Page 81 of Psycho Gods

I kicked my legs and arms out as hard as I could, fighting against his grip, but after a few minutes of struggling, I was panting heavily, and he hadn’t moved an inch. He squeezed my arm tighter and scowled.

Bronze features—too perfect to ever be called ugly, and too harsh to ever be called traditionally handsome—lowered inches from my face.

Breath whistled through his clenched teeth.

We were chest to chest, and my neck hurt as I stared up into his eyes. “Why did you do it?” he demanded.

It took every ounce of control I possessed not to flinch under his intense scrutiny.

“Do what?” My face scrunched up with feigned confusion.

I was nothing but an imbecile; the mask was too easy to don.

“Don’t play games with me—it’s not cute.” He loomed closer, and steel flashed. “I know exactly what I saw. You did it on purpose.” Red flames sizzled across his arms.

Harsh features glowed in the fire.

I stayed silent.

He scowled and spat, “Why?” White teeth gnashed, and his canines were ever so slightly pointed at the end.

He was more devil than man.

I stared back blankly with deadened eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” My voice was monotone and bleak, empty like my soul.

He shook me back and forth harshly. “Tell me.” His voice rose. “Caring about your well-being is sheer torment when you care so little about yourself.”

Fire flared hotter between us and charred the edges of my nerves.

“No one ever asked you to care,” I said through gritted teeth. “So save yourself the trouble and don’t.”

He laughed with malice, an angry, dark sound. “Unfortunately for both of us, that’s not how it works—you are my soul. Do you think I have any control over my feelings? My obsession with you?”

He pressed his hips against me as if to prove a point.

Desire pooled in my stomach, and I ignored it.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes so hard they hurt. “Please, everyone has choices.” I made a mocking face. “If I upset you so much, then just ignore me.”

“You think I could just ignore you?” Furious scarlet flames shot out of his mouth and warmed my face. “You think I could just walk the fuck away from you, Arabella?”

I shrugged. “Yeah.”

He made a frustrated noise and said, “You’re more of a fool than I could’ve ever imagined.”

I stood on my tiptoes so our faces hovered inches apart. “And you’re a spiteful psychopath—leave me the fuck alone.”

He smiled, and it was pure evil. “No, I don’t think I will.”

The grip on my arm tightened, and my humerus creaked like it was seconds from snapping.

A whimper escaped before I could stop it.

Bedding rustled, and someone swore.

There was a blur in my periphery, and then Scorpius and Orion joined us in the middle of the room. Unlike Malum, they were fully clothed. Orion’s eyes locked on where Malum was gripping my arm tightly, then he took in our swollen lips and messy hair.

Finally, he stared at my neck.

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