Page 30 of Sold to the Nalgar
No.
Her mind whispered,Don’t find him beautiful.But her body didn’t listen. Her pulse throbbed in her throat, every nerve alive, traitorously aware of his gaze.
She hated him.
She hated herself more.
She wanted to scream. To fight. Tohide.
Instead, she stayed frozen.
He raised a hand.
Not the commanding stop gesture of before. This was different. Two fingers, graceful, curling inward.
Come.
Cecilia didn’t move.
Pressed hard against the wall, knees tucked in, fingers gripping the robe. Her heartbeat drowned out everything else. She stared at him, then shook her head, slow and disbelieving.
“No,” she whispered. Her voice cracked.
His eyes didn’t blink.
He beckoned again.
Something in her snapped.
“No,” she said, louder this time, her voice shaking with anger. “I’m not coming to you. I’m not a dog.”
She wasn’t sure he understood, but her defiance was clear. Her fists tightened in the robe as she pushed herself upright, spine rigid.
How dare he?
Did he think she was a toy? That she’d simply obey, accept this as if it was normal?
Her pulse hammered as the truth hit her again—she had beentaken.Stolen from her life, her work, her world.
By him.
Because he could.
Her breath came faster, chest heaving. Not from fear.
From fury.
“Is this fun for you?” she hissed. “Do you think I’ll play along just because you’re… whatever the hell you are?”
His expression didn’t change.
But the air in the room tightened.
“I had a life,” she spat. “A name. I worked hard for everything I had. And you…” She jabbed a trembling finger at him. “You ripped it all away.”
Her throat burned, but she didn’t stop.
“I don’t care if you’re strong. I don’t care if you’re some kind of warlord. I’m not yours. I’ll never be.”
