Page 20 of Capturing Sin

I might be done with violence, but would it ever be done with me?

He eyed me, suspicion swirling in his stark gaze. Dark pupils expanded, feeding on the spikes of silver haloing them amid the blackness. He glared at my pale skin, pressed into the palm-sized gap.

A forked tongue swiped out, moistening his lower lip. “Why would a hunter offer themselves up as a snack?” he mused, tone slathered in mocking.

I arched a brow. “Does it matter?” I wasn’t going to explain myself to a parasite. If he was smart, he’d figure it out before long. “If you want, I can throw you back in with the others and find a more peckish volunteer.”

Unfazed, he pinned me with his sharp gaze. It scraped over me, inspecting every part and finding it lacking.

“If a hunter wants to get bitten for kinks, who am I to judge?” he drawled, finally moving up to the glass separating us. He swaggered the two steps with the arrogance of a predator, somehow oozing confidence and derision in such a small space.

Yep. Even a demon thought I was beneath him.

Loved that for me. Thanks, universe.

I shoved down the urge to sigh, instead fortifying my nerve as he towered over me, at least half my height taller and twice my width. I almost wished for the steel bars. The glass was so clear I could make out the scars mixed in with his tattoos. I tried to ignore the sheer power radiating from him, but the sight of so much muscle and natural weaponry threatened to bring up my meagre bowl of cornflakes.

He lowered to his knees with a sardonic smirk, the base of great, arching horns hitting my eye level.

My heart thundered, pounding like a fist against flesh.

The moment stretched taut between us.

Ashen lips peeled back, revealing vicious fangs in a cruel grin. “This is going to hurt.”

Chapter 9

The monster struck, fangs sinking deep into my forearm.

My scream echoed off the glass. I’d braced for pain, but it was instant and all-consuming.

Acid raced outwards from his bite. My hand spasmed, and I crashed to my knees, clamping my lips closed, somehow staying aware enough not to rip my arm back.

I vaguely registered his low growl, the pulling sensation heightening as he gulped down my blood.

The initial shock faded, and I let the pain wash through me, accepting it rather than trying to fight it. A trick I’d learned long ago.

Pain was just my nerves firing messages to my brain. I could conquer this.

I breathed through it, studying the demon’s reaction to distract myself.

His pupils had blown wide. The dark pits tried to swallow the glowing starbursts of silver that haloed them, the only light amid the otherwise pure black of his eyes.

White lashes fluttered shut in a look of bliss. His face almost pressing into the glass to keep his lips sealed to my flesh.

Six.

That was how many times I’d been bitten in my life. This was somehow more painful than all of them combined.

Granted, the others had been during fights. The adrenaline could have masked most of the pain, but I suspected there was more to it.

Was he a special subtype of blood demon? Or was he doing something else to make it hurt more?

A dizzying surge rolled through me.

“Enough, parasite,” I hissed through gritted teeth.

Starred eyes locked on mine, somehow telling me to fuck off without words.

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