Page 41 of The Hidden
“Before what?” I yell back over all this cryptic bullshit all the time.
“Before you told Ryn you would wait.”
I release a frustrated growl and push him. I have no Pigeon backing me up, so my efforts result in Zeph staying exactly where he is.
“Why do you fucking care? Why does Ryn fucking care?” I ask exasperated. “You hate me. Your people hate me. They spit on the ground as I walk by. They look at me like I’m the person solely responsible for all of their problems. You and Ryn avoid me at all costs unless the drive to get your dick wet is upon you. I mean, I get that, I really fucking do, but he can fuck some other chick in my absence. I’m certain it will make very little difference in the long run. This is just some fucked up powerplay with you guys. Some weird ass game of let’s hatefuck the Ouphe tainted.”
Zeph snarls at that, but I cut him off. “Oh please, did you not think I knew what was going on? I’m not stupid, and honestly, I don’t fucking care. I got a good fuck out of it, but enough is enough. You and Ryn can tag team some other bitch. I’m done.”
Zeph pulls me into him and grabs the back of my neck roughly. He brings his face down to mine and then rubs the scruff of his cheek against me as he nips at my earlobe.
“This has nothing to do with hatefucking or powerplays. And youarestupid if you believe any of the nonsense you just spewed. You have no idea how this world works or what’s at stake.”
I growl as I push away from him. He allows me to pull far enough back that I can look in his eyes but no further. “If I have no understanding of what’s going on, it’s because you’ve made it that way. You know where I come from and that I had no idea what I was or that this world evenexisteduntil you attacked me. But I don’t see you filling in the gaps for me. I’ve had no lessons. No tutors to explain how gryphon life and this world works. Youwantme in the dark. Let’s not pretend otherwise.”
Zeph smashes his lips to mine, and I get lost in the feel of his brutal kiss for way too long before I boob punch myself and come to my senses. I try to push Zeph away, but he’s not having any of it. He grabs my ass and tries to pull me up to straddle him. I fight to keep my feet on the ground, my head clear, and my senses free of Zeph and the molten effect he has on me.
“Zeph, stop.” My protest is swallowed by his lips as he tries to coax me to open up to him.
Fuck, I want to.Maybe just one more night of orgasms, and then I can leave tomorrow. As that thought flashes through my mind, anger surges through me. The fucker’s doing this on purpose. I bite his lip hard, and Zeph pulls back with a hiss.
“Stop,” I demand, ignoring the fire and want in his eyes.
He leans forward, hell bent on ignoring my command.
“Tamod, Zeph!” I shout in his face. “I’m not trying to set up another round of catch-me-if-you-can rough sex. I’m serious. I can’t fucking think with you kissing me and rubbing up on me,” I scold, exasperated.
I register the frozen look on Zeph’s face, and confusion flickers through me for a moment. I pale, and my blood runs cold as I realize that I just let that word fly out of my mouth like it’s something I say every day. Zeph morphs from shocked to enraged, and I watch as all the affection he just had for me evaporates into nothing. His features shutter and harden, and I panic.
“Fuck, Zeph, I didn’t mean…” I trail off and reach up to cup his face, needing him to feel in my touch as well as see in my face that I didn’t mean to let that word slip out. My stomach drops when he flinches away.
What the fuck were you thinking, Falon? What the hell did you just do?
20
Istare into Zeph’s betrayed gaze, and I instantly wish I could snatch that word out of the air, light it on fire, and eradicate its existence. I have no fucking clue why I said it. Maybe it was the echo of the dream I had this morning fucking with my good sense, but as I watch Zeph’s eyes go from shocked to furious, I know this is a fuck up of epic proportions.
“How in all of the stars do you know that rutting word?” Zeph demands, his voice low and measured as he slaps my hands away from his face.
“How the fuck do you not know the meaning ofstopandno?” I snap back, defensive.
“You like to fight me and then fuck me, Falon. I thought it was just more of the same.” There’s a deadly calm to him now that sets every hair on my body on end with alarm. He takes a menacing step toward me, his stare filled with fury and betrayal.
I want to deny what he just said, but I can’t. It’s true.
“Who are you?” he snarls at me, grabbing me by the arms and shaking me like he thinks if he does it hard enough, the truth will fall out at his feet.
“You’re hurting me,” I protest on a growl and try to shove him away.
“Good,” he snaps at me, his eyes narrowed and filled with promises of more pain.
“How doyouknowthat word?”
“My dad taught me,” I confess on a shout, and his glare turns even more bitter.
“How sweet, your Ouphe father taught his little girl how to enslave and control the masses. What fun you two must have had.”
“Fuck you, Zeph! I haven’t said that word since I was little. You wouldn’t stop—”
