“You let me sleep in and left the room without me,” he growls before sitting in the water and pulling me into his lap.
“You wouldn’t let me go if I hadn’t,” I say, to which he nods but says nothing. He grips my chin gently with his fingertips, tilting my face toward his. The calling washes over me, and I sigh instead of fighting against it as he leans closer, his lips molding around mine. Turning my face away, he growls before gripping my chin tighter and forcing my mouth open so he can kiss me. His tongue sweeps over my lip before he nibbles on my bottom one, becoming cranky when I don’t answer his kiss.
“Stop fighting it,” he snarls, breaking my soft skin when he bites a little harder. I wonder how he could stand to touch me after thehorrible things my mother did. I wanted the bond before he broke it, and now I no longer feel worthy of it. The king sighs before pecking my lips.
“Why are you fighting the bond, it’s driving me insane,” he mutters more to himself than me.
“You broke our bond,” I remind him.
“And I am trying to fix it, but you won’t allow it,” he snaps. “Don’t pretend you can’t feel it, I know you can,” he warns, and I grip his shoulders to stand, only for him to pull me back down on him.
“Admit it,” he tells me, and I glare at him. He watches me for a second.
“You can be so stubborn,” he growls, and his hand moves to caress my ribs reminding me about my lack of clothes, his gaze roams down and my skin heats under its intensity when his hand cups my breast gently, making me gasp. “So beautiful,” he murmurs, his thumb brushing over my hardened nipple.
“You tempt me then refuse me,” he frowns and I look away from him when he sighs, his lips press to my temple gently.
“We should head inside; I have meetings this afternoon,” he whispers, and I nod. The king stands, picking me up with him, his hand caressing down my back gently as he walks toward the pier. He picks up my dress, wrings it out before helping me pull it on, then walks me back toward the castle, and I shiver at the coldness of the breeze caressing my skin.
We make our way upstairs to our room, and I go to run a bath. Goosebumps cover my skin, and the cold starts to sink into my bones when the king comes up behind me.
“No, you shower with me,” he says, gripping my hip. I go to protest when he grabs my hip tighter, tugging me back against him, his other hand going to my throat as he dips his face into the crook of my neck. He purrs. My eyes flutter shut before I shake my head, fighting against the urge to give in to him.
“You shower with me,” he repeats before his lips cover mine, ourtongues tangling, and his hand moves from neck to my breast as he squeezes it.
“Stop fighting the bond, Ivy. Let it reforge. Why do you keep fighting it?” he murmurs against my lips.
I resist the urge to scoff at him. How could he ask that? He shouldn’t want the bond, not with me, anyway. He growls, nipping at my lips. The calling washes over me like a tidal wave before I can resist it or struggle to stamp the urges down. I bite him, and he groans, my teeth raking down his flesh, and I know it is his doing, know he’s using it against me. And I hate him for it.
“Don’t fight me, and I won’t use it,” he mumbles, picking up my anger as I sink my teeth into his chest and bite him. Kyson moves, spinning me around and shoving me into the sink basin, his hands gripping my hips as he places me next to the sink.
The king presses himself between my thighs, his erection throbbing against me, and he groans while I try to shove him away. The calling grows more potent, and tears prick my eyes when he grips my hair as he tugs my head back. His tongue invades my mouth, and I moan into his mouth, the bond pulling to the surface as he forces it out.
A whimper escapes me as I tug him closer, my claws slipping free and scratching down his chest. Needing him, arousal floods into me, making my pussy clench. My entire body is buzzing from the bond in anticipation. His hand moves between my legs, and he rubs my throbbing core, my arousal spilling onto my thighs. All too soon, he pulls away, making me growl.
“You don’t leave without telling me,” he purrs, and I nod, anything to get his touch back. I reach for him, and he leans down and pecks my lips, the bond forcing my hands to his chest, needing his touch, wanting it, and craving him. He then pulls away and turns the shower on. I stare at his back as he removes his clothes, glaring at him that he riled me up and used the calling on me to force out the bond and then stop as soon as I answer it.
“In the shower,” Kyson says while stepping under the water. Igrowl at him, stalking out of the bathroom and going to my closet. I hear him protest but ignore him, embarrassed that he tormented me that way, and I let him.
“Ivy, don’t make me come get you,” Kyson calls out, and I snarl before burrowing inside my den, seething at what he did. He will pay for that; he had caught me off guard. I won’t let it happen again.
“Ivy!” he growls, and I reach up, locking the closet door.
Chapter Forty
Ivy is driving me up the wall. I can’t even kick the damn door down because I don’t know if she is directly behind it or not. All night I wait, and damn, does she test my patience. I am back to swallowing the amber liquid, letting it scorch the back of my throat while I glare at the door.
I move off the bed and away from my stare off with the closet door separating us. I meander toward the small bar area in the corner, growling and muttering under my breath as I pour the last remnants from the bottle into my glass.
Her discomfort is beginning to make me nervous, her scent growing stronger as it permeates from under the door. Grabbing my glass, I move back toward the bed, pausing for a second by the bookshelf. My eyes move over the shelves before spotting the book we were reading before everything turned to shit. Moving the small jewelry box off the shelf, I accidentally drop it. The lid cracks open and the music starts playing. Bending down, I scoop the small box off the ground when I notice an engraving on the side of it. The inscription is small in the back corner of the tiny box.
Azalea. I. Landeena.
12.3.2004
Love Mom & Dad.
I furrow my brows, and I glance over at the door. Ivy and Azalea share the same birthday. Shaking my head, I place the box back before glancing at the door again and grabbing the book off the shelf, I move to sit by the door, and she growls, sensing my presence. I open it up to where the ribbon lay between the pages and reading aloud. Her growls and snarls quiet, and after about five minutes, I hear her move within the confines of her closet and makeshift den.