Page 7 of Crave You

Leona nods and jumps down off the desk. Then, she looks down and makes a tutting sound. “Sorry, my lace came undone,” she says.

She crouches down and starts fiddling with the lace. I’m starting to feel impatient. I’m more than ready for a real battle of wits with the next guy I have waiting.

The door to the room opens at the same time as Leona straightens up.

“Three minutes is up,” the guard says. “The candidate passes.”

“No,” I say. “She gave me the code ages ago.”

“Did I?” Leona says.

I don’t know what game she’s playing now. Does she really think I will have forgotten the number she gave me?

“Yes. Nine, three, four, seven,” I say.

Leona smirks and reaches into her pocket. She pulls out her slip of paper and unfolds it before turning it around. The guard and I can both clearly see the number written on it; nine, eight, eight, five.

She played me.

“Give us a minute,” I say to the guard. He looks uncomfortable, as if he is about to say no. I raise my voice. “Now.”

He backs out of the room and closes the door. Leona looks a little nervous. She keeps her eyes on me and maintains some distance between us.

“Relax,” I say. “You’re one of us now, if you so choose.” She relaxes visibly, but I can see she doesn’t one hundred percent trust me yet.

“That was a clever little stunt you pulled there. Your brother will be proud. Except you don’t have a brother, do you?” I say as the truth hits me.

Leona shakes her head ruefully, and I can’t help but laugh a little bit.

“Fair play,” I say. I can’t help it. She is a great combination of the physical and the mental. I pull the door open.

“This one passes,” I say.

I walk off and go back to the grounds for my next candidate. I meet his eye and beckon to him, and he follows me. I lead him to the same room and by the time we get there, I know his name is Liam and he grew up in London.

The door closes behind us and I smile coldly.

“Give me the code Liam, let’s save some time,” I say.

“I’m always down for saving time,” Liam says. “So you can just let me out now and let me into Valens.”

“Oh, great a funny one,” I say.

I close the gap between us.

“I’m not playing Liam,” I say.

I shove him hard, and he stumbles backward until his legs hit one of the wooden chairs and he finds himself sitting down with me standing over him. I punch him in the side of the head, and I feel that familiar tingle of pleasure inside of me as his head swings to the side with the momentum of my hit.

His head comes back to the center, and he looks at me, meeting my eye. I don’t like that — it’s fucking disrespectful — and I hit him again, this time square in the mouth. His head snaps back and I punch him in the ribs over and over again until I feel one snap. It feels so good to hear that snapping sound and a rush of warm adrenaline floods my system making me feel sated like a need in me has been fulfilled. At the same time, the feeling urges me on, needing to feel more and more of the warmth.

“Ready to tell me the code yet?” I say.

Liam shakes his head. “Go to hell,” he says.

“Well, that’s just plain rude,” I say shaking my head. I slap him backhanded, full force across the face, catching his mouth with my knuckles. His head whips to the side and blood pours down his chin. It leaves a delicious looking rosy red mark on his cheek. I punch him next, hard in the mouth once more and then again and again.

When I stop for a second, he leans forward and spits out a mouthful of blood and a tooth. He straightens back up. His eyes are glassy but he still holds my gaze.

---