Page 148 of House of Ruin
It was her turn to recite the lines. Alecto couldn’t remember them.
“For fuck’s sake,” she cursed, taking a step away. She looked at the script in her hand.
Norse gave a tsk. “Is it my charm that made you forget your lines, or is there something else?”
Alecto glared at him, her cheeks aflame. He looked pleased to see it, and Alecto hoped he took it as a sign she was embarrassed at how much she was affected by his touch and his presence.
She cleared her throat and reread her lines. Then she fished out a tube of lip gloss and reapplied it on her lips.
“Okay, I’m ready,” she said, tossing her long hair back and walking towards Norse. He followed her every move like a hawk.
She tilted her chin up.
Norse patted the four-legged device he was leaning on with a hand. “Do you know what this is used for?”
Alecto blinked, looking at the thing behind him. She shook her head. “Some sort of wicked torture?”
“Close.” Norse circled her, giving her an unobstructed view of the device. He leaned in closer to her ear. “You see those chains above it?” Alecto nodded. “You use it to chain someone’s hands above their head. And you see that saddle right there?” He pointed at the brown leather saddle on the back of the device. Alecto nodded once more. “The person sits there. Naked.”
Alecto clicked her tongue. “Sounds kinda boring.”
Norse’s hand grazed Alecto’s back, oh, so gently, she almost missed it.
“It’s not at all. You see, this is a variation of a device mortals used to use for torture during the medieval times, to punish witches. The victim would sit on the back of the horse naked, and their genitals rubbed until they bloodied,” Norse explained. Alecto swallowed hard. “Now we took the torture device and made it into a pleasure device instead. Thevictimgets to sit and ride the saddle until they come.”
Norse’s hand was suddenly on Alecto’s hip, and then he turned her around to face him. Her back hit the side of the horse, Norse’s body pressed tight against her.
She yelped with surprise, grabbing for Norse’s crisp white shirt.
Norse leaned in closer to her, their noses touching. But he didn’t kiss her yet. “Care to try it and see it for yourself?”
Alecto slowly dragged her tongue over his lower lip. “I’m open to being convinced.”
Norse moaned into her mouth, and then finally, he kissed her.
His kiss was harsh and impatient, his hands roaming her body with the same intensity.
Despite herself, Alecto reacted to his kiss and his touch, heat surging to her core. She let out a sweet moan when Norse’s lips travelled down to her neck.
“I can be quite convincing,” Norse said against her neck.
Alecto opened her eyes then, letting her hand run through his always perfectly styled hair. “Just like you were when you convinced Bea to poison Blaze?”
“Yes.” The word left his mouth before Norse could stop himself.
The moment he realized what had happened, he froze.
“You killed Jack Riverblood, Fallon Star, and Rebecca Moon, didn’t you?” Alecto asked in a rush, hoping the truth serum worked and she could get the confession out of him.
“I did, yes,” Norse said without hesitation. He looked at Alecto with his eyes wide. “What the fuck did you do to me?”
“Truth serum,” Alecto said. She couldn’t lie either.
Norse stepped away from her, running a hand through his messy hair.
“Why did you do it? To win the Game and ruin the Snakes?” Alecto asked, breathing fast.
Norse shook his head. “I didn’t have a choice.”
