Chapter 14
MALIK
T he third hunter team came back smelling of smoke, and as they talked amongst themselves, they made sure their voices were loud enough for me to hear that my brothers’ homes as well as my own have all been burned to the ground.
But the little head shake that Liam gave me told me what I really needed to know …
they hadn’t caught up with my brothers and their mates.
But the other team still hasn’t come back after they tracked my brothers’ signatures to Egypt.
Has my family found the tooth? Were they able to get away from Leonora’s hunters? Are they okay? When is Circe going to make her move?
My arm snaps out, the side of my fist slamming into the wall. I drop my hand, leaving behind cracked plaster. I hate this! I’m supposed to be taking care of my family. I promised mother. I’m the eldest. I’m an alpha.
My claws punch from my nail beds, and I dig at the collar around my neck. In my desperation, I accidentally slice into my skin, but I don’t care. What’s a few more scars on my neck? I need to get this thing off! I scratch at the collar with a growl. Blood drips down my neck, soaking into my shirt.
Footsteps register, and I quickly step across the hall and shove my back against a door.
I step into the room, nudging the door shut with my heel.
I just hope the smell of my blood doesn’t draw the passing Leo in here.
I rush across the room, just now realizing I’m in my old practice studio.
I yank open a window, slowing my breaths as I listen.
Footsteps pause, then fade in the opposite direction.
I stare at the closed door. What the fuck am I doing, jumping at every little sound, hiding in this room? My anger builds. It’s like bubbling lava in my gut, burning, needing an escape. With a growl, I resist the urge to claw at the collar again.
Instead, I try something else to calm the storm inside.
I roll my head, stretching my neck. Lacing my fingers behind my back, I expand my chest. My thighs flex as I squat and shift side to side to loosen my legs.
I spring back to standing and cross the room to where my old Ipad is plugged into the sound system.
I’m surprised the thing even turns on, but after it updates, the tiny screen illuminates and I open my favorite playlist.
I stride to the center of the room, hips swaying, abs flexing.
I stop, staring at myself in the wall-to-wall mirrors.
My arms float out from my sides, and I move the weight of one foot from heel to toe, then the other.
I snap my hips with the movement, rolling the muscles of my chest before executing a spin, spotting myself in the mirror.
The gold of my collar flashes, and I snarl at my reflection. As I sweep my right arm in front of me, my shoulder dips lower than I mean it to, and my rhythm falters. I push myself back into motion, my hips moving faster, following the beat of my feet. My stomach muscles burn .
My gaze snags on the collar again, and my body goes still. The music drums on, the beat slowing down in a section of the song that’s meant for me to showcase the precision of the dance, but I can’t move.
This fucking collar!
With a bark of anger and frustration, I claw at it again.
I welcome the pain. It’s what I deserve.
What little magic Leonora allows me to access, I throw at the collar, but of course it only stings and burns my flesh, leaving the collar untouched.
A roar fills my lungs, and my chest aches with the effort it takes to keep from letting it loose.
With a grunt, I punch my claws into my neck, sinking them deep to grab the collar.
Blood makes my hold on the cursed thing slippery, but I close my fist around it and yank.
I choke with the effort, but I don’t stop.
I’ve tried all this before—several times—but it’s the most cathartic form of rebellion I’m allowed.
But this time, the effort feels hollow, despite the anger that keeps my claws wrapped tightly around the collar.
A shiver ripples down my spine, and I freeze.
Drip. Drip. Drip. My blood splats on the hardwood dance floor between my feet, but there’s no other sound. Still, I get the feeling I’m not alone.
Leather and sunshine. The warm scent hits me a second before gentle fingers touch the back of my hand, and a velvet voice holding the edge of a command comes from right in front of me. “Malik, stop.”
My fingers go limp, and my hand falls away from my neck, but that soft touch stays with me, clasping my fingers, holding me despite all the blood. I search the empty space in front of me, silently praying to the stars that I’m not hallucinating.
“Amri? ”
With a soft wash of power, my mate materializes, her ice-blue eyes staring up at me.
The breeze from the half-open window ruffles her short hair, and I stand transfixed.
She holds my gaze like she holds my hand, steady and unwavering.
