fraying at the edges. I stare at her, the silence between us thick with tension, and I feel the pull of desire clawing at me, demanding that I make the choice for both of us.
But I’m not that man.
I start to step back, the need to walk away rising within me. I don’t want to push her, don’t want to force her into something she’s not ready for. But I can’t stay here forever, either .
I turn, my hand gripping the doorknob as I prepare to leave her to whatever game she’s playing.
And then?—
“Wait.”
Her voice stops me, sharp and clear. My pulse jumps, my heart thundering in my chest as I turn back to her. There’s a shift in her eyes, something different, something vulnerable, and I know, without a doubt, that she’s about to make her choice.
She looks at me, a fire in her gaze that mirrors my own hunger. “Make it so I don’t regret this,” she says, her voice steady, but there’s a tremor in it—one I can feel all the way down to my bones. “I want this. But I need you to make it something I’ll remember .”
I close my eyes for a moment, fighting to keep my composure. My desire for her, the pull of her through the binding, it’s overwhelming, but this is the point of no return.
I step forward, my voice a low growl. “You will remember this, Sable. I’ll make sure of it. But you won’t regret it. Not with me.”
I move to her then, my body crashing against hers, the heat between us intense, suffocating. I kiss her, hard and hungry, as though I’m trying to consume her, but it’s not enough. She’s a challenge—one I’ve been trying to resist for far too long.
As my hands roam over her body, my mind flashes back to the way she teased me earlier, how she’s been toying with me the entire time. She’s had the power, made me chase her, and now, with her choice made, I’m taking it all back.
I lower her onto the bed, my hands gripping her hips as she falls into the sheets, a look of satisfaction spreading across her face. She’s still in control, in a way, but I can feel it—the shift in power is mine now .
This moment? This is ours.
I lean down to whisper in her ear, my lips brushing against her skin. “You’ll remember me, little huntress. Every second. Every touch. I’ll make sure of it.”