Page 86 of A Whisper in the Dark

He always had.

Always would.

Even if that pissed him off.

“This won’t just be a business deal,” he shoved his pride down to get the words out, knowing it was too important to make this clear beforehand, “it’ll be a real mating. If that’s not something you’re on board with—”

“I’ve only fucked you since that night,” Odin cut him off. “I’ve only wanted to fuck you. That won’t change.”

“If it does—”

“It won’t.” A thought seemed to strike him and his eyes narrowed. “Whether that’s the case for you or not, whether you go through with this right now or not, make no mistake, Huntsman, mine will be the only cock you take for the rest of your days. If you even so much as dream about welcoming another man into your body, I’ll cut his dick off and make you take me in a pool of his blood.”

“That goes without saying.” Hunter tried not to let on how dark that threat had been. Or how it’d made him a little bit hard.

What the hell was wrong with him?

“Does it?” Odin stared at him challengingly and Hunter nodded.

“I won’t let anyone else touch me willingly,” he said, “but if you ever let anyone touch me—”

“That’s never going to happen,” he practically spat, as if the very idea of someone else laying their hands on Hunter in any capacity made him instantly murderous.

His dick twitched and Hunter felt another rush of mortification at himself. Was it because he’d been stuck here for months? Was this conditioning? Had Odin been slowly chipping away at his resistance all this while and making Hunter pliable?

Of course, he almost laughed. And there was little doubt the Snow Dominus was completely aware that that’s what he’d been doing too.

Since the very second Hunter had woken up in Club Cherry, Odin Snow had been unraveling him.

“I’ll let you roam the club,” Odin told him then, “like I intended to before.”

The day he’d been drugged and almost rapped, Hunter had been given a bracelet that would give him access to all of the locations in the club. Only a few places were off-limits, including every single one of the exits.

Of course, he’d barely gotten the chance to test it out, since he’d been brought to Odin’s room and kept there that same night. The next morning when he’d woken, it’d already been removed from his wrist.

“But,” Odin took a single step closer and Hunter bristled, “if you try to run, Little Whisper, I will find you, lock you in this room, chain you to the bed, and never release you again. Be my mate, or be my sex slave. Those are your options. Either way, you are going to be mine, and mine alone.”

“What happened to trying not to scare me off?” Hunter asked. “You were doing so well at it a moment ago.”

“You’re being so honest with me,” Odin explained, “I figured it was only fair I return that honesty with my own.”

Odin was the devil incarnate. He didn’t need to remind Hunter of that fact.

“I know what I’ll be agreeing to,” he said, tipping his chin up. “But I’m also not finished. There’s one other thing that I want. And it’s non-negotiable.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Odin drawled. “Tell me.”

“Isa Frost,” Hunter continued the second he saw fury sweep over Odin’s features, not wanting him to misunderstand, “I want to help destroy him. You aren’t the only one he took everything from.”

Odin considered it. “You want revenge.”

“If using you is the way to achieve that,” Hunter didn’t so much as blink, “so be it. You want me to surrender myself to you? Keep your promise, the one you made before. You said you’d give me whatever I wanted.” He held his gaze. “I want Isa Frost to burn.”

For a tense moment, all Odin did was stare back at him, and it lasted for so long that Hunter was actually getting nervous that he was going to be rejected. He was a Whisper, after all, and though he had never seen the dynamics between a Whisper and their Shout in person, he was aware of the stories. For the most part, Whispers were protected at all costs, even sheltered more often than not. Considered too precious to risk or some other such bullshit.

Hunter would stay locked up in Club Cherry if he had to because, honestly, it was safer for him here, and he didn’t have a death wish. But that didn’t mean he’d willingly stand on the sidelines forever. So long as he was allowed into the fights that truly mattered to him, he could learn to develop some patience. He’d have to.

“Done,” Odin said finally, that single word cutting through the air like the bullet from a blaster.

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