The skin of my neck itches as the torn flesh knits back together, but Amri’s eyes never dip from my face, seeing my pain and anger, and accepting it.
With a hesitant butt of his head against my chest, my beast says, “The Fates might have been right.”
I want to be angry at him—at the part of me that finds hope in Amri’s eyes—but as I stare at her, I feel the strength she’s trying to lend me through our clenched hands.
I see her own frustration in the tightness of her shoulders.
I hear the racing of her heart, the quick beat galloping to keep pace with mine.
There’s fire in her eyes, blazing for me.
Never has anyone told me so much without saying a word.
Her fingers tighten around my hand, and her pink lips part then move. Her eyes flick between mine before she presses those lips between her teeth.
I shake my head, realizing I completely missed what she said. “Sorry, what?”
A playful smirk lifts those lips. “Your brothers are safe … for now.” That snaps my attention into full focus as she continues.
“We found the tooth. It was pretty cool, actually. Secret passages and hidden chambers.” She came here, despite the danger, just to make sure I know my brothers are safe?
“But then Leonora’s hunters had to show up and crash the party.
Your brothers and their mates are quite the team.
We got away, and I sent them to my place.
It should hold against the hunters for a while, but?—”
Her eyes widen as my lips touch hers. I didn’t mean to kiss her, but now that I am, the combined power of all the gods couldn’t pull me away. It’s the softest kiss I’ve ever given or received, and it shakes me to my core. It’s too tender. It’s too caring.
It’s everything I need.
I fully intend to pull away, but then Amri’s mouth softens, and she closes her eyes.
She so easily surrenders to me, and it’s fucking beautiful.
With a growl, I yank her body against mine, and when she gasps, I delve my tongue into her mouth.
We kiss each other with a passion that could easily sweep me away.
Amri’s fingers dig into the skin of my chest, her touch strong, confident, and needy.
More. I want more, and I allow myself to be selfish.
My hand slides up her spine until I’m able to grip the short strands of her hair at the back of her head.
I tug, and she lets me. I take the kiss deeper, and she follows.
I squeeze her hip, pulling her tighter against me, and she rolls her body into mine.
She licks and nips my bottom lip, and when I meet her gaze, the blue fire of desire blazes in her eyes.
Amri holds my gaze as she tips her head back, and my fingers tighten on her neck.
I don’t remember wrapping my hand around her throat, but as I squeeze, her eyes flutter, and a soft moan slips from her lips. “Malik.”
What am I doing? I rejected her and now I’m falling over myself ready to devour her?
I release her and step back, but she follows because at some point while I was lost in the moment, she grabbed my other hand, and she isn’t letting go. I take another step back, lowering my gaze, but again, she follows, not relinquishing her grip.
I can’t do this. I want her too much. I want what we could be. I want her lips back on mine. I want her to smile at me as I touch her. I want her eyes to darken with desire as I whisper all the things I want to do to her in her ear .
I want … and that’s the problem. It’s dangerous to want, so I don’t.
When I lift my gaze, my attention snaps to her lips which are now a deeper shade of pink from our kisses. With a force of will that I didn’t think I still possessed, I loosen my fingers and try to slip my hand from hers, but she grips me tighter, not letting go.
She doesn’t let me go.
Something in the vicinity of my heart cracks.
With our hands still clenched, she asks, “Is Askari alright? Rian told me how he showed up in the burning inferno of his house to warn them.”
With everything going on, this woman is asking after a shifter she has only met twice?
I swallow the emotion trying to clog my throat and say, “He’s fine. His healing ability came back.”
She gives my hand another squeeze. “Good.”
I stare at her, and she stares at me. After a long stretch of silence, I realize I’m mapping the light dusting of her freckles from one cheek, over her nose, and to the other side of her face.
Every time she blinks, her lashes fan over her pale skin before revealing her clear blue eyes once more.
But there are dark smudges under those eyes.
My arms actually tremble with the sudden need to sweep this infuriating female into my arms, drop her in my bed, curl my body around her, and demand she go to sleep. The need to take care of her, to protect her, to hold her … My muscles expand as my alpha nature threatens to take over.