Page 77 of King of Malice
I cry out and he raises his hand to smack my face. It comes down hard across my cheek, pain exploding through my skull. Blood sprays out of my mouth, misting his face. He doesn’t notice.
I squeeze my eyes shut, preparing for the invasion that’s about to come. I have this fleeting thought about my best friend, Ava.
I watched her be raped, a memory I dream often. Sometimes I’m me, stabbing her attacker in the neck, and sometimes…I’m her.
But the dreams didn’t prepare me for how this would actually feel. “Ava,” I whimper, knowing I’ve never fully understood her pain.
For how it would feel to be trapped like this, under a man who is immune to my suffering. I ache for me, but honestly, I ache for her. I haven’t given her enough grace. Enough love.
My thoughts are slammed back to the present as he bends down, his teeth sinking into my neck like some sick fucking animal. He’s about to break the flesh when from out of nowhere….
I hear the thud of flesh hitting flesh and suddenly I’m free. I sit up to see the man who’d just held me down laying in the dirt. Standing next to me, another fighter. I start to scurry away in a crab crawl, despite being naked from the waist down, when he bends down and catches my ankle.
I panic, kicking out, but his grip doesn’t tighten. His hand isn’t rough, just firm as he says in a quiet voice, “Settle, sweetheart.”
I blink back my surprise, the fear still tensing my limbs, as I note the rippling muscles on display in his tank top. He has on army-style pants, his hair cropped short. Soldier? “Are you going to try and rape me too?”
But I can already feel the difference. We’re talking, his eyes are calm, his touch deliberate, but not hostile.
Good God, he’s handsome. Not pretty at all, his features are rough and masculine, but they’re still nicely arrayed.
His eyes flick to the other man lying in the grass, growing diamond-hard before they return to mine, and then soften. “No, sweetheart. You’re safe with me.”
“Safe?” I ask, and my voice catches again. I swallow down my fear. There is no place for it here. “You’re not trying to…” I was going to say, get in my pants, but I don’t have any currently.
“We’re going to have sex. And we’rebothgoing to love it. Promise.”
CHAPTER TWO
Cadence
For a second,I just stare at him. Is he crazy? After what just happened, no one is touching me.
And then I remember. The Hunt ends when I let one of them have me.
Letbeing the operative word and the one the last man had clearly forgotten. But until then, the hunters will keep coming…
And any one of the men I’ve run into already might take another go. Whatever their reason for entering this competition, they all want to win.
And the prize is fucking me.
I signed up for this…
The soldier pulls me close enough to hook his other arm around my waist. His movements are slow and careful, despite the danger that surrounds us.
Which is why, I don’t resist as he lifts me into his arms, straightening up while holding me so we’re both standing. “Decision?”
I appreciate that he’s asking my permission. This isn’t a moment tobe weak, it will only make the whole situation worse and bravery is one of the few attributes I’ve got in spades.
“Yes,” I answer simply, making my choice.
Maybe it’s his gentleness that allows me to give in to him. He isn’t like the others. Which is why I’m choosing him.
Not that he’s weak. My soldier boy just knocked a man out. A really strong one, at that.
I’m not wearing leggings or underwear, so he only has to yank at the waist of his cargo pants, the heavy fabric dropping to his knees.
I look down to see the kind of cock I’ve only ever dreamed about. He’s not even fully erect and he’s so thick that it makes my mouth water. Or maybe that’s the blood from my wounded tongue.